Thank you, Otto. Very interesting. I passed it on to many others. Stay safe!
We are thinking of you
Margaret Lawson

Otto,

John Kennedy once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces”

I just want to thank you for your service to our beautiful country during these toughest of times. Your service embodies everything that has made this country great.

Best Regards,
Ginni Singh

Otto,

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.

I just want to thank you for your service to our beautiful country during these toughest of times. Your service embodies everything that has made this country great.

Best Regards,
Ginni Singh

Otto,

Happy to hear you are well. Your post is definitely interesting reading. I look forward to hearing all your stories when you return.

Brandon Sulser

Hi Otto!

It’s good to hear from you. You are missed here at home. Thank you so much for serving our country. I can’t imagine what life is like oversea. Take care!

Buu

Thank you for the very interesting and detailed account of your life with the Army. As usual you have found ways to be positive about what is a very different, difficult and certainly dangerous time. Glad to hear that you got that bathroom scrubbed clean! Take care and be safe.
Jeanine

Hi Otto - it is great to hear from you and to read about your life over there. We greatly appreciate your service and the sacrifice that you and your family are enduring. We hope your tour ends sooner than planned so you can get back with your family. Let Sally know that we would be happy to watch the girls for an afternoon if she needs some time off. It would give Talisa big sister practice. Be safe and keep up the positive spirits!
Craig & Julie

Hey Otto,

Sounds like a balance of nice and crappy over there in Iraq. My friend was stationed at Camp Buehring in Kuwait for a year and he said the only thing worth waiting for was Taco Bell to open at 6am. You’ve got a pretty insane work ethic and I have an immense respect for the day-to-day hardships you go through. Come back without any scratches! I’ll go visit Sally sometime!

Sending my best wishes to you and your family, Otto! Thanks for your work– please stay safe!

Fondly, Alison

Otto,

Thank you for serving our country. We ask a lot of our men in uniform and I want to say thanks from the folks in Sunnyvale. Your post brought back my own, very old, memories of Fort Jackson.

Otto,

Thanks for your service to our country and wishing you health and stay safe.
Joe Antuzzi

Hearing from you warms out hearts.

Please let us know if there’s anything we can do for your family.

Otto,
We’re glad you’re making the best of a tough situation. You are living “service before self” and are an inspiration to others, including me. I spoke with Sally last week and volunteered our babysitting services any time, so tell her not to be shy.

BTW, nice sidewalls on the high-and-tight. Looks like the Army is getting to you. Us Air Force guys kind of like our hair!

God bless you and your family.

Otto:

I finally finished my deadline at 5:30pm today, the Good Friday, and sat down to read your blog. Your detailed report made the war more real ever to me. After I read it twice and thought about it for a while, I began to appreciate the small and large conveniences and comforts, the safety, the feeling at home… Thank you for serving the country and protecting us. I spoke with your Mom a few days ago, and I’ll call Sally and your angels over the Easter weekend. Please keep us posted so we know you are well and safe.

Wish you a relaxing Easter.

Yingchao & family

Hi Otto

What do you do for fun there? If anything.

Daxin

I think of you often. Thank you for letting us know how you are doing. We so appreciate the sacrifices of you and your family. How fortunate our country and our community are to be served by someone of your caliber. Please take care always.

Hello, Otto,
Thank you for blogging! We all know things are difficult for all of you who serve. You help me to understand the daily challenges of living so much more than what is published. As a citizen and as a child of military parents, I thank you. Here’s hoping for a safe return for you all!

Tara

Hey Bro,

I want to thank you for your service to our great country. Freedom is preserved by us that choose to defend and protect it. Your sacrifice and the sacrifice that your family is making is not easy for anyone who has not done it to understand. We can only pray for your safety and comfort as you live this part of your life. Keep in mind “this too shall pass” and you will be back to the rest of your life. I believe that you will make a difference for the veterans who have felt what you feel. We all need to believe that someone actually cared about the time we spent “in country” “Boots on the Ground”.

God Bless Otto and God bless your wonderful family.

Dan Tosh and Family

Otto,

Very interesting to read about your experiences. We miss you here and you have been in my thoughts over these past few months. Take care!

David

Otto,
You are a real hero. Your life sounds very intense and transformational, but your attitude reflects the same positive, intelligent and caring Otto that we know back home.

I am honored to recieve your journal comments.

Much love,
Meri

Dear Otto,

Thank you for sharing your experience in Iraq with us; it is very interesting to read. Thank you also for serving our country and helping us get out of Iraq in an orderly manner. All the best to you and your family.

Stay safe,

Claude Ezran

Dear Otto,

Thank you for sharing yor journal. Thank you for serving our country.

With best regards,
Hsiao-ling

Hey Otto,

Great to hear about your experiences. Coming from countries where freedom is taken away by the military I have to admit that I am full of mixed emotions. You know how Americans love to say that their freedom is protected by the military??? Well… I think that freedom is protected by a well-informed citizenry that doesn’t put up with crap from elected officials and the military.

Having said that, I honestly believe that if more people in the military were like you, then YES!!!! the military would be of wonderful service not just for one nation, but the entire world. Thank you for all you do both in Iraq, as well as here at home. Your leadership is being missed.

Love you lots!

