This is

The two artillery rounds were wrapped in tape and hidden under a bag and left alongside a road. We found them one night and "blew them up". Because of this, American and Iraqi lives were saved. The insurgents do not discriminate between American or Iraqi when they create havoc overhere. They kill whomever they can.
I see acres of trash with huts made of trash, there is a man drinking water out of the ditch in the trash heap, children playing soccer on a dirt field among the trash.
I see farm land. Green grass, freshly cut hay drying in the morning sun, an apple orchart, corn, wheat, beans. There are goats, sheep and cattle grazing in the fields. Here is a farmer with his shovel opening the irrigation ditch to water his crops. There is a boy herding his sheep.
And we stop traffic along the road while we defuse the IED.
This is Iraq. Scenery that reminds me of home (if not for the palm trees) and scenery that defies description. There is the smell that I will never forget-something like sulfur, sewage and rotting something.
People out walking in the evening air. The kids wave, the adults stare, some quite hard.
This is Iraq. Hot, dusty, green, dirty, smelly, beautiful, cruel, dangerous.

Did I tell you it was hot?

I probably sound like a broken record, but it is hot, hot, hot and not getting cooler. Wake up, its hot, go to bed, its hot. Fortunately there is a/c in the hooches. It feels so good at the end of the day after standing in the sun. Drink lots of water, Gatorade, Kool-Aide and more water. And to think-it isn't even summer yet. Ugh!
Toby Keith is the item of the week! Yeah! Coming soon to a base near you! This week we are planning to see Toby in concert. Great!

When I think of home, I feel like time is standing still while I am here. When I return, life will have moved on and I will be the one behind the times. I will still be in 2004. One more "benefit" of being here.

Today I learned why we need to be here. During chapel service today the chaplin mention that they expect to uncover up to 1 million people buried in mass graves here in Iraq. All from the time of Sadaam. He ask a very good question, where were the insurgents then? Where were the so called "freedom fighters" then? And I ask where was the UN? Still thinking we are over here for oil? I think we are here for a better purpose-and this is one more evidence why.
Some people disagree with this-that we cannot be the world's policeman, that we can' t fix every bad leader of every down trodden nation; true, but we can lead my example. The example we led for 40 years freed eastern Europe, the example we have here will free the oppressed of every nation in this area. Give it time, freedom is hard to put back in the bottle once tasted.

Wow

I just looked at my blog and realized that it has been a couple of weeks since I last entered anything! Wow, where did the time go? Well, it has gone, that is where it has gone. Let's measure it:
Gone outside the wire-one time
Read three books
Did five crossword puzzles
Brushed my teeth a whole lot
Ate too much at the defac
Passed my PT test ! Hoorah!
Got sick one day....ugh...
Got better the next day!
Watch some movies, two were westerns, one a WWII sub thriller.
That movie starred Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable-"Run Silent, Run Deep"
E-mailed home a lot.
Worked everyday.
Then two weeks have passed and here it is May.
Today is Mother's day. Mine is a grand 85 years old. Born March, 1919, one year after WWI and now one of her sons is in another one. She is still recovering from knee, femur, and hip replacement surgery. What a trooper! Called and wished her a happy mother's day Thursday to avoid the long lines at the phone. Good thing I did, last night the line was long and today it will be longer. Remember, 2000 hrs here is 1200 EST. So when you go to bed, my day is just beginning (so to speak).
I often think of what my parents have seen in their lifetime. Both are still walking this earth, which is a blessing indeed. They have seen the move from horses to cars, a major world war, the advent of the space program, the change from mechanical to electrical to electronic age as well as the demise of the American Industry. They have gone from never eating out or hardly ever to anytime you want to. Small four cylinder cars to ...well... small four cylinder cars, but to Dad's credit he drives big cars.
Mom had to raise the three of us kids on not much while dad worked to make the bills and put the food on the table. Black and white tv while the neighbors had color. Old cars that dad kept running-unlike today where they are almost disposable. Dad working on holidays to make triple time to help pay for the holiday. Coming home from work and then coaching my baseball team (oh, that seems real familar to me know).
I don't remember the punishments for doing something wrong, but since I turned out all right, it must have worked. I remember the talks we had, mom driving me to practice, practice practice, and kinda scary fast to the doctor once when I was hurt.
And what did mom say when I called to wish her happy mother's day? You shouldn't have, its too expensive! Ah, good ole mom, I love you!
To all the mom's who sons and daughters are walking with me-happy mother's day!

And to my special mom-the mother of my children, love of my life-you too!