Moon Tree Memoirs

Bluegrass at Holt's Music Shed

2008-12-12T11:25:00.004-05:00

This is a video (shot by Charlie) of me and some of my friends playing at Holt's Music Shed last night. The song is "Somehow Tonight". I usually play with Steve Shelley (guitar) and Steve Treadway (bass) at McDonald's on Thursday nights, but last night we decided to head out to the metropolis of Avery and play with the Morris Bros. (and whoever else decided to show up) at Terry and Tammy Holt's place. Terry makes instruments and this is his shop. On Thursday nights, they have a little get together for anyone who wants to come. Tammy (mandolin) plays with Mike (banjo) and Matt (guitar) Morris. They've put out a couple of CDs and tour around playing at different events.

I wasn't real happy with my vocals. The room was a little echoey and I had a hard time hearing myself...or maybe I just stink. I just learned this song not too long ago and couldn't remember how the second verse started. Steve, the king of forgetting words, had to remind me how it started. Nevertheless, a good time was had by all. I'll be posting some more from this soon.

Music

2008-10-20T12:26:00.010-05:00

Anybody who has known me for more than a few seconds knows that I love music. I've found over the years that music holds the power to convey thoughts, images, and feelings that you can't quite convey any other way. Ultimately, music has the power to heal hearts when nothing else can.

I've started listening to Keith Urban a little more lately, after I saw his "You Look Good in My Shirt" video and found out that he was a great guitar player. I've liked his stuff before, in fact, I used to sing "Making Memories of Us" at karaoke occassionally. After looking into his music and videos a little more, I ran across this video that is just incredibly powerful. I had heard the song before and hadn't paid it much attention but the video brought it home for me. The song was written by Darrell Brown, Dennis Matkosky, and Ty Lacy. These guys must have had some serious heartache to deal with. I guess, for some, that's how things are. Anyway, take a look at this incredible video:

I think I might continue this series on music with some bluegrass that I've been playing lately. I may even be able to get some video of Charlie singing with us. That's right...he loves bluegrass and sings with our group once in a while. So stay tuned.

Back to Normal?

2008-10-03T22:51:00.003-05:00

See...I told you I'm getting back to normal.

You People are SOOO Boring!!

2008-09-29T09:17:00.007-05:00

I haven't blogged anything in a while and I know why. It's not an easy thing to talk about so I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I've been battling depression since I got home. I guess that's what folks would call it. It feels more like a disconnect. I couldn't really put a finger on what was causing it until I met a friend of mine, Paul Reed, for dinner when I was in Charlotte last week. Paul and I went through the glorious hell of OCS and commissioned together. Prior to commissioning, Paul did a tour in Iraq and a lot of his personal life story mirrors mine. So, basically, he knew where I was coming from.

I told him that things just don't seem right at home, that the things that I used to think were important weren't anymore. I told him that I don't have any tolerance for gossip about people and their relationships or what happened at their jobs or the seemingly significant events in their lives. Why didn't they all just understand that none of that matters? I told him that some days I can't feel the wind blow and that I can look up and not see color in the sky. It all seemed so unimportant and trivial.

Paul listened for a while, smiled and told me that it does matter and that, eventually, it will matter to me again. He asked me how many people I knew drove to work everyday scrutinizing every detail along the way looking for changes that might indicate trouble. He asked me how many people I knew had contingency plans laid out for troubles on the way to work, have rehearsed those plans, and constantly play them out in their heads as they drive along. He asked me how many people have first aid kits in their car, much less directly on their person, all day everyday. He reminded me that this boring, superficial life we lead is normal and that the amped-up, on-edge life I led for a year is not. It's not even close to normal.

Paul said it took him several months to turn the soldier off. I guess I'm still trying to flip the switch. I thought I had. I wasn't even in "contact" that many times. Paul said it didn't matter, that the potential was there every day and every day I went out the wire expecting it. That's why when it did come, I didn't feel any adrenaline. It was business as usual.

I still jump at loud noises. The other day, I was laying in bed and Luke snuck in with his Nerf gun. The darts for this Nerf gun whistle as they go through the air. He shot it over my head and it hit the wall above me, whistling as it went. It took me about a second to realize what it was, but in that one second my adrenaline and training had already kicked in and I was looking for cover. It took me a couple of minutes to get rid of the shakes.

It was good to see Paul again. It was good to talk to somebody who had "been there, done that". I'm back to work and that is a good thing. I'm letting go of a lot of stuff, junk that I've been carrying around inside my head, junk that has been weighing on my heart. I'm learning that there is excitement in this boring life we lead. I've just got to remember where I left it.

