Merry Christmas, Sgt. Jason Johnson, 35, of Monmouth, Ore.: His fiance back home in Oregon photographed and scanned every ornament on Johnson's tree back home, and then she sent the photos to Iraq. He recreated his Christmas tree on a bed sheet.

IRAQ – "I wasn't going to show anyone, but since we are packing everything up I figured I'd share it with some people," said Army Staff Sergeant Jason Johnson, 35, of Monmouth, Ore., as he looked at his tree drawn on a bed sheet.

This December, his fiance back home in Oregon photographed and scanned every ornament on Johnson's tree back home. Then she sent the photos to Iraq.

Johnson pinned the "ornaments," some of which dated back to his toddler years, to his tree on his bedroom wall at his base in Iraq.

On Christmas Eve, he took the tree down with the rest of his belongings: Oregon's Charlie Company Medevac is packing up and getting ready for the long-awaited trip home.

"It kind of sucks that we are packing the day before Christmas because we have to take down all the decorations," says Johnson.

Cali Bagby embedded with the Oregon Army National Guard from the 41st Infantry for KATU.com. Her work has been published in the Washington Post and the Eugene Weekly.
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