Another way to serve

CORALVILLE - After narrowly escaping death and watching friend after friend fall to roadside bombs and in conflict with the enemy, Sgt. 1st Class Alvin King of Coralville said, his perspective on life changed.

“When you get in the middle of war, you realize you can live with less,” said King, a corrections officer of more than 12 years at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville.

King was among a half-dozen officers and employees of the Coralville prison who recently returned from military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. They gathered Monday to dedicate more than $1,000 worth of children's bicycles, basketballs and dolls to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

“When I was (in Iraq), I saw how they lived versus how we did, and I felt fortunate to live in this country,” Kind said, listing his job and personal security as blessings he previously took for granted. “You realize you got a lot coming back.”

So when leaders of the prison employees' union contacted King and his colleagues several months ago and offered to do something or give them something for their service, the collective response seemed obvious, King said.

“We said we'd rather donate it,” he said.

King, a former University of Iowa football player who was deployed to Iraq in 2004 and again in 2009, said he came close to being killed during his first tour when a suicide bomber blew up prematurely.

“Our vehicle was blown to the side,” King said.

But he wasn't harmed, and King said returning to the United States after experiencing the harsh realities of war and the daily struggles of Iraqi civilians has motivated him to be thankful for what he has and to continue serving.

Sgt. Damian Gilbert and Sgt. Justin Gilbert - no relation - also work at the Coralville prison. Having recently returned from deployments in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard, they said they feel the same way.

“Being in the Guard, everything is for the community, so it made sense to continue to give back,” Justin Gilbert said Monday before helping to load boxes of toys inside the prison.

Marty Hathaway, president of the prison employees' union, said he's proud and honored to work with such selfless American heroes.

“They humbled us,” he said.

So far this holiday season, 400 local families have signed up to receive gifts through the Toys for Tots organization, and the prison donation will go a long way, said Toys for Tots Johnson County representative Jonathan Shun.

“To come up with this on their own and be proactive - lots of the time we have to come to businesses and beg them,” Shun said. “We can't thank you enough.”