Hi, Otto! Ron shared your blog with us. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Kevin and I have been keeping our troops in our daily prayers together, and I think of you when we do. I’ve been forwarding any personal mail that comes to City Hall for you to Sally each Friday. We look forward to seeing whatever photos you can post. God’s speed to you in fulfilling this important role in defense of our country, and we look forward to your safe return to your family and friends! -Heidi

Otto-
Great recap of the hectic pace and life you’ve been subjected to these last view months. Keep up the great attitude when the weather gets hotter soon! Your comments take me back to when I was activated to help support “Desert Storm” for Kuwait in 1990… And additionally, I was a Company Commander of Drill Sergeants and we spent some time at Ft. Jackson one summer. Your comments, again, made me return to some fond memories. Keep up the hard work & best always, and take it easy on the desert! John McLemore

Be safe and take care Dear Otto

Your contribution to the community, country is greatly appreciated…
Your sacrifice and being away from Aubrianna and Hillary is and example for everyone and Wish Sally the best taking care during your efforts for the cause.

We wish you the very best

You are in our prayers …

We look forward for your safe return and being with family

Hi Otto,
It was nice reading about your last 4 months. We are praying that you stay safe while serving our country. We see Sally and Aubri often and Aubri is becoming more chatty with us. We hope you can come home soon.

Your neighbors Maya and Brian

Take care Otto. You are a hero to us. We’ll be praying for your safe home

Otto, Your sharing is deeply appreciated. I am actually reading your email while traveling in China. As a Chinese American watching all the material changes in China and hoping for the internal renewal of human hearts my thoughts are even more complicated after reading your email. We really should teach all our children not to take for granted for what we have in US.

Otto,

We are glad to hear you are doing well. We will keep you and your family in our prayers and look forward to your safe return.

Take Care.

Thank you for your service to our great nation!

We have been thinking of you esp. at the Milpitas Executive Lions Club. We sponsored the Grand Prize winner of the International Peace Poster contest (Yennie Shyu, 12 years old). http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/grand_prize_winners/index.htm

Also, we had Darcie of Caring Across the Branches (CAB) as our speaker last week. “CAB works to empower, support and inspire each individual to strengthen their family units and enable them to survive peiods of deployment.” We are definitely encouraged to be part of CAB’s support system, because of people like you who defend our freedom!

God’s blessings!

thank you internet for keeping us in touch!
i come with high recommendations, from my 4-yr-old gran’daughter, to be your children’s playmate. and i’m in your neighborhood. pls let sally know to arrange schedules for me.
keep your focus on your job, have no worry about your family! rose-marie

Otto,

From one Veteran (Army) to another I’d like to say Thank You. Thank You for your service and your continued support to this country.

God Speed!!

Otto,

It is so good to hear from you! We miss you a lot and we can’t wait to hear more from you. Thank you so much for your service to our country.

I cannot wait for you to come home, but I know that there is still a lot of work to do. My brother recently came home from a tour, so it’s very interesting to hear how much the country has changed, and also how in some ways it’s still the same.

I will keep you in my prayers, and keep in touch,

Mia

We miss you Otto! Stay safe, can’t wait till you get back. Love your blog.

 

Hi Otto,
Thank you for staying in touch with your Sunnyvale friends and neighbors. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Our nation is blessed with talented people such as yourself who are willing and able to offer their public service to their country.

Thank you,
Bob Lopez

Comment by Bob Lopez April 24, 2009 @ 6:11 pm

Believe my previous email didn’t take, please forgive if this is a double.
Focus on your job, have no worries about your family. Give Sally my e address, I’m in your neighborhood and easy to reach.
We look forward to seeing you when your tour of duty ends. Take good care! Rose-Marie

Comment by Rose-Marie Twu April 26, 2009 @ 2:40 am

Otto:
Thank you for serving out wonderful country. You are a true American and we want you home safe and sound to continue making Sunnyvale a quality city to live in.
Best, Dane Andrew Beezley

Comment by Dane Andrew Beezley April 27, 2009 @ 11:39 pm

Hi Otto,

Good to hear from you! You are my inspiration. Not many are willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. I will surely take your advice to heart: Be thankful and not take things for grantted. We all miss you here. My family and I will make special prayers for you and the rest of the troops for a safe stay.

Comment by carol wong April 29, 2009 @ 11:35 pm

We miss you here at OCA and around City Hall and are looking forward to your safe return and place on the Council. I remember you and your family and others who are serving in my prayers every day. Take care and look forward to reading more posts.
Sam/OCA

Comment by Barbara "Sam" Roberts May 4, 2009 @ 10:02 pm

Hello Otto,
Great to hear about your experiences. Coming from countries where freedom is taken away by the military I have to admit that I am full of mixed emotions.Thank you for your service to our great nation!I will keep you in my prayers, and keep in touch,Take care Otto. You are a hero to us. We’ll be praying for your safe home.God bless you

Hi Otto,
Jim sent me to this link. It was so great to read about your experience thus far. Wow! What an experience it has been for you. Keeping both you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. I now know how difficult it is to be apart since Jim is also deployed. Looking forward to continuing to hear about your journey.

Hi Otto,
Thank you for your service to our country. You are an inspirational role model to young leaders in our community. What a gift you are giving by sharing your experiences. Come home safe and come home soon.

Rose

Sally sent me the link to your journal. What a fascinating read and how real Iraq is now to me! I send my best wishes to you and let you know that we are thinking of you in Ireland. I look forward to hearing more. Stay safe and keep well.

Cait Fitzgerald

Hi Otto, I just dropped by your site to see if you had posted any updates. I am sure they are keeping you very busy over there! I hope that you and your fellow soldiers had a great 4th of July. Take care, Rebecca

I was so touched by your journal and the details really opened my eyes to what you and our men and women go through every day over there.

Thank you for your great sense of humor and your wonderful contribution to this nation in all of our behalf. We look forward to your return and to see you on top of the BoA building downtown!

Much love to you, Sally and the girls. Come home soon and safe!!