New Ulm native in Middle East

Paul Sponholz

defends U.S., but fear of war makes parents wary

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Paul Sponholz, who delivered The Journal as a youngster and later worked as a photographer for the newspaper, is now a U.S. Marine Corps captain aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the Middle East.

A supply officer in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Sponholz left North Carolina for duty in late August. His three-ship convoy stopped in Kosovo to conduct peace support operations with the Austrian military in September.

Nancy and Martin Sponholz, his parents, are displaying the Marine Corps and American flags around the clock outside their New Ulm home. A spotlight is focused on the flags.

Although Paul wasn't able to spend Christmas at home this year, he made a telephone call home. The Sponholzes prayed for a peaceful resolution to the latest Middle East crisis.

''I fear for their safety when there is this much hatred for us,'' Nancy Sponholz said in an Associated Press story. ''He's doing this because of a love for his country and a hope to make the world a better place. Right now they certainly don't get the feedback that the rest of the world thinks they are doing something good.''

The New Year prayer at the Sponholz home, she said, is ''Lord, keep the cap on this whole situation so that it doesn't explode but instead is peacefully resolved," the Associated Press reported.

Despite living on a steel ship, the Marines found a way to create their own Christmas display. They strung lights in the Tactical Logistics Center, made a cardboard fireplace and hung socks from it.

After graduation from Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School 15 years ago, Sponholz majored in photo journalism at the University of Minnesota for three years. He became photo editor at the Minnesota Daily, covering Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev's visit to Minnesota.

He soon realized that engineering was what he really wanted to do after working as an intern with the City of St. Paul Street Department.

Sponholz switched his major to engineering his senior year and then graduated in that field. He joined the Marines and soon became an officer at Quantico Marine Station in Virginia.

Sponholz still plans to become an engineer. He has a job offer from the Illinois Highway Department and talked to the U.S. Navy about becoming an engineer with its Construction Batallion (SeaBee) units. He also became interested in long-distance bicycle riding and soccer recently.

"He told me he can ride almost endlessly on a bicycle," Martin Sponholz said. "Maybe some of those long Marine marches got him in shape for distance cycling and soccer."