Grog
Semper Gumby
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2000
- Messages
- 5,033
I have a friend who is currently in Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division. He sends out bulk e-mails to a group of us about once every week or so to kep us up to date on what is going on in his life. I just thought I would share his 9/11 e-mail... (P.S. this is a cut and paste job. Any typos are his 
)
Something happened yesterday that just scares the heck out of me. We had two Iraqis somehow make it onto the compound unnoticed. Don't know how they got in or where. These two ********* were just seen roaming about the interior of the compound, kinda like a pair of tourists. The Quick reation force deployed. They chased them all over the compound, lost one and caught the other. The other one is still unaccounted for, we think he got out the same way he came in. The one we caught we escorted to the front gate and kicked out. He seemed pleased to be let go. I am sure he was scared to death having a bunch of soldiers in their turtle suits chasing him over hill and dale.
I just reread this and realized I left something out. the Iraqis in question were REAL *********. Grey, four legged ones with big ears. Hee haw, hee haw...
Anyway, that provided a moment of levity in the daily battle update brief. Of course the question of exactly how did these two beasts make it into our compound remains. Unfortunately our interrogation of the animal was impeded by the language barrier.
Todays battle update brief was ended by a slide show from 2001. It included footage from the attack. Several different angles of the planes flying into the towers, stills from the towers and the Pentagon. The Chaplain put it together. A rather haunting tune going along with the first half, Taps playing the last minute or so. For those of you who don't know. Taps has words. This was the first time I heard them actually sung. I had read tem in the past, sang them to myself, just so I would know them, but hearing them sung by a choir with talent, accompanied by music was something else. The only people with dry eyes in the room were the ones who had a hole in their lip where they were biting to keep from crying. The chaplain always says a word of prayer after the BUB, today the words were about needing to have strength, and intellectual stamina, and the courage to face the evil in the world. I missed the cha! pter and verse but the words were immensely stirring and incredibly appropriate.
The squadron commander always ends the BUB with his guidance. He goes to the front, talks about what we need to do better, and what we are doing well, and reminds the leadership to keep the soldiers focused and remind them of how important what they are doing is.
Today he just stood up, and from his seat, said "This is why we are here, for any of you who may have forgotten, good night." Saluted and left. He had dry eyes, but I noticed a significant lip quiver during the presentation and during the prayer.
I bought a CD a couple of weeks ago, it was a medley of country hits. Lots of artists, and songs which hold some different meanings and some which are just kinda cool. "Totally Country 2" is the CD, "I don't want you to go", "The Impossiible",and "Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo" are some of my more favorite songs. I was listening to one though the other day and realized it didn't apply to me. "Life Happened" Neat little song about someone going home for her class reunion and seeing how everyone turned out different than they thought they would. Movie star wanna be selling videos. Would be race car driver teaching drivers ed, because they got distracted by life and wound up happy anyway.
I am right where I thought I would be, and I am doing what I wanted to do when I was a high school punk oh so many years ago. Not many people get to do that. Even fewer are happy with it, or at least as happy as they thought they would be. I am.
Guess "better lucky than good" huh?
208 and a wake up.
xxxxx
)Something happened yesterday that just scares the heck out of me. We had two Iraqis somehow make it onto the compound unnoticed. Don't know how they got in or where. These two ********* were just seen roaming about the interior of the compound, kinda like a pair of tourists. The Quick reation force deployed. They chased them all over the compound, lost one and caught the other. The other one is still unaccounted for, we think he got out the same way he came in. The one we caught we escorted to the front gate and kicked out. He seemed pleased to be let go. I am sure he was scared to death having a bunch of soldiers in their turtle suits chasing him over hill and dale.
I just reread this and realized I left something out. the Iraqis in question were REAL *********. Grey, four legged ones with big ears. Hee haw, hee haw...
Anyway, that provided a moment of levity in the daily battle update brief. Of course the question of exactly how did these two beasts make it into our compound remains. Unfortunately our interrogation of the animal was impeded by the language barrier.
Todays battle update brief was ended by a slide show from 2001. It included footage from the attack. Several different angles of the planes flying into the towers, stills from the towers and the Pentagon. The Chaplain put it together. A rather haunting tune going along with the first half, Taps playing the last minute or so. For those of you who don't know. Taps has words. This was the first time I heard them actually sung. I had read tem in the past, sang them to myself, just so I would know them, but hearing them sung by a choir with talent, accompanied by music was something else. The only people with dry eyes in the room were the ones who had a hole in their lip where they were biting to keep from crying. The chaplain always says a word of prayer after the BUB, today the words were about needing to have strength, and intellectual stamina, and the courage to face the evil in the world. I missed the cha! pter and verse but the words were immensely stirring and incredibly appropriate.
The squadron commander always ends the BUB with his guidance. He goes to the front, talks about what we need to do better, and what we are doing well, and reminds the leadership to keep the soldiers focused and remind them of how important what they are doing is.
Today he just stood up, and from his seat, said "This is why we are here, for any of you who may have forgotten, good night." Saluted and left. He had dry eyes, but I noticed a significant lip quiver during the presentation and during the prayer.
I bought a CD a couple of weeks ago, it was a medley of country hits. Lots of artists, and songs which hold some different meanings and some which are just kinda cool. "Totally Country 2" is the CD, "I don't want you to go", "The Impossiible",and "Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo" are some of my more favorite songs. I was listening to one though the other day and realized it didn't apply to me. "Life Happened" Neat little song about someone going home for her class reunion and seeing how everyone turned out different than they thought they would. Movie star wanna be selling videos. Would be race car driver teaching drivers ed, because they got distracted by life and wound up happy anyway.
I am right where I thought I would be, and I am doing what I wanted to do when I was a high school punk oh so many years ago. Not many people get to do that. Even fewer are happy with it, or at least as happy as they thought they would be. I am.
Guess "better lucky than good" huh?
208 and a wake up.
xxxxx
