Local soldiers have 'Net presence

While war is being waged thousands of miles away, at perhaps no other time has the Internet been relied upon as a news vehicle.

Sites for news agencies covering the war have seen their traffic increase dramatically. And just as Tip O'Neil said all politics is local, the Internet is putting everyone smack dab in Baghdad through a cable connection.

"If I'm not watching the television, I'm logging on to the 'Net and seeing what the latest is and what is happening over there," said Juliene Harrison, a stay-at-home Wasilla mom. "I have a niece in the Navy stationed over there, and my best friend's son is in the Marines. He's on the ground and leading the charge."

News sites braced for the coming of war by upgrading their technology. The lessons learned by being knocked offline due to enormously high traffic in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001 attack mean with war being fought, it is playing out in real time on the homefront.

"Having journalists embedded is great because you know what is happening, right away," said Steve Cristian. "Oh yeah, I always have the Internet going on when I'm at work. It's not like I'm mesmerized or anything, but I want to know if something is happening, when it's happening.

In the last three years, there have been three events that have helped shape the world of Internet reporting and the real-time information it provides -- this war, the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and the presidential election of 2000, in which vote totals were changing on a minute-by-minute basis.

For families of people in the military, the Internet can be an incredible tool. Whether it be reading reports from journalists embedded in their sons' or daughters' units to general news sites, families are logging on more and more. Some lucky families have even caught up with what their sons and daughters have been doing in Iraq through news reports.

Delia Doss, a Wasilla woman, even got to see picture of her son, Adam Thornton, on a report filed by CNN.

Thornton, a Houston High School graduate with the Class of 2000, is with the 2nd Marine Division. In a March 24 report written by Art Harris, he was quoted extensively.

"It was the first tangible evidence I had that he's alive and well," Doss said. "I've been on pins and needles ever since this all began. I've also got a daughter in the Navy. Both of my babies are in the service."

Along with the CNN report, there was a photograph of Doss' son, as well. And while the Web site incorrectly identified him, Mom didn't care. She was just happy to see her son looking good.

"He looked so cute on that Web site. I got a call last Thursday that he was on the Web site, and I was just amazed," Doss said. "The last time we all were together was Christmas. He got his orders and found out he was going."

Another Valley Marine, 2nd Lt. Isaac Moore, a Wasilla High School graduate, was recently profiled in the Financial Review.

The story was about the language barrier soldiers are facing on the battlefield -- especially important with the added risk of suicide bombers.

The story, a portion of which is reprinted below, recounted one instance in which a farmer was stopped, but nobody in the unit spoke Arabic. A tense couple of minutes followed.

Moore held the farmer until a Marine translator could be located.

Moore was concerned because the farmer had a rifle with him -- which is not uncommon, the article stated.