TwinMom7
Proud Mom of a United States Marine
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2000
- Messages
- 1,479
Here's today's South Bend Tribune report from Fred Dodd...sounds like life is a little better for them today!
For those of you who don't know, Fred Dodd is a reporter from the South Bend Tribune who is embedded with the 114 Marines from South Bend, Indiana. His reports are a "God Send" to us family members!!
I'll just post some of the highlights of the article here:
Troops Shake Off Grit
DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
SOMEWHERE IN SOUTHERN IRAQ -- What a difference a day makes. Tuesday everyone was miserable as the worst sandstorm the South Bend Marines have seen yet pounded their encampment relentlessly all day and into the night -- ending with thunder and lightning as a hard rain -- or mud -- poured for several hours before daybreak.
Wednesday was cooler with light winds lifting everyone's spirits. Marines smiled and joked as they tried to shave. One Marine had a rough time -- the right side of his face was dotted with blood spots. Others lined up to use an air compressor to clean sand out of rifles, pistols and gas masks. Others dug their gear from under inches of wind-blown sand.
Another group tried to see how many Marines they could cram into a two-man tent. The day's record was 13. Some talked about what they will do when they go home -- renting a room with a Jacuzzi to soak away layers of sand was a popular choice.
Others heated coffee and tea. A Marine who had just received a package with several boxes of Girl Scout cookies shared them at breakfast. A group of Marines played Frisbee football while others hit a baseball and shagged flies.
Around noon a convoy of Engineer Company B vehicles headed out to refuel for a possible morning convoy. Refueling out here isn't as simple as running down to the corner gas station. Company B Marines were given a grid coordinate -- a location on a map -- where the refueling point was situated. A Marine then compared that location with the unit's to determine how far and what direction to travel.
There is more talk of working on a highway to Baghdad -- in an area under U.S. control. The men look forward to the mission -- staying busy makes time pass faster. And as everyone is fond of saying "every move forward is a step closer to home."
It is amazing how cut off from news -- any news -- the Marines out here are. In a normal year many of these Marines would be home watching the NCAA basketball tournament. This year they have no idea who made it past the first round. NIT? No one here even knows who's in it.
Even news of the war is nearly impossible to get. It would seem that if you're in the middle of a war that you'd know what's going on in it. But Engineer Company B is such a small part of the big picture that its Marines only get to see what's going on directly around them.
Occasionally rumors of casualties sift down from one source or another. Word of a false Iraqi surrender that cost several Marines their lives was disturbing -- but at this level the Marines aren't even sure the report is true. Often news sifts through so many layers on its way to the South Bend Marines that it is highly exaggerated or completely wrong by the time it reaches them.
For those of you who don't know, Fred Dodd is a reporter from the South Bend Tribune who is embedded with the 114 Marines from South Bend, Indiana. His reports are a "God Send" to us family members!!
I'll just post some of the highlights of the article here:
Troops Shake Off Grit
DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
SOMEWHERE IN SOUTHERN IRAQ -- What a difference a day makes. Tuesday everyone was miserable as the worst sandstorm the South Bend Marines have seen yet pounded their encampment relentlessly all day and into the night -- ending with thunder and lightning as a hard rain -- or mud -- poured for several hours before daybreak.
Wednesday was cooler with light winds lifting everyone's spirits. Marines smiled and joked as they tried to shave. One Marine had a rough time -- the right side of his face was dotted with blood spots. Others lined up to use an air compressor to clean sand out of rifles, pistols and gas masks. Others dug their gear from under inches of wind-blown sand.
Another group tried to see how many Marines they could cram into a two-man tent. The day's record was 13. Some talked about what they will do when they go home -- renting a room with a Jacuzzi to soak away layers of sand was a popular choice.
Others heated coffee and tea. A Marine who had just received a package with several boxes of Girl Scout cookies shared them at breakfast. A group of Marines played Frisbee football while others hit a baseball and shagged flies.
Around noon a convoy of Engineer Company B vehicles headed out to refuel for a possible morning convoy. Refueling out here isn't as simple as running down to the corner gas station. Company B Marines were given a grid coordinate -- a location on a map -- where the refueling point was situated. A Marine then compared that location with the unit's to determine how far and what direction to travel.
There is more talk of working on a highway to Baghdad -- in an area under U.S. control. The men look forward to the mission -- staying busy makes time pass faster. And as everyone is fond of saying "every move forward is a step closer to home."
It is amazing how cut off from news -- any news -- the Marines out here are. In a normal year many of these Marines would be home watching the NCAA basketball tournament. This year they have no idea who made it past the first round. NIT? No one here even knows who's in it.
Even news of the war is nearly impossible to get. It would seem that if you're in the middle of a war that you'd know what's going on in it. But Engineer Company B is such a small part of the big picture that its Marines only get to see what's going on directly around them.
Occasionally rumors of casualties sift down from one source or another. Word of a false Iraqi surrender that cost several Marines their lives was disturbing -- but at this level the Marines aren't even sure the report is true. Often news sifts through so many layers on its way to the South Bend Marines that it is highly exaggerated or completely wrong by the time it reaches them.
I sent you a pm
