Received 2/18/08
 

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please. And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Monday, January 7, 2008

8:07 A.M., Houston

5:07 P.M., Al Fallujah

Good Afternoon,

Gum and Jolly Ranchers were the feature and focus of the small children in the area.  All supplies of sweets had run out when the box arrived.  Chris is good friends with an Iraqi Sergeant (likewise out of candy) who helped him to disburse all the treats.  Chris did manage to SQUIRREL away a few of these for himself.  He gets so much delight in giving it out that it’s like Christmas all over again.  Having no candy to give is hard.  These children typically have so little that one piece is seen to be a great feast, a treasure.  The few he keeps give him tremendous pleasure as well.

He’s been spending a great deal of his off time reading several different books.  The one he concentrates on most right now is about the French Revolution.  Somehow, I think he likes all history.  He was fascinated by the diabolical Romans and Carthaginians when he was little.  He always wanted movie sets like “Ten Battles That Changed The World”.  A double major is what he’ll pursue (I think he doesn’t realize how much work that entails!).  Now I understand why his costumes of long ago had to be those of a centurion, or other kind of warrior.  I will be more appreciative of all the Roman and Viking Playmobil toys that I stepped on when he was small.  It goes along with all the toy soldiers, too.

When he is home finally (on leave) he will pursue “recruiter’s assistance” which will permit him to earn money while he’s here.  I believe that’s what he’ll do at Christmas time. He hopes to be home from San Diego from May 15th until June 15th.  Of course this is subject to change in a heartbeat or less. Still, it is pleasant to contemplate having him home!  I know he’d love to come home for July 4th weekend, in addition. I don’t see that happening though.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

3:17 P.M., Houston

12:17 A.M., Al Fallujah

Snow!  Yes, breaking some records, Al Fallujah received a heavy snowfall.  Chris was blessed enough to be on post from 2 A.M. to 10 A.M.  During that time it snowed for five of the eight hours he stood guard.  It came down hard; he has proof in the video that he took.  It was completely quiet in the village.  There was no action of any kind due to the snowfall.  I asked him about the children.  Here, heavy snow usually brings them out in droves (but not at night).  However, since he was in his little box anyway (known as the guard shack) he could see no kids frolicking.  He did, however, freeze his posterior off.  Possibly he could have used the squirrel to rectify this situation.  That could have kept him a bit warmer.

It looks as if Al Quaeda has been bested in Al Fallujah, at least for a while.  It’s quiet there.  All of their efforts have been concentrated on Baghdad lately (which shows that their presence in Iraq appears to be diminishing).  Fallujah is receiving refugees from Baghdad due to the unrest there.  What a blessing to know that what was once such a hotbed is now a far more peaceful, calm place.

Chris found out what his next big move with his battalion will be.  He’s being offered a choice.  They will be going on a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) next year.  The MEU’s are about 2,200 men strong and are comprised of a helicopter squadron, a logistics combat element (Chris’s part), and a command element (headed by a colonel).  They specialize in small, quick missions that are sometimes used to pave the way for larger forces who move in later.  They can do anything from special ops to conventional missions.  They are quickly deployable when something happens around the world.  When that big tsunami hit we had MEU’s in that area that responded to the needs.  It would mean that Chris would probably see as from ten to fifteen different countries in a seven month period.  Okinawa, Thailand, Philippines, and Australia are among them.  If he goes on this it would delay his leaving the Corps for about a month.  He would be getting home in July, 2009, as opposed to June.  If he wants to get out on time, he can go back to Iraq with a different battalion and get out in June.  His battalion was supposed to have gone on that MEU this last deployment; that didn‘t happen.  I am not ready to hold out hope for this as the new Commandant has his own ideas about what he wants the Corps to do.  He’s been in favor of pulling out of Iraq and sending them to Afghanistan instead.  The way things generally work I think Chris stands as much of a chance of going to Afghanistan as anywhere else.  Obviously, we’d prefer the MEU.  I told him that I’d like souvenirs from around the world.  Going back to Iraq a third time (or Afghanistan a first time) has less appeal.

Checking with him I found the mail had been snail paced.  He had gotten very little due to a huge influx.  I find it irksome that the guys who do the mail aren’t the ones usually out in harm’s way.  I’d like to chew on them to do their work faster!  That’s just my opinion though.  It would be nice for the guys to come back to mail after a mission or convoy duty.

Well, Chris and company (only 4 other guys this time) should go to Beauty School.  I think they have created a new process to remove hair (unwanted and otherwise).  As it transpired these Marines were a bit bored. As they were given a small job to do, they got creative.  What is one to do when given the chance to dispose of 400 gallons of diesel fuel?

I am the mother of the mastermind.  I certainly am proud…  There was an old dried up well nearby.  It was useless for anything else so Brainiac thought that possibly pouring the fuel into it and igniting it would take care of their task.  It did pour nicely into its receptacle.  Chris did claim that although he came up with the idea, he did not throw the lighted cigarette.  The explosive force of 400 gallons coming from that narrow opening was riveting.  Chris said, “we didn’t think it would be that big of a flame.”  Were they prepared for the accompanying explosion?  Probably not.

All five of them had their eyebrows burned off as well as the top of their hair in front.  I’m sure that no barber could easily duplicate their hairstyles.  My charming child found that there was more to it than simply coming close to blowing himself up and losing some hair.  Apparently all five flew through the air with the greatest of ease, minus a trapeze.  Chris was the only one to land on a rock.  It nearly separated his shoulder.  He’s like Charley Brown at Halloween trying to trick-or-treat and finding only rocks.  At least Charley Brown’s rocks never physically hurt him!  Noodge was also the recipient of a few stitches to the head.  I wonder if that hit a rock as well.  If so did he damage the rock with his dense cranium?

I pray that he’s on good terms with his Guardian Angel.  I remain in doubt though, due to his escapades.  His angel may prefer someone with a bit less excitement.  His angel has more to do than Secret Service does for the President of the United States!  Goodness sakes I wish he’d stop his imagination, or slow it down a mite.  He seemed pleased that he himself had not thrown that stupid cigarette in!  He fails to understand that being the father of such a brainchild is just as bad as being the igniter.

I have been in a similar situation with a can of Coleman fluid back in college.  I was camping with a girlfriend and had help coming up with the idea of pouring the fluid on a lighted match.  Thank God we didn’t have 400 gallons of fuel.  There are better ways of igniting a fire than that.  We found fire can be hard to control, to our dismay.  We had no explosion though, until I threw the can that had been at my friend Linda’s feet.  I knew it was better exploded in midair than right next to her.  I guess Chris comes by this naturally after all.  I hate reflections when they tend to incriminate me.

Well, I hope that everyone is having a blessed start to their year.

Thank you for all the prayers,

J