Coming Home

2008-04-30T06:08:00.002-05:00

I'm currently in Kabul waiting to come home. It's not long now. I thought I'd sit down for a minute and just put down some thoughts on this deployment.

I knew when I joined the Army that deployment was not only possible but also highly likely. I didn't know it would come quite as quick as it did, though. At the time it seemed like an awful long time to be away. I sat down the other day and thought about how long I've been gone. With all the schools I had to attend before deploying, I've been home for maybe a month since June 2006. But looking back, my time here has gone by quickly.

I've met a lot of interesting people - people that I will never forget as long as I live, people that I will happily forget within hours of departing, and people that I nor anyone else will ever see again on this earth. It's the people here that make this tolerable. Without those friends, it's a miserable, lonely existence. Laughter is the one thing that holds us all together. We giggle at fart jokes. We belly laugh at homosexual references at another's expense (we know his turn for reprisal is coming). We laugh nervously at the unexpected and surreal events of a firefight or IED attack.

It's been said that war changes people. Who am I to dispute this? It does, but it changes everyone in a different way. For me, it's allowed me some time to put things in perspective. It's shown me moments of love, joy, and happiness. It's also shown me horrors that I couldn't have imagined and will carry to my grave. Even so I'm still glad to have been here. I can say that I was something that others didn't want to be. I went places that others feared to go. I was a soldier.

I'll be home in a week or two. It's been an adventure to say the least, but I'm ready to hang up the rifle and the helmet for a while...at least until Uncle Sam calls me again.

2008-04-10T07:41:00.002-05:00

I made this video a while back and am just getting around to posting it. It's kind of a overall of my time here, plus a few other shots from different schools I went to. Enjoy!

Go Tigers!!

2008-02-23T09:59:00.003-05:00

Hey everybody! Just a short one today. Our 1SG took this picture for me the other day and I thought it turned out pretty good. Of course, it was a picture of me, so naturally it's good!! About 2 more months to go. I can't wait.

The Gang's All Here, Too

2008-01-28T11:45:00.001-05:00

Well after a..."ahem"...relaxing, restful R&R (see Mom's blog), I'm back to business in Afghanistan. I finally got a group picture of everyone just before we rolled out the other day. They were not so enthused about it. Imagine that. We spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week together and in close proximity to each other, therefore we can't tolerate a group picture. Anyways, I told 'em to shut up and stand still. They didn't even have to smile....and they didn't. Here they are....

Left to right it's Shorty (our interpreter), Special K (my driver), Justin (new guy and replacement for our CPT), Pac-man (another new guy and replacement for our other LT), yours truly, Dumbo (he's a cop in North Charleston), Cheska (his pashtu nickname meaning sexy - only problem is that a group of Afghani guys gave him that nickname), Alabama (our team chief), and Doc (team medic). Not pictured is Steve (our other interpreter who's taking the picture), Grif (my gunner who is home on leave) and SFC Airborne (our sour-puss E7 who didn't want to participate). For operational security reasons, I can't give you their real names. I don't think you can read anyone's whole name in the picture. Anyway, these are the guys that I trust my life to and who trust me with theirs everyday. I know that I've said that the reason I'm here is to provide safety and a future for the kids of Afghanistan and stuff like that, but when the doo-doo hits the air circulation device, these guys are what I'm here for. Men in foxholes don't fight for God or country, they fight for their buddy in the foxhole with them.

2007-12-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

Monkeying Around

2007-11-30T08:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a post for Luke. One of the Afghani workers on our FB has a pet monkey (no Luke, you may not have a pet monkey). He brought it to work the other day.

I'm not sure what kind of monkey it is....I'm no "Jeffco" after all (that's a joke that probably only Luke will get). But it was still interesting to watch. The little thing was pretty mean. It was nice if you had food in your hand.

But if you ran out of food, woe be unto you...as Doc found out about 2 seconds after I snapped this picture. It grabbed his hand and tried to eat him for lunch.

Hope

2007-11-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

I took this picture the other day while we were at the ABP headquarters. I thought it was a little poignant.

Things are still very quiet out here. I haven't been blogging for a number of reasons. First, our internet connection has been pretty crappy and connections have been off and on. Second, there really isn't anything too interesting to me anymore. I've seen it...been there...done that. So, if you all have anything that you want to see about Afghanistan, make your requests. If the law, Afghan culture, and my SOPs allow, I'll fill them as I can.

