TwinMom7
Proud Mom of a United States Marine
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2000
- Messages
- 1,479
Today's Desert Dispatch put a big smile on my face...but still no word on when they might get to come home....
April 23, 2003
Hoosier Blood the Edge in Basketball
POSTWAR IRAQ: DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
Tribune Columnist
AD DIWANIYAH, Iraq -- A team of South Bend Marines took on and beat four straight teams of challengers on a basketball court here. But then, how could they lose? First of all, they're Hoosiers. Add to that the fact they were led by Bobby Knight. In this case Cpl. Bobby Knight, 25, of South Bend.
"I actually played basketball for three years at LaSalle High School," Knight said. "It's been a long time since I've played, though."
It didn't take long for the Marines to find the basketball court on the campus of Al Qadisiya University -- it's just outside the building that Engineer Company B is living in. The court stayed busy Tuesday from nearly dawn to dusk.
There was also a horseshoe pit set up. It stayed fairly busy, too.
Several Marines were able to change into shorts and sneakers to go running for the first time since the war began. A pull-up bar has been set up, a few showers are available, and the Marines had hot chow for dinner: chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, cake and peaches.
Add to that a decent mail call and the Marines here had a pretty good day.
A small group of South Bend Marines also had a chance to wander around a good chunk of the city Tuesday. They drove through several neighborhoods, a shopping district, an open market and stopped to take pictures several times -- once in front of a huge statue outside an Iraqi military base. They also looked through -- and posed on -- several Iraqi tanks.
Most of the city's shops were closed during the early afternoon trip. At one point, the Marines nearly stopped at an open store to buy pastries that looked like freshly baked cookies -- until they got close enough to see flies crawling all over them.
The small convoy stopped to talk with a group of Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., who were guarding an Iraqi bank. The bank had been partially burned and looted. Since there was still money in a safe, a small group of Marines was given the mission of making sure it stayed there.
The bank guards had been eating only MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) since they were assigned to the bank. The South Bend Marines felt bad for them, so the convoy returned to Al Qadisiya University in search of something that could be given to them from the chow hall. The Marines returned to the city with a box of fresh apples -- which the Camp Pendleton Marines gladly accepted.
Some sort of stomach flu seems to be making its way through the ranks. Several Marines have had stomach pains, diarrhea and vomiting. It passes in a couple of days, but a handful of the South Bend crew have become so dehydrated that they were given liquids intravenously.
In the past couple of weeks, three South Bend Marines have left the company for other medical conditions. One had a hernia. Although it was causing him no pain, it was decided he should be sent somewhere to have it treated. Two others have come down with kidney stones -- possibly as a result of dehydration -- and have also left the company.
There are also a few South Bend Marines who have been detached from the very beginning of the deployment. Some have been serving guard duty -- but the company doesn't know where they are. Another was taken from the unit because he could speak Arabic. At least one other Marine was taken because his military occupational specialty was needed elsewhere.
There was also an announcement that there is work for the men to do today -- build more three-man latrines -- if enough construction materials can be gathered together.
The South Bend Marines can expect to spend two weeks at Camp Pendleton at the end of their deployment according to what they were told Tuesday. Unfortunately there's still no word of when that trip to Camp Pendleton might happen.
April 23, 2003
Hoosier Blood the Edge in Basketball
POSTWAR IRAQ: DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
Tribune Columnist
AD DIWANIYAH, Iraq -- A team of South Bend Marines took on and beat four straight teams of challengers on a basketball court here. But then, how could they lose? First of all, they're Hoosiers. Add to that the fact they were led by Bobby Knight. In this case Cpl. Bobby Knight, 25, of South Bend.
"I actually played basketball for three years at LaSalle High School," Knight said. "It's been a long time since I've played, though."
It didn't take long for the Marines to find the basketball court on the campus of Al Qadisiya University -- it's just outside the building that Engineer Company B is living in. The court stayed busy Tuesday from nearly dawn to dusk.
There was also a horseshoe pit set up. It stayed fairly busy, too.
Several Marines were able to change into shorts and sneakers to go running for the first time since the war began. A pull-up bar has been set up, a few showers are available, and the Marines had hot chow for dinner: chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, cake and peaches.
Add to that a decent mail call and the Marines here had a pretty good day.
A small group of South Bend Marines also had a chance to wander around a good chunk of the city Tuesday. They drove through several neighborhoods, a shopping district, an open market and stopped to take pictures several times -- once in front of a huge statue outside an Iraqi military base. They also looked through -- and posed on -- several Iraqi tanks.
Most of the city's shops were closed during the early afternoon trip. At one point, the Marines nearly stopped at an open store to buy pastries that looked like freshly baked cookies -- until they got close enough to see flies crawling all over them.
The small convoy stopped to talk with a group of Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., who were guarding an Iraqi bank. The bank had been partially burned and looted. Since there was still money in a safe, a small group of Marines was given the mission of making sure it stayed there.
The bank guards had been eating only MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) since they were assigned to the bank. The South Bend Marines felt bad for them, so the convoy returned to Al Qadisiya University in search of something that could be given to them from the chow hall. The Marines returned to the city with a box of fresh apples -- which the Camp Pendleton Marines gladly accepted.
Some sort of stomach flu seems to be making its way through the ranks. Several Marines have had stomach pains, diarrhea and vomiting. It passes in a couple of days, but a handful of the South Bend crew have become so dehydrated that they were given liquids intravenously.
In the past couple of weeks, three South Bend Marines have left the company for other medical conditions. One had a hernia. Although it was causing him no pain, it was decided he should be sent somewhere to have it treated. Two others have come down with kidney stones -- possibly as a result of dehydration -- and have also left the company.
There are also a few South Bend Marines who have been detached from the very beginning of the deployment. Some have been serving guard duty -- but the company doesn't know where they are. Another was taken from the unit because he could speak Arabic. At least one other Marine was taken because his military occupational specialty was needed elsewhere.
There was also an announcement that there is work for the men to do today -- build more three-man latrines -- if enough construction materials can be gathered together.
The South Bend Marines can expect to spend two weeks at Camp Pendleton at the end of their deployment according to what they were told Tuesday. Unfortunately there's still no word of when that trip to Camp Pendleton might happen.
!
!
