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By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff WriterA Dade City soldier home on leave donates a special U.S. flag to show appreciation for the many dozens of care packages sent overseas.
DADE CITY - All Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Reedy wanted to do was say thanks.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Pasco Sheriff's Office has sent more than a hundred care packages to U.S. military personnel overseas. They've been a big help to Reedy's unit, Charlie Company, 53rd Logistical Task Force, and the medical clinic he oversees at Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan.
So while the Pasco Fire Rescue paramedic was home on leave, Reedy wanted to see his 2-week-old granddaughter, Hailey, go fishing, and drop off a token of appreciation to the Sheriff's Office: an American flag flown over the base on the Sept. 11 anniversary.
Instead, Reedy was standing at full attention in his combat uniform Thursday morning, watching the Pasco sheriff's honor guard raise his flag over the Capt. Charles "Bo" Harrison Building.
"On Sept. 11, we fly flags to send home to various folks," Reedy said, "and the Sheriff's Office folks have been just great to the guys of Charlie Company, sending us care packages and stuff. I'm in a medical company, and we have a lot of sick folks up there, and they send stuff to them, too.
"They've been just great, and I work with these guys here through the Fire Department. So I just wanted to send them a flag. I thought it would be pretty neat."
Neat doesn't begin to describe what the Sheriff's Office thought of the gesture.
"The military and law enforcement in general have a kind of kinship . . . ," Col. Al Neinhuis said. "The fact that the staff sergeant thought of us when deciding who to present the flag to is a huge honor. I think you can see that today.
"We're going to treat it with all the respect and dignity it deserves."
At 8 a.m., Reedy handed the flag to Neinhuis, exchanging salutes with the undersheriff. The colonel walked it to the honor guard commander, Lt. Michael Schreck.
He handed it to four honor guard deputies, who unfolded and raised it on the flagpole. Deputy James Marques then played To the Colors on the bugle as family, friends and sheriff's personnel watched.
The flag will fly over the east operations center on State Road 52 until it's time to be retired. The commander, Capt. James Driscoll, then plans to display the framed flag inside, Neinhuis said.
Reedy wanted to present a flag to Pasco Fire Rescue, too, but that flag's certification hit a snag. He plans to do it when his National Guard tour ends, scheduled for July or August.
As for Reedy, a 40-year-old Dade City native, his leave started Nov. 6 and ends Tuesday. His family celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday. Sunday is Christmas.
His original leave was set for February, to coincide with the anniversary of his three-year marriage to Terri, 39. But then his oldest, Justin, had a baby.
"I'm just glad to be able to have him because he was supposed to be home in February," his wife said, "because if he got snowed in, it might be canceled altogether.
"So we'll take it now, and all the kids are excited."
Reedy said his clinic, based outside Kabul, treats more than 1,000 patients monthly, including coalition troops and locals. A common sight: burned children, sometimes injured by scalding water or trying to ignite a lamp while they work for their families.
"Kids are usually the workhorses over there," he said, "and I mean real little."
Reedy, battalion commander Lt. Col. David Peek and company commander Maj. Thomas McMahan had a lot of folks to thank for helping their troops. That's why about 1,200 flags were raised and lowered over the base on Sept. 11.
"We had two people on flag detail," Reedy said, "and I gave them the rest of the day off when they came back."