Because it's there....Part V

2007-10-12T05:20:00.000-05:00

And now ladies and gentlemen, the gripping conclusion.....

The guys in the white hats always win.

Because it's there....Part IV

2007-10-12T03:25:00.001-05:00

Our hero is getting closer to heaven with every step...physically and metaphorically. He's so close to the top, he can smell it.....and it smells like sweaty body armor.

Can he make it?!? Will he require a CASEVAC?!? Will there be a T-shirt at the top?!? Tune in next week for the gripping conclusion!!!

Because it's there...Part III

2007-10-10T11:06:00.000-05:00

...meanwhile back at the ranch, has our hero met his match? Let's find out...

Tune in next week when our hero mistakenly thinks he's near the top.

Because it's there...Part II

2007-10-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

When last we left our hero he was struggling for breath even though he had only begun his journey. Let's see how the continuing saga plays out.....

Tune in next week when our hero says..."Oxygen, bring me oxygen!!!!"

Because it's there.....Part I

2007-10-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

While I was stuck in Gardez for the past week or so, I went mountain climbing with a big group from the FOB. I had nothing else to do, so I thought what the heck. Besides, you got a free T-shirt for doing it. I'm all about a T-shirt, especially a free one. And what's that? I have to climb it in full battle rattle (read that as with an extra 50 pounds on)? Sure...no problem. After all, there's a free T-shirt involved.

Please remind me to not ever be suckered into something like this again, even if there is a lifetime supply of free T-shirts involved.

Tune in next week when our hero nearly collapses from a heart attack.....Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.

Snakes...Yikes!!!!

2007-09-28T13:28:00.001-05:00

Here's another one for my boys. We've had a couple of reptilian encounters lately. The other night, one of our interpreters was coming out of the bathroom and almost stepped on this...

He came running in shouting in Pashtu and finally composed himself enough to blurt out "SNAKE" in English. This is a Saw-Scale Viper (Echis carinatus). It is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. In fact, some argue that it is THE most dangerous because of its combination of a potent venom and generally grumpy disposition. It's venom is a highly potent hemotoxin and it has a really short fuse. To tell the truth, it has short-man disease. They only get about 2 feet long at most and I guess it feels like it has something to prove. I didn't get a very good picture because I didn't want to get too close for obvious reasons.

The other snake is this one...

It's an Indian Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa). It's essentially the Afghani version of a chicken snake. At first, we thought it might be an Asiatic cobra (Naja oxiana), but it's not. It's about 5 feet long. The Afghan guys who do security here caught it and are keeping it as a pet in a box.

Guns

2007-09-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

This post is for Charlie. I asked him what he wanted to see about Afghanistan. Duhhhhhh...guns. Well here you go buddy.

Today, several of the Border Police came over to try out some new machine guns they got and also to train some of their newer soldiers. We were more than happy to arrange the use of our range.

This first video is of them firing the PKM. These weapons are all Russian made. They fire 7.62mm rounds. The commander is giving them a countdown before they fire..."Yo"..."Dwah"...."Drei"...which as you can probably guess is pashto for 1,2,3. I did get to shoot the PKM with them, but it's hard to shoot video and a weapon at the same time. In this video, you can hear the rounds impacting on the metal targets which were between 150 and 300 meters away.

This next video is the same guys firing the AK-47 and the AMD-65. The AMD-65 is a shortened version of the AK-47 and is made in Hungary. Both operate identically and both shoot the same round. I didn't get a chance to shoot one of these but I'm sure I will before I leave here.

More Afghan Roads

2007-09-07T10:30:00.001-05:00

I was talking with Mom the other day and told her that it would take about 3 hours to get to Gardez which is about 30 or 40 miles away. She asked why in the world does it take so long?

Here's why....

Mom also wondered if there was anything green here. Here's a short video of us riding through a rice paddy on the way back from Gardez. You can see how bumpy the road is....and this is a good stretch.

Me and My Ride

2007-08-28T02:42:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody. Well I got a little break so I thought I would add this one. This is my ride, Bumper # H107. It's an 1151 model uparmored humvee. It's got a lot of factory extras (and a few homemade extras) including Frag 5 armor package, navigation and communication system (think Magellan dash mount GPS on steroids), two radios but no CD player, and A/C believe it or not. The A/C works most of the time. But there ain't one cup holder in the whole thing. I'm thinking about adding spinners to it.

I'm going to bed now....

