Pennsauken POW Calls Mom

Sgt. James Riley, who was captured after Iraqi forces ambushed his army supply convoy last month, was among seven U.S. troops found alive Sunday.

Riley's father, Athol, said he was awakened about 7 a.m. by his clock radio broadcasting the news that some POWs had been rescued. He did not learn his son was among them until the family returned from a Palm Sunday service and received notification from Army Maj. Nathan Banks.

"I'm happy, but I still can't believe it," Riley's mother, Jane, told reporters outside their Pennsauken home. "When I talk to him or see him, I'll know it's real."

Later Sunday, she spoke by telephone with her son, asking if he was hungry and telling him that he had been the topic of extensive television news coverage. "We're happy you're free. ... Hope to see you soon. You know we miss you and love you," she said.

The Rileys' pastor, the Rev. Edward Pritts of Grace Episcopal Church in Merchantville, said he spoke with the family immediately after they learned their son was among the captured soldiers released to Marines.

"There was never a better Palm Sunday in my life," Pritts said.

The seven soldiers, some wounded but all reported in good condition, were flown to a military airport in Kuwait City. Banks said they probably will head to Germany next.

The Riley family will likely be flown to meet him there, perhaps within the next few days, and to escort their son home.

Riley was taken prisoner after his convoy from the 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed. Five soldiers, including Riley, were seen March 23 on Iraqi television broadcasts answering questions from their captors.

That week, most stores in Riley's hometown sold out of yellow ribbons, and neighbors sent cards and meals to his family. Riley, 31, enlisted right after graduating from Pennsauken High School in 1990.

Athol Riley said he maintained hope throughout the ordeal that his son would not be killed or injured.

"I don't really think people are inherently bad," he said. "Generally people have a good side, and that includes the Iraqis."

The sergeant's father said his elation was tempered by losses other families have suffered in Iraq. He noted that a former Willingboro resident, Army Staff Sgt. Terry Hemingway, was added to the list of U.S. casualties on Saturday. Hemingway was killed April 10.

"It's got to be tinged also with a certain amount of regret for the others who have not come home in one piece," Riley said. "They gave everything."

Jane Riley said their entire church congregation prayed for James, and she promised to continue praying for others serving overseas.

"Some families who have MIAs, they still don't know," she said. "We'll pray for them." While their son was held captive, another of their three children died of a rare neurological disorder. Mary Riley, 29, succumbed March 28 after spending two months in a coma. During the Sunday phone conversation, Athol Riley told his son about Mary's death.

When their son returns home, the Rileys say they have some bird cages for him to weld together. They usually see him only on his annual leave, and they put him to work. Last summer, he painted their house.

The Rileys said their son probably doesn't see himself as a hero but rather as someone who has been absent without leave for three weeks. Athol Riley said his son probably assessed his situation this way: "He was doing his job, and he was dumb enough to get caught."

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