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Ghassan 'Gus' Kabbara repays adopted country by serving as interpreter
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:00 p.m. EST, Jan 05, 2009
Ghassan ''Gus'' Kabbara decided he wanted to pay back his adopted country.
The native of Lebanon spent seven months in Iraq as an interpreter for a U.S. Department of Defense contractor, working directly for a lieutenant colonel in the Army and living with young soldiers in cramped quarters.
''I loved those guys,'' he said.
Starting Tuesday, Kabbara, 66, of Jackson Township, will be one of Summit County Engineer Alan Brubaker's new directors.
Kabbara will be maintenance supervisor. He joins two others as directors for Brubaker: Lawrence W. Fulton, the new chief deputy engineer; and Steven C. Brunot, who will serve as director of administration.
Kabbara, who was born in Beirut to parents who had emigrated from Yugoslavia, came to America in 1963 and went to Youngstown College, which became Youngstown State University.
He graduated in 1967 as a civil engineer and for 30 years ran his own company, Martindale Construction Co., as CEO and was senior partner and president of PCSG Inc.
Kabbara called his time in Iraq ''a great experience to help our troops.'' He worked for a contractor with the defense department. After a lengthy interviewing and training process, he was brought on as an interpreter.
''I speak Arabic and English fluently,'' he said.
''I decided to see what I could do to help my adopted country.''
Kabbara said he was stationed at Salman Pak, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, and was in Iraq during the high-intensity months of the surge.
Born Muslim, Kabbara, now a Roman Catholic, and his wife, Diane, have four children and three grandchildren.
The time in Iraq, he said, was his way of repaying his country.
''I would like to help more,'' he said.
The Iraq experience, which saw him rub shoulders with top officers, including Gen. David Petraeus, ''has really changed me dramatically,'' Kabbara said.
The tour in Iraq, he said, ''made me appreciate life. It made me appreciate our Army, our soldiers, and appreciate what these people do for us.''
One of the ways Kabbara gave back to his country was living with young soldiers in cramped quarters.
''I would go back in a heartbeat,'' he said.
Looking back on his decision, Kabbara said he is not sure why he had the need to work with the Army in Iraq, but, ''I am glad I did it.''
Incoming county engineer Brubaker said he has known Kabbara for as long as 30 years and was impressed by his decision to serve in Iraq.
''That was amazing,'' he said.
Brubaker said Kabbara told him that ''this country has given me a lot. They've allowed me to be a citizen. I owe this country something and wanted to give something back.''
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Ghassan ''Gus'' Kabbara decided he wanted to pay back his adopted country.
The native of Lebanon spent seven months in Iraq as an interpreter for a U.S. Department of Defense contractor, working directly for a lieutenant colonel in the Army and living with young soldiers in cramped quarters.
''I loved those guys,'' he said.
Starting Tuesday, Kabbara, 66, of Jackson Township, will be one of Summit County Engineer Alan Brubaker's new directors.
Kabbara will be maintenance supervisor. He joins two others as directors for Brubaker: Lawrence W. Fulton, the new chief deputy engineer; and Steven C. Brunot, who will serve as director of administration.
Kabbara, who was born in Beirut to parents who had emigrated from Yugoslavia, came to America in 1963 and went to Youngstown College, which became Youngstown State University.
He graduated in 1967 as a civil engineer and for 30 years ran his own company, Martindale Construction Co., as CEO and was senior partner and president of PCSG Inc.
Kabbara called his time in Iraq ''a great experience to help our troops.'' He worked for a contractor with the defense department. After a lengthy interviewing and training process, he was brought on as an interpreter.
''I speak Arabic and English fluently,'' he said.
''I decided to see what I could do to help my adopted country.''
Kabbara said he was stationed at Salman Pak, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, and was in Iraq during the high-intensity months of the surge.
Born Muslim, Kabbara, now a Roman Catholic, and his wife, Diane, have four children and three grandchildren.
The time in Iraq, he said, was his way of repaying his country.
''I would like to help more,'' he said.
The Iraq experience, which saw him rub shoulders with top officers, including Gen. David Petraeus, ''has really changed me dramatically,'' Kabbara said.
The tour in Iraq, he said, ''made me appreciate life. It made me appreciate our Army, our soldiers, and appreciate what these people do for us.''
One of the ways Kabbara gave back to his country was living with young soldiers in cramped quarters.
''I would go back in a heartbeat,'' he said.
Looking back on his decision, Kabbara said he is not sure why he had the need to work with the Army in Iraq, but, ''I am glad I did it.''
Incoming county engineer Brubaker said he has known Kabbara for as long as 30 years and was impressed by his decision to serve in Iraq.
''That was amazing,'' he said.
Brubaker said Kabbara told him that ''this country has given me a lot. They've allowed me to be a citizen. I owe this country something and wanted to give something back.''
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
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