Camel Cavalcade

2007-08-27T02:26:00.000-05:00

I promised Charlie and Luke I would post this. We ran into a temporary road block the other day on the way to Gardez. Can you imagine having pet camels? Well that's pretty much what these are...sort of. These people are Coochies. That's right...I said Coochie on my blog site. I swear that's what they're called. They are nomads that move their herds around and sleep in big tents with their whole family. Their camels, sheep, and goats just follow them around. Well anyway, after a few encouraging words and whacks with a stick from the Coochies, the impediment to movement was resolved and we continued on our way. Is it just me or are the two up front giving us the eye?

On a side note, communication is gonna be a litte difficult for about the next week. I was about to get into a discussion on time differences and stuff, but I haven't gotten enough sleep to figure that out yet. Suffice it to say, my schedule is a little different for a while. Also, we're gonna be doing a little traveling, so I may be out of the loop. I'll holler at everybody when I get a chance. Love you all.

Pretty Little Girl

2007-08-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

If anybody asks you why I'm over here doing what I'm doing, tell them this is why. She deserves a future, too.

Latrine Rules

2007-08-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

I told you all that our living conditions were spartan at best. Well, even in spartan conditions they are rules for civilized living. The latrine (bathroom) is no exception. I'll warn you before you look, there's a little bit of rough language - it is the Army after all. But I think it only adds to the humor of the situation. I apologize for the bad focus. It's tight quarters in there and the lighting is poor.

The first thing I have to explain is the pump. We don't have a typical home setup where the pump comes on automatically to fill a bladder tank. Nope, our water comes directly from the pump. No pump, no water. So when we're done, we have to cut the pump off or it'll burn up. Hence the reminders throughtout the latrine:

Then there is the general summary of rules:

The other thing I have to explain is that the toilets here are not like at home. They're backwards. At home, they slope from front to back with the hole at the rear. Here, they slope from back to front with a hole at the front. And unlike home, there is no water in them. So we layer paper in them prior to conducting our "sit-down" business. Hence, the next admonishment:

Once you sit down and close the doors, there is the following reminder and encouragement for those who didn't layer the paper first:

Like I said, there are some rules, even out here in a bathroom. I get a chuckle everytime I go to the latrine and read these.

If you ain't Cav.....

2007-08-08T10:53:00.000-05:00

...you ain't sh*%. At least that's what they say. Got a chance today to ride horses. The SF guys on our FOB have about a dozen that they use occasionally. They came down and asked us if we'd like to help exercise them today. Of course we said yes. The only thing that would have made it better is if I had my Stetson.

Me and White Devil

White Devil

Pakistan

2007-08-07T12:01:00.000-05:00

I know that you all were sitting in your quiet homes wondering what in the world Pakistan looks like. Well wonder no more!!! Just over my shoulder is a line of trees. They tell me that that is the border. Who knows? It's not like there's a line painted on the ground here. Off in the distance (don't know if you can make it out in the picture, it's real hazy) are the Hindu Kush mountains - Rooftop of the World.

But if you ever want to visit here, you better come equipped like this. It's not exactly a tourist haven.

Afghan Roads

2007-08-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

The roads in Afghanistan are something else. You never know what you're gonna see. Take this for instance:

Just a boy and his donkeys out for a stroll...20 miles from the nearest town....at around 9000 feet above sea level....temperature around 100. Just another day in Afghanistan. By the way this is the only paved road in Afghanistan. At least it's the only paved road that I've seen so far. This is at Terra Pass. Off in the distance, about 40 miles or so, is Kabul.

Or this....apparently there is some farming to be done...somewhere. Not here. Again, we're in the Terra Pass....9000 feet or so. About 2 feet to the right of Habib's right tire is a drop of about, I don't know, 1000 feet. It's not straight down, but it'd still be a sad-face day for Habib and his three buddies at the bottom. And Massey-Ferguson has a monopoly on the tractors here. I swear everyone of them is M-F. Maybe that's the cause of all the malcontent in this part of the world. They don't know the joys of a John Deere.

And then there's the jingle trucks. You guys won't believe these things. I'm not even gonna start to describe these things. Once I get some good pictures, I'll post them. They defy description.

New Digs

2007-08-03T09:32:00.001-05:00

Hey Everybody,

I have finally moved into my permanent post...if there is such a thing in the Army. I'm at Chamkani which is about 7 km west of the Pakistan border. I'm here with my team to mentor the Afghani Border Police.

