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Baghdad Dear Readers,
Our Thanksgiving Holiday here at Camp Cuervo was spent with the soldiers and civilians of America, Iraqi, and coalition countries; we enjoyed a feast fit for a king. Considering where we are and being in a combat zone, I did not expect much for the holiday. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised. Thorough planning and weeks of preparation provided a spectacular atmosphere and dinner for all who attended. The 1st Cavalry Division Thanksgiving Dinner offered fresh turkey, baked ham, prime rib, mashed potatoes (real not instant), corn on the cob, yams, cranberry, stuffing, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie, cherry cobbler, pecan pie, ice cream, and several other "fixings". The dining facility was decorated from top to bottom and even featured soldiers dressed as pilgrims, Indians, Pocahontas, and a bird costume that somewhat resembled a turkey. There were tablecloths and makeshift centerpieces on every table. The senior leaders, wearing their ceremonial "Stetsons" (1st Cavalry cowboy hats), served the meals to their junior soldiers. It was much appreciated and was a great morale builder for not only their soldiers, but for the leaders as well. More importantly what made it such a wonderful day was peace here at Camp Cuervo! It was quiet and we were able to relax a bit. It was nice to see the phone centers so crowded and the line for the meal was very long. Some people back at home would see these things as inconvenient and downright frustrating. I like to think of it as people having the best holiday they can without being with family and loved ones. In my case, the only good thing about having the meal here instead of at home was missing out on the after dinner cleanup. We had the luxury of throwing away all of our plastic ware and leaving. Unfortunately, someone had to do the dishes and my condolences to whoever they were. I’m not sure how many meals were served but I’m sure it was a few thousand! I would like to shift focus to discuss the people of Iraq. I have had many opportunities to meet and converse with the local nationals. Their customs are very different from ours and some are hard to get used to. It is viewed as disrespect to show the soles of your shoes (or boots) and bathing on a regular basis for them is a luxury. Their sewer systems are almost non-existent and they work a full week for around $30-$100. Education is not even close to our level and they refer to the English language as "Christian". There is not much entertainment as far as I know, on convoys you see many Iraqis standing on the side of the streets chatting with one another. It is not uncommon to see donkey driven carts toting what Americans would consider to be "junk". It is common for people to cram (as many as they can fit) into cars, buses, vans, and pickup trucks. On several convoys I have seen adults and children sitting in the bed of pick up trucks in a very unsafe manner. It is not unusual to see vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road in very heavy, fast moving traffic. These are some of the hazards we face while going on our convoys. The efforts being made to improve the Iraqi way of life is a time consuming procedure. Sewer systems are being constructed, jobs are being made available, children are afforded the opportunity for an education, and a political structure is being established. Progress is being made regardless of what the news is reporting back at home! There is a group of Iraqi teenagers that I have daily contact with and they are some of the funniest bunch of kids I know. They work as day laborers here at our Camp and have been doing a great job. They go to college once a week and always go out of their way to make sure they say hello and give a big smile while doing so. These kids appreciate our efforts and have made friends with many of us here. I asked them if they were scared with all of the kidnappings going on and they say no. They told me that they love us being here and they can provide for their families (including their parents) with the job that they have. In the summer they would always run up to me and say "water mister". I would get them a ice cold bottle of water and then they would take a few sips and tell me it’s too cold and let it sit in the sun until it warms up a bit. At first I saw this as being ungrateful but when I got to thinking, when was the last time these kids actually tasted something cold? There isn’t much ice here and they are not used to bottled water let alone ice cold water. Regardless, every time they asked me for water, I would find the coldest bottle of water (sometimes a bottle of ice) to give them. This was a little game that I played with them because the language barrier didn’t allow much conversation and they always found it funny when I would bring out a big bottle of solid ice. We all got a laugh out of it. Another group of people I like to chat with and learn about are the local venders here on our Camp. I have learned much about a computer software vendor that worked as a mechanical engineer while Sadam was in power. He complained of only being paid $20 a month (or maybe it was a week) for his hard work. He is very happy that we liberated them and doesn’t want to see us go. He claims to have met many American friends here and I’m sure he isn’t complaining about the money he is making now. I believe that I am a very good judge of character and find him to be sincere and grateful for the opportunity he now has. I am very happy to have experienced part of their culture and meet these fascinating people. I feel that knowing them has allowed me to better appreciate the wonderful things and opportunities in my life. Wrapping up this week’s column, things are going well here in Baghdad and another week closer to being with my wife and kids! There is a part of me that will miss these people and my experience here but it doesn’t even come close to being home with my family! I hope all of you are doing well and by reading my columns have a more uplifting view of the efforts being made over here and better appreciate the things in your lives as well. Once again, your support for us is overwhelming and very much appreciated. Thank you so much and take care of yourselves! Signing off until next week… SGT Shawn Wilkins read archived articles | submit an article for review
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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I did! The meaning of Thanksgiving became evident to me this particular year. Every year it has just been a holiday for family gatherings, good eating, and football! This year it was something much more. I found a greater appreciation for life and truly thankful for the gifts that I have been blessed with. I am thankful for my wife, children, extended family and friends. The opportunity to experience what I have first hand so that my eyes may be opened and see how good we really have it back in the States. The camaraderie with my fellow soldiers during this holiday and every other day of the year I am thankful for as well. I strongly believe that people do not have to experience these hardships to be thankful; they just need to appreciate what they have. 