Memoirs written in prose of Sergeant Robertson, Damon M. USMC while in Iraq | ...with frequent appearances of King Hammurabi.
If you are new to this journal, make sure to start reading in chronological order by scrolling down to the bottom of the oldest post in October 2004. Damon's letters from August 20th, 2004 - October 23rd, 2004 were all added to this blog on Oct. 23rd, 2004. All subsequent letters are posted in real time.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Re: Hammurabi, USMC - DMR
Dear Family and Friends: Today is the first day I've seen the sun rise in the desert without there being a ton of dust in the atmosphere. From the ground up the sky looks like a rainbow. Full spectrum. It's 55 degrees outside and with a body that got quickly accostomed to a dry 120 degrees, it feels like *winter.* Dear God it's cold. I keep expecting to see frost but then again I might just be a wuss. ... Listen and Learn from my Mistakes: Never, and I mean never, ask for *two* specific things when your loved ones inquire after "what you need." Why? Well, perhaps there is too much of a good thing. Mind you, mountains, rain, pizza, movies about warriors who love their women, actual real rifles with bullets, snuggling, etc., are all things that are never "tired." I can, and I know it hurts you all to hear this, take only so much coffee in one day. I was in the habit of putting so much doggone Yuban in my cup that the warm water I added to it came out black as sin and thick enough to surface a tarmac. The other Marines make wussy coffee. They are weak. But I'm off the subject. I now have 13.75 pounds of coffee. I also have about 6 pounds of skittles. ... Thank you all very much. The Marines of "A" Co. thank you with every jitter! ... I have this gentlemanly front I put up in the morning before my first cup of *real* coffee is swilled. I won't operate any of the forklifts over the rough terrain here at a speed that will in any way cause me to spill a single drop of my beloved dirtwater. My sgt is usually quite put-off by this, but I also never break anything (unintentionally) so he doesn't spew too much sarcasm. Usually. But for God's sake, just because we're in a war zone doesn't mean we have to lose all standards of behavior. I mean, who among you spills coffee and really considers him/herself to be part of the civilized world? ... We have a dog (did I ever mention this?) named Charlie. He's an iraqi mutt, which gives him some very interesting features, though he wouldn't look too out of place in the U.S. In contrast, when I was in Al Qaim, near the syrian border, I saw a dog that was part jackal. Looked funny, like someone had taken jackel + some other breed and just butt-grafted them together. Like a cartoon half-breed. Wierd. But charlie is normal enough. He's still young enough to appreciate being let off his chain in the morning and he tears around the flight line, eats the trash, urinates excessively and in most other ways behaves precisely like we expect him to-- like a dog. He has this 'lawsuit' trait that would make him hard to own in the U.S., that is he likes to express his affection by nibbling random passers-by. Knees, dangling hands, crotches. Nothing is sacred. You should see the special forces guys-- the SEALS, the Rangers-- when charlie saddles up and starts spreadin the love. I know school girls who have more (metaphorical) cajones than these vaunted warriors. Once the MP's brought their bomb-sniffing dogs through about the time charlie was on his "off leash" time and the MPs started raising all hell, complaining that Charlie was going to infect their dogs or start a fight. 1. Charlie sees the vet on base regularly. He is not sick, and carries fewer germs than the DUST does... 2. If Charlie, goofy, uncoordinated, submissive, loveable charlie can kick your German Shepherd's sorry ass, you've got more problems than we can possibly help you with. But you should hear the pilots of the C-130s and FA-18's whining on the secure tactical radio when they see him roaming and peeing near Foxtrot ramp (where I work). God. As if Charlie could crash a C130 or disrupt the war, er, peacekeeping effort... Pilots are such wieners... ... :D
# posted by chevas @ 7:47 PM 