My conditions are spartan by the standards of most, but really they are cushy. Here's my room.

Yeah, yeah...the windows are bricked up and the walls are concrete and plywood...sure, it was just sectioned off from an old warehouse...the bathroom is outside, 50 meters away, I know, I know...there's dust everywhere, yadda, yadda....but I've got a RUG!!! And a COT!!! And SHELVES!!! And my OWN fluorescent light!!! You come to appreciate the little things.

And, oh yeah (oops, top left), I started smoking again, Mom. But, I'm 7000 miles away. LOL. Yeah, that and I'm 36 years old. You know I love you...I'll stop if you want me to. Or at least I'll hide them next time.

Middle of Nowhere

2007-07-21T01:59:00.000-05:00

I used to tell people that I lived in the middle of nowhere. I was wrong.

Homeboys!!

2007-07-16T01:11:00.000-05:00

Well it's inevitable that when deployed with a bunch of rednecks from South Carolina you know several and they remind you that no matter what you think of your rank and your job, you're as much (if not more) of a redneck as they are. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I present Exhibit A.....

SSG Lonnie Russell, Jr.

Flowers in the Dust

2007-07-16T01:01:00.001-05:00

Mom had asked me about this flower in my "Bigger Gun" post. Somehow she saw it in the background. Well, I had seen it as well. I thought that the contrast between the dust, chain link fence, concertina wire, and this flower seemed somewhat like a metaphor for Afghanistan. So I snapped a picture and doctored it up a little. To date, this is the only flower I've seen in Afghanistan.

My Maps

2007-07-13T00:31:00.001-05:00

I've travelled a little bit. Not as much as I would like. Some of it has been whether I wanted to or not. Here's my maps.

Candy Terrorist

2007-07-09T14:04:00.000-05:00

Can you pick out the terrorist in this crowd? It's the boy in the middle....sort of. While we were on patrol the other day we came across these kids. They were very curious but kind of stood off from us. That is until I brought out the candy. They were on me "like a spider monkey". The boy in the middle was the most pushy. He pushed the boy on the left out of the way to get to the last piece I had.

If you look real close, you can see a yellow building in the background. That is their school. They teach older kids in the mornings and the younger kids go in the afternoon. As far as schools go, this one is pretty nice. It's got about 5 rooms and a play yard. With the Taliban out of control in this part of the country, they also teach girls at this school.

Sunset Over Phoenix

2007-07-02T23:32:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody,

The sunset the other night was real pretty. I climbed up to the second floor deck at "Legoland" (Conex boxes that are used as housing) and got this shot. Just as I was taking it, a C-17 came into frame going to land at KIA (Kabul International Airport). As desolate and barren as this place is, you sometimes find beauty. It's usually fleeting, though.

Bigger Gun

2007-07-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Mom looked at the last pic I posted and thought I needed a bigger gun. Well, Mom, to put your fears to rest, I submit the following:

Do you feel better now? LOL. What you didn't see in the other pic was the 12 other guys pulling security around us. Trust me, we had plenty of firepower for what we were doing. Gotta run.

Making Nice with the Locals

2007-07-01T03:53:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody,

A quick one today. We went out on a short patrol this morning (Sunday...7 day work weeks) to meet with a local business man who owns a flour mill. The purpose of the visit was tactical but we do it in a way that gives the locals some ownership of the project and makes them happy to help. Can't tell you what the real purpose of the visit was (I'd have to kill you) but we made sure that his suppliers weren't being stopped at any illegal checkpoints, that his electricity was reliable, and that he didn't have any issues with our nearby base.

Things are otherwise good for me. It's still hot. It's still dry. I finally found out that I am going south to work with the Afghan National Police. I start training for that mission on the 5th. Can't tell you exactly where I'm going (not because I'd have to kill you...I really don't know yet). Anyway, here's a picture from this morning.

Pray for improved communications home, cool weather, and no more Oriental food at the DFAC.

In the 'Stan

2007-06-24T02:16:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Sorry for no pictures on this one. My laptop battery crapped out and I have to get a new one. Until then, I'm using the MWR computers on post. As you can tell by the title, I have arrived in the 'stan. I've been here for a couple of days now and the main thing I can tell you now is that the only that separates the 'stan from hell is a screen door...and somebody left it open. It is incredibly hot here. Yesterday was around 110. And this is the dustiest place I've ever seen. Rocks and dust as far as the eye can see.

