One Soldier's Story: Part 3
I've begun a new project here at Patriotically Incorrect. My cousin (we'll call him John) is an Army Reservist and I would like to support him by serializing his story, mostly in his own words. If you missed the beginning of this story, you can link to it here. Thanks for reading.
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From: PI's Mom
Subject: Letters from John
Date: November 2003
To: Family
Dear Guys,
My sister transcribed these letters from John. He is no longer in [...]. He is now guarding a prisoner of war camp in Baghdad.
Love, Mom
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Dear Aunt [...] and Uncle [...],
Thanks for the mail! It's a big morale boost.
Things are good here. The temperature has dropped down to the 80s. The prison's getting crazy - There have been 4 prison breaks in a week! Good thing we only do escorts to Baghdad.
I'm ready to go home, but it looks like I'm here till May. I should be home for leave sometime in December/January and will definitely visit Philly.
Love, John
P.S. - I enclosed a letter to Grandma because I lost her address. Thanks.
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Dear Grandma,
Hello! How are you? Things are great here in [the southern Shiite city]. No idea when we're headed home, though. :(
When I get back, I'd like to invite you (and whoever in the [extended family] is interested) to visit the WWII Memorial in DC. I think it should be
open by the spring. I could throw on my dress uniform and be your personal
escort. The longer I spend in Iraq, the more [my fiance] and I are understanding
what it must have been like for your generation. Four months has been tough.
I couldn't imagine four years!
We still have no idea when we're going home. There's a rumor going around that it could be NEXT MAY! There's no use being depressed about it, though. I'm just trying to be productive.
(continued Oct 20, 2003)
Hello from Abu Ghraib prison! I am entering my 9th month of the deployment and 6th month in Iraq. And Rumsfeld says our military isn't overextended. Ha! So the logical conclusion is that he PLANNED for reservists to do 16-month deployments (yeah right). What a mess! Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld love sacrifice - as long as it's someone else's sacrifice.
But I still believe in our mission here. We need a full-scale "Marshall Plan" and the $187 million Bush asked for will provide that. (Adjusted to inflation, rebuilding Iraq will cost MORE THAN the actual Marshall Plan.) The fact that we have almost no international support is the killer. (Mongolia did send 10 troops. :) ) The "Coalition of the Willing" is a total joke.
Anyway, conditions here are improving. It's 100 degrees during the day instead of 140 degrees. At night, it gets down to the 60s. The prison isn't bad, actually. My cell is nice (yes, I live in an actual prison cell). We hooked up showers and electricity and we're getting A/C (5 months too late) and heat soon. We're getting a big screen TV and ping pong table.
People are starting to go home for 15 days of R&R leave. The selection process is totally subjective, so if I don't come up with a big crisis, I might not get picked. I'm [a very low-ranking] person in the company, so I thought I'd go first, but they're letting old guys go first because they've got kids. If I were 30 or 40, I wouldn't even think of going home in front of the young soldiers I'm in charge of. Oh well, George Bush better appreciate everything I'm doing for him! Yeah, right!
My platoon has an interesting mission. We're providing escorts to Baghdad. It's a pretty advanced city (compared to the rest of Iraq). About half the women don't cover their hair. I've seen 3 Catholic churches. Saddam's Baghdad palace is beautiful. I got to sit in his chair - we hang out by the pool there. The Internet is $2/hour and the food is good. We're also getting armored Humvees soon.
Right now I'm just on "cruise control", trying not to dwell on the fact that I'm still here. I'm trying to read my law books and write letters and exercise. There's no use in moping around all day.
Anyway, I appreciate all the letters and packages. As Bush would say, "Bring 'em on!"
Love,
John
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Dear [a younger cousin],
I love getting all of your well-written letters! They always raise my spirits!
You asked if it's still hot. Well, one day in late October, it was 100 degrees, then the next day, it was 70 degrees! Can you believe that? Most days are about 85 degrees now, which isn't bad.
Our job is driving back and forth to Baghdad from the prison we stay at. We take prisoners to court or to the hospital. Or we take "important" people to meetings in Baghdad.
Sometimes, we go to Saddam's palace in Baghdad and I get to hang out at his pool. It's huge! I even got to sit in his chair!
How's middle school? I bet it's a lot different from elementary school. What's your favorite subject? Mine was social studies.
I enclosed six 250-dinar notes - Iraqi money - for you, [your brother], [your sister] and [your sister]'s friends.
I look forward to more letters!
Love,
John
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Dear [another younger cousin],
Thanks for the letters! They really make my day!
You asked if there are schools in Iraq. There are lots of schools in Iraq, just like America. The boys wear a white shirt and black pants and the girls wear a white shirt and black skirt to school. The students had to tear out all of the pictures of Saddam Hussein from their textbooks. America is making new textbooks for the Iraqi students. America also gave the students free bookbags and pens and pencils and paper and a calculator. Many of the students are very poor and can't afford a bookbag.
I liked the letters from your friends. Friends are important and it's always good to be making more and more friends. I wrote a letter to your friends and enclose three 250-dinar notes - Iraqi money - for them. It's worth 10 cents in American money!
I've met lots of new friends in Iraq. Iraqis are VERY friendly people. Even a man who made $1 a day offered me half of his sandwich once!
I'll visit [your city] when I'm home and tell lots of stories and
answer any of the questions you have!
Love,
John
P.S. - How're the music lessons going?
P.S.S. - Most of the girls cover their hair with a scarf because it's a
Muslim tradition.
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Dear [yet another younger cousin],
Hey buddy! Thanks for your letters! Your mom sent me a picture of you. You're getting big!
What's your favorite sport? Mine is basketball/baseball/football - all 3!
Iraq is fun but I miss home. I've been gone for 9 months!
Maybe when you get older, you can join the Army. The Army could pay for college -- your parents would love that!
See you soon, buddy!
Love,
John
7:22:58 AM 
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