Many soldiers here are still in denial about the 3 month extention...saying it's not for sure yet, and things like that...but unfortunately, it is...
Many soldiers tell me of how they will miss different holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays twice now with this extention.
And many other things too, that we all miss living here in this place where our real lives stand still, yet are ever changing back at home...
Yesterday a soldier came in and gave me some books to donate to our library...one book..."Marley and Me"... hit alittle close to home...
It is about a family and the life and times...and death...of their beloved dog Marley. About the animal-human bond, so many of us share.
I picked up the book and looked at the pictures of when Marley was a puppy, and as an older dog closing in on his inevitable death.
My heart started to ache...
It hit home because my beloved, trusty dog, Hannah passed away Good Friday at home, while I was here in purgatory.
I was unable to be with her in her final moments, and it makes my insides hurt...
I flipped all the way through the book to the end...
I guess did this because I already knew how special each dog is.
How they each have their own personalities. The hilarious, silly things they do to delight and at other times frustrate and upset those they spend their lives with...as I had come to know these things spending well over 14 years with my best friend Hannah.
For some reason, I felt an urgent need to read what had happened to Marley...and I guess how this family handled it...it as expected, was sad.
But, as every pet owner knows what is special about this bond...is a very simple thing.
The simple thing that us humans always have had trouble figuring out.
What is really important in this life.
The author put it in a nutshell about Marley...
I too saw it in Hannah's eyes everytime she licked my face...she didn't judge others by their color, creed, whether they were rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull...she only cared who you were on the inside.
It is really quite simple he spoke of Marley and of all dogs...
"A dog has no use for a fancy car, or a big home, or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him"... It is so simple and right in front of us humans to see...that I wish all people could see everything.
"Give him your heart and he will give you his."
Hannah taught me this, and in this was my mentor...I miss her...
I had to put the book down...I couldn't bear to read anymore...
It's things like this that we have all left behind in our "real" worlds.
Things like this and other things everyone misses here, that will only happen once...and we've missed them...
Moving on...
I have been trying in interject, when I run across someone who is down about the 3 month extention, the funny, crazy times we have had here.
Just to lighten the mood, and let them know, at the very least, more of these times are on the horizon...some I even forgot about until I really sat down and started thinking about them.
Like the new KBR employee here months ago, in the mist of his first mortar attack.
He was so scared, and running so fast to get to a bunker, that he forgot to duck. The bunkers are made of concrete, and the openings are barely 5 feet high.
He was running so fast he forgot to duck, hitting his head on the top of the concrete and knocked himself clean out...everyone else already in the bunker was laughing so hard and just grabbed him by the ankles, and pulled him the rest of the way inside the bunker...they were still laughing by the time he came to, with an addition of a lump on his head and a big headache...
Or...the time late one night when I heard 2 Blackhawks landing by our tent. It was very odd for that time of night to be happening so I went outside as the sand the rotors had kicked up began to settled, to greet whoever it was that was landing...
Turns out it was a 2-Star General...He walked up to us by the T-wall with his entourage. I said "Welcome to the Rec Tent General!", yelling over the two Blackhawks that were dusting us again as they lifted off and departed.
Without responding to what I just said to the him, the General turned to the Captain that was with him. In a very stern tone replied to the Captain instead. "They dropped me off at the wrong spot, I was supposed to be dropped off at __ pad!"
The Captain looked like someone stole his tongue...
Some profanities started floated around in the air, at which point a Sergeant who happened to be standing with us, volunteered to take the General to where he needed to go...
Well, the General being a VIP, had special vehicles to pick him up and his security detail. Not so much that they are more luxurious, more so here, that they are more secure.
So the Sergeant that had volunteered, was commandeered to take the Captain to the where the General was supposed to land, and bring back his vehicles.
In the meantime, the General would wait here with the soldiers that guard the entrance at the T-walls to the Rec Center.
They check I D's, ensure weapons have been cleared, stop bags coming in, etc.
Well during the wait, while we all were standing around making small talk with the General, a couple of privates approched the entrance.
Without looking up to see the HUGE Two Stars on his helmet, they began to hand the General their I D's to get checked.
Like we would have a General pulling guard duty!!!!
Another Sergeant standing next to the General saw what was about to happen, stepped in between the two privates and the General and intercepted the I D's.
Everyone there saw what almost happened, and I know wanted to laugh but they had to save that for another time...
The privates were spotted moments later doing a series of pushups at the "request" of the Sergeant for not properly noticing the General...
Or...the donkey races we had alittle a few months back.
(I mentioned this in a earlier journal entry and have finally been able to locate a picture that is above.)
Out on patrol one day, someone got the wise idea to "rent" 9 donkeys they found out in the city. They loaded them up on a truck and brought them back on the camp.
I know the donkeys liked it, because I know they probably ate better than they ever had their whole lives. Everyone was giving them apples and stuff and letting them graze on the little vegetation the rain brought.
The next day the races were held and it was about the funniest thing you ever saw...
One soldier had even made a jockey outfit like the costume Jack Black wore in the movie "Nacho Libre".
They were all coaxing the donkeys with food during the race, the old carrot and stick thing but, they're donkeys and it really didn't work. It was just funny as hell to watch.
Later they loaded the donkeys back up in the trucks which was again funny too, 'cause it seemed the donkeys didn't want to go back, and they had to chase them all over just to get them into the truck..
Or...the soldier who had forgotten to lock a door containing sensitive items. (I mentioned this incident in a journal entry about my second month.) His Sergeant apparently was so upset that he "requested" this soldier in hopes to help him never forget to lock that door again...
...To carry around a full size door everywhere he went for a week!!
You couldn't help but laugh when you saw this poor guy walking carrying this door all around the camp, at the chow, PX, everywhere...
You could see him from real far away...he was the guy carrying a big F-ing door!!!
l bet he never forgot to lock that door again...
So I try to remind everyone of all these crazy, wacky, fun times we have had in the past. The inevitable goofy stuff that is bound to happen again. The parties, and all the other stuff we have planned coming up, and anything else I can think of...to get their minds off...
...3 more months here...
It will be OK...
-RIP-
HANNAH
06APR07
"Best friend to many"
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