They still don't know what they're going to do with me. I may move down south and work with the Afghani National Police or they may send one of the more experienced LTs and let me take over his platoon and do force security work here. It's 50/50 right now. I've gone on 2 combat patrols outside the wire so far and they were pretty uneventful...thank goodness. It's not so bad here.

Well, it's lunch time here...let's see that makes it 3:30 in the morning there. Hope you all have a good night's sleep. As soon as I know what they're going to do with me, I'll get an address and send it to you all. Until then, I just want you all to know that I'm safe and everything is going pretty good.

Love you all.....
Jeff

FRAGO

2007-06-14T06:43:00.000-05:00

There are three types of combat orders in the Army. There's the Warning Order (WARNO) that gives you basic info that something's coming up. There's the Operation Order (OPORD) that details the plan out. And then there's the Fragmentary Order (FRAGO).

FRAGOs are what are issued when there is a change to the plan. In fact, stuff changes so much in the Army that that is what we pretty much run off of 24/7. Well, transportation to the 'stan is no different. Long story short, I'm still stuck in Germany. I may be stuck here for a while waiting to catch a plane. Could be worse I guess. I'll tell you what...these Air Force people know how to live. I guess I can rough it out here waiting for a ride.

So, anyway, here's some more pictures from Germany....

This was a cool looking building on our way into the little base at Hanau.

This was some kind of cargo ship on some river in Germany. These ships are really short and wide. The bridges here aren't very tall over the water for some reason.

I knew everything would be alright when I saw this.

This was a little village between Hanau and Rhine Ordinance Barracks here in Kaiserslautern. The whole trip here was like this. Hundreds and hundreds of acres of neatly kept farmland with little villages scattered throughout.

They have windmills all over the countryside generating electricity. These things are huge. They are probably 200 feet tall.

This is a little Christmas shop here on post at Ramstein. I couldn't afford anything in there and couldn't afford to ship it back to the States if I could. Cool stuff like cuckoo clocks and handmade ornaments.

I'll blog some more if I get a minute.

Quick One from Germany

2007-06-12T07:24:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!!! I'm in Germany. Who ever imagine that some small town boy would ever set foot in a foreign country. Germany is pretty nice. The countryside is beautiful. It was raining when I got here but it's been fairly sunny since. I had to take a taxi yesterday to get to my hotel. The driver didn't know where the place was, so between his English and my German, we finally found the place. Oh, by the way, don't argue directions with someone in a foreign language on the Autobahn. It's not for the faint of heart.

My flight into Afghanistan (hereafter referred to as the 'stan) leaves tomorrow at 1140 EST. I fly into Bagram and then move to Camp Phoenix near Kabul.

To all of you, thank you for the prayers. Keep 'em coming. To my family, I love you and miss you all very much. I'll blog again when I get a minute.

Duty, Honor, Country

2007-05-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

On May 12, 1962, General Douglas MacArthur delivered his farewell speech to the cadets of West Point. In this speech, he repeatedly chants the phrase, "Duty, Honor, Country." General MacArthur says "those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you want to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn."

This speech has always struck a chord with me. It does poetic justice to a belief in a code of conduct and chivalry that I carry inside me. And I am certainly not the first nor the last person to put faith in these words. I spent this afternoon touring around Arlington National Cemetery. In this place, there were thousands of others who lived their lives reciting "duty, honor, country."

To say that it was a humbling experience is an understatement. Some of America's greatest soldiers and statesmen rest here. There are notable sights like JFK's eternal flame, the grave of Audie Murphy, the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier taking those 21 steps, pausing 21 seconds, turning and repeating it over and over 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Yet, the most powerful image to me was this. A simple white, government-issued headstone marking the final resting place of Private First Class Thomas Edwin Bresnahan. PFC Bresnahan was, as far as I can tell, a simple man who lived by a simple code - "Duty, Honor, Country." He was one of the many faceless soldiers that General MacArthur described in his speech.

"From one end of the world to the other, he has drained deep the chalice of courage. As I listened to those songs of the glee club, in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs on many a weary march, from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle deep through mire of shell-pocked roads; to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always for them: Duty, Honor, Country. Always their blood, and sweat, and tears, as they saw the way and the light."

It is for PFC Bresnahan and the many thousands of others like him that I do what I do. Their sacrifice demands it. Their cause is the same cause today and tomorrow - Duty, Honor, Country. Edmund Burke said "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." These men realized that the good men started with them. American history is non-fiction. The characters are not characters at all. Rather, they are the most uncommon of common men.

