Of all the damn luck...
*** THIS IS A RANT***
I am in Afghanistan, a desert...
Today, I had $75 worth of books destroyed... by rain!
I hadn't even gotten to read them yet. What are the odds?
Things could always be worse.
Oh well... C'est la vie.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINE CORPS!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS!
They were born on this day in 1775 in my hometown of Philadelphia!
If you really want to know about the Marines, ask the Army and the Navy. They'll tell you:
"The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of MARINES. LORD, how they could fight!"
MAJ. GEN. FRANK LOWE, U.S. ARMY
"I have just returned from visiting the MARINES at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world!"
GEN. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, U.S. ARMY
"I can never again see a UNITED STATES MARINE without experiencing a feeling of reverence."
GEN. JOHNSON, U.S. ARMY
"A ship without MARINES is like a garment without buttons."
ADM. DAVID PORTER, USN
"The deadliest weapon in the world is a MARINE and his rifle!"
GEN. PERSHING, US.ARMY
"The more MARINES I have around the better I like it!"
GEN. MARK CLARK, U.S. ARMY
There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion.
Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army
The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!
Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945 (just had to throw that one in!)
My only answer as to why the Marines get the toughest jobs is because the average Leatherneck is a much better fighter. He has far more guts, courage, and better officers... These boys out here have a pride in the Marine Corps and will fight to the end no matter what the cost.
2nd Lt. Richard C. Kennard, Peleliu, World War II
This last quote, though, is from a Marine. And I believe it typifies the Marine spirit better than anything else I have ever read. I can never read it without tearing up:
I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right.
I will hold.
1stLt. Clifton B. Cates, USMC
in Belleau Wood, 19 July 1918
A Change in Leadership...
The news just announced that Donald Rumsfeld has announced that he will resign as the SecDef in light of the Democrats sweeping the house. It seems that we may be getting a change in leadership. It will be very interesting to see where we go from here. Will the Democrats force us to develop an exit strategy from Iraq? Who will replace Rumsfeld? A very interesting and exciting day in politics is unfolding... In the balance, the future of a nation, and the destiny of thousands of service men & women...
His successor is apparently going to be former CIA Director Robert Gates...
Scenes you never see...
On the rare occassions that you actually ever get to see any war coverage on the news these days, you always seem to be shown the same old negative stuff. You see the gun-fire and the IEDs, you see wounded people from both sides of the fight. You never get to see any of the positive things. Believe it or not there are plenty. Most of them serve as a testament of the amazing natural beauty that this incredibly diverse country has to offer, and also as a testament to the good nature, and the indominable spirit of the American service man and woman serving here on the ground in Afghanistan.
Realizing that all too often, people are bombarded with only the nagative, I decided to share a few of my favorite pictures from some recent missions.
The day often starts and/or ends with a nice cold bath...
Helicopters are the lifeblood of the Army. I've gotta give it to the Army, their pilots are very impressive, they can and will land almost anywhere. This picture also shows that almost everywhere you go, there is evidence that the Soviets were here not so long ago.
Much of the terrain in this country is such that it can only be navigated by foot or sometimes by horseback.
The 'Climb to Glory' is a long and tiring one, with only a few flat spots along the way.
We meet with the village elders to discuss what they need and how we can help.
There are places in Afghanistan where you truly feel on top of the world.
Boats made the climb. He's one tough mutha...
The Afghan people manage to build structures in some very impressive locales, with very little technology.
Bridges like this can be found all over the country. Some have given out with age, some were destroyed by the Soviets or the Taliban. The people often try to fix them (such as you see here), but the fixes are often not very safe, or secure. One of our goals is to give the Afghan people a functional road system, part of that mission includes fixing or replacing bridges like this.
Entire villages will turn-out when we come to offer medical assistance or humanitarian assistance. Many people will walk for days to get to our help.
People of all ages come seeking assistance.
Women often come seeking help for their children.
We do all we can to help these people. Sadly many of them will wind up getting the same illnesses or infections over-and-over again due to the very poor nature of their living conditions. It is often very hard to believe that Afghanistan was once a thriving country.
Snow at home, but not here...
It's already snowing in parts of New York, and presumably the snow will be hitting my beloved Pennsylvania soon... But there is no sign of that here. In fact, it seems like spring here (or early fall). The fact that weather has gotten to a point that it is genuinely nice doesn't help my motivation much. In fact, it seems to intensify the loneliness I've been suffering from as of late. Of course, the rapidly approaching holidays don't help either. I am all-too-ready to go home. I can't wait. I don't have a lot of time left in country. I can't give a specific time when I will get back home, but though it is close, it is not nearly close enough!
In any case, staying busy helps to pass the time right? Missions are one way to pass time, and writing in my blog is another... I recognize that this has been a fairly 'fluffy' post, but it has served it's purpose for me (passing time and expressing myself).
I just hope the Army doesn't try to screw me one more time before they return me to the Navy. I am not worried about anything in particular, but deploying over here was difficult enough, I can only imagine how difficult it will be to out-process...
On an un-related subject, I decided to include some new mission pics! Enjoy...
An unusually friendly 'Grey Beard'
Pulling Security. The locals show no fear in walking right-up to soldiers armed with assault rifles. That's actually a good sign, it shows that they know they can trust us, and that we are not here to harm innocents. However, it does mean that we must remain ever vigilant.
Everything in this country is made of mud. Half-destroyed mud walls are everywhere. Despite their poor appearence, they actually provide decent cover.
Me & My Senior Chief...
Me & My Marine... This Marine is one of the finest human-beings I know. Whether he is asked to get more printer paper, or to cover my six in a fire-fight, he stands ready, willing and able. He definately lives up to the Marine Corps Motto "Semper Fidelis".
Marine at the ready
'Friendly' Local Nationals...