General MacArthur ended his speech with an admonishment to the cadets. While his remarks were tailored specifically for the members of the "long gray line", they could just as easily be applied to any of us in the profession of arms.

"You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the Nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds.
The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country."

And so it is to the memory of these brave men and women - Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen - and the ideals that they helped preserve to this day that I have pledged my service. To ensure that evil does not triumph. To allow my children to continue to live in the America that is "the last best hope" of the world. To carry on the ideals of Duty, Honor, Country.

Turtle Prison

2007-05-03T00:17:00.000-05:00

WANTED!!

Trachemys scripta scripta

(Yellow Bellied Slider Turtle)

What is more aggravating than your wife catching a 7 pound bass on a piece of corn? "Nothing" you might say. And you might be right...if it weren't for turtles. These thieving reptiles are the squirrels of the aquatic world. They will do anything and everything to bite the bait off your hook while you are trying to catch that 7 pound bass on, say, a chunk of hot dog or cheese.

So, rather than keep moving our bait around, I decided on a different tactic. We started letting them bite the hook and then put them underneath the swingset. We started turtle prison. I figured this way, they couldn't bite our bait and annoy us. There were a few jailbreaks, but wardens Charlie and Luke were there to round them up and bring them back to justice. A short hearing was held after the fishing was done. All were granted reprieve but after serving some "community service". More on their sentence in the next post.

Play Ball!

2007-05-01T00:59:00.000-05:00

I usually enter this portion of the year with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I love watching my boys play ball, watching their excitement when they get a hit or throw someone out. But on the other hand, baseball season severely cuts into turkey hunting as most of our weekends are spent at the ball field.

Charlie spanking one

Luke playing the "half-pitcher(?)" position

Charlie thinking about the "free snow cone at the end of the game."

Oh well, the turkeys can wait I guess.

Big Time

2007-04-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Sis... here's a little
lowcountry for you.

There's something about a salty breeze that does wonders for me and my sanity. Yesterday, Heather, Luke, and I went to Calabash, NC to eat dinner (Charlie was at a birthday party) because that's the nearest place that has good seafood. Our favorite little block building restaraunt, The Seafood Hut, had a line wrapping around the entire building, so we decided to go on down to Coleman's. It's right on the river in Calabash along with two or three others. Also on this river are the shrimp boat docks.

After dinner, Luke wanted to look at the boats so we went down on the docks and took some pictures. There were several boats lined up at the docks and the black-faced gulls were swooping around everywhere. There was one little boat anchored out in the river. It was the smallest boat there. Ironically, the name of the boat...Big Time.

And it occurred to me that whoever named that boat had it right. That is the Big Time. How much better could it be? Every day, that guy gets to smell the salt air and watch the sea waves roll. He listens to the gulls laugh and watches the marsh grass sway in the breeze. His day is not ruled by a clock but by the coming and going of the tide. And the food. I could eat shrimp every day of my life for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not get tired of it. This truly is the big time.

My "educated" uncle also used to own a shrimp boat. One of my favorite memories of my lowcountry upbringing was going out shrimping with him. The boat was already out shrimping around Trunkett (Trenchard's, spell it how you will) so he picked me up in his wood bateau at one of the boat landings on St. Helena. Once on the boat, we dropped the nets back and watched the "doors" disappear beneath the waves. The engine groaned with the extra drag placed on it. My uncle pointed to the cables connected to the doors and said, "everything between those two cables is mine." We hauled the nets up and unloaded them on the culling table. We separated out the shrimp and sorted them by "count". We also kept some crab and a few of the doormat sized flounder. The rest was tossed overboard for the waiting dolphins, gulls, and sharks.

We anchored the boat in the sound just inland from the ocean and started cooking. We boiled the shrimp and crabs and fried the flounder. For musical entertainment, what else but Jimmy Buffet. We ate until we were stuffed and watched the sun go down over Bay Point.

For those of you who have never experienced such a thing, I recommend you try it someday. I could probably open a very successful psychotherapy clinic on a shrimp boat. I think it's because the salt breeze creates a disconnect in the mind that unleashes you from the rest of the world. One that makes you forget, if even for a moment, that the rest of the world even exists. And it's at that point, when you tune in to the natural wonders around you and your troubles be damned, that you realize that yes, indeed, this is the Big Time.

Lord Help Us.....

2007-04-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

It was found out today that the enemy is using a terrible new weapon against American forces. Word about the new weapon is spreading among even the American troops. The use of this weapon causes men to desert their posts, running at full speed. Even the slightest sound of the new weapon causes their adrenaline to build until nervously shaking, the American forces flee. This weapon is even being utilized on American soil!

What is this new weapon that could cause such a stir in our American troops?

The ice cream man. He rings the bell and they drop whatever it is they're doing and come running with fists full of dollars.

Artsy Army Part Deux

2007-04-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

Here's part two of the Artsy Army...

Tank track...158 track pads per tank...9 bolts per pad...
and they all have to be checked every time you stop.

The Master Blaster. At least that's what we call it.
It's method #5 for firing the main gun.

We had cool stuff, but this is how alot of our time
was spent...pouring over maps and drawing overlays.

These are dummy rounds for the 25mm gun on the
M2 Bradley. We used these for training on loading the
25mm.

Artsy Army Part I

2007-04-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

These are some pictures that a buddy of mine took while I was at Ft. Knox. I didn't think there was anything at all artsy about the Army. Who knew?

This was our last day of Gauntlet. We were headed home after
about 2 weeks in the field. That's a smelly bunch there.

There was very little time for this.

These are 25mm sabot rounds for the M2 Bradley.
Interesting patterns.

2007-04-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Folks sometimes ask me what I do in the Army. I tell them that I'm a platoon leader. That generally gets the "deer in the headlights" look. So I tell them that I command a platoon of 4 M1A1 Abrams tanks and can also effectively lead scouts in a reconnaissance platoon. Again, they look at me like a monkey doing a math problem. So below are a couple of videos showing what I do.

This is our graduation video from Armor Officer Basic Course. There are a couple shots of me in there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3JnnFsNKYw

This is a video that I found on youtube.com that pretty well shows what I'm talking about. I'm nowhere to be found in this, but it could just as well be me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmluA6tZ30c

And when I'm not blowing stuff up, I clean up pretty well.

Out,

Photoshop Phun

2007-04-14T00:06:00.000-05:00

Here's my tribute to Amy. Boy was she right, photoshopping is addictive. I spent a couple hours fiddling with these things. Although, technically, I'm not using photoshop, it's still fun. I use HP Photosmart. Anyways, here are some of the redneck zoo pics that I messed with a little. So as Victor, my favorite Mexican waiter, says...Enyoy!!

Granny's Gift

2007-04-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

When I was about 13 years old, one of my uncles went to "college". While he was being educated - reformed, call it what you will - Granny Harriott bought him a guitar since there wasn't a lot to do during the day at this particular institution. One of his "classmates" happened to know how to play and, there being nothing else to do, passed on his musical knowledge to my uncle.

Not to be left out on the present receiving, my other uncle - educated uncle's brother - had to have one as well. So Granny outfits lesser educated uncle with an identical guitar. These guitars were pretty decent. Yamahas if remember correctly. They had a certain thin twang about them that Yamahas are prone to have. It's because of the thin spruce tops that Yamaha uses in the construction, but I digress. Suffice it to say, Gran probably dropped a couple hundred on each one.

Seeing how a little bit of whining worked for lesser educated uncle, I decided to throw my hat into the ring. Sure enough, it worked. But Granny didn't drop the same kind of cash on me. And rightly so. I was 13 for heaven's sake. I would probably put it down in a week. She went to Fast Freddy's and bought something that Freddy probably didn't know much about. I recall that she spent about $60 for mine, case and all. What she bought me was a Sigma which is made by the Martin Company. Martin is known for producing world class acoustic guitars. This thing was worth 10 times that much.

Granny's $60 investment paid off. This guitar has followed me everywhere since then. I have played it until my fingers have bled. It has been an outlet for joy, a vehicle for expressing the unexpressable, and a healer of broken hearts. Unless you ask sister her opinion, then it ranks somewhat lower.

I've since added to my guitar collection (2 garage sale classicals and an $800 Ibanez that almost cost me my marriage), but I always come back to this one. It knows exactly what I'm trying to say and how I'm trying to say it.

She's had a few bumps and bruises along the way. The most noteable is a deep gash in her top from a college (note the lack of quotation marks) incident that almost saw the death of my roommate - at my hands. But despite her blemishes, her tone still sounds the same as the day she came home from the pawn shop.

So, Gran, I think I've gotten some mileage from that $60. It's lived in 9 different houses, played on Lord knows how many stages, and even done duty at 2 Army posts. It's 23 years later and I still haven't put it down. As long as there is a song in my heart and a tune in my head, I imagine this guitar will be in my hands. Thank you, Granny.