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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! November 4, 2004 Dawn of a New DayBy GreyhawkSunrise. Think it's pretty?  The dawn of a new day. Another day closer to coming home. Another day closer to mission accomplished. There will still be plenty to do, of course, and for someone else that day will mark the start of their task, mission begun. That's what so many failed to comprehend about that whole mission accomplished thing. It wasn't your mission. That was someone else's mission. Sorry, those of you who didn't get it. I saw that banner and hoped there would be something left for me to do. Some day my mission will be accomplished too. For now I carry on, do my duty, and mark the passage of time. GIs through the years have adopted a lot of ways to do this. Crossing days off calendars, putting tick marks on the underside of the hat brim, you name it. In the computer age I've even seen a lot of automated versions of the short timer's calendar. Don't misunderstand me, I don't keep time out of boredom or any overwhelming desire to get away from here. I've got plenty to do. Here, look: To do:
Survive Iraqi elections There's more, of course, but why sweat the details? Anyhow, since the Muslims use the moon for their calendar I've been doing the same, marking the passage of time by watching it change daily :  See? The last quarter of Ramadan begins. Glad you asked. Well, the muck left behind by the past few day's rains has turned to dust, and brooms are the weapon of choice today. How are we marking the occasion? We're sweeping the dust off the ages off the floor of the tent so we can get back to business. I had to verbally counsel one guy to please stop taunting a Democrat. He wasn't being mean about it but its just not done, get it? Then I talked to the other guy and asked if the guys were bugging him too much. "No" he said "I can handle it. We're all okay with each other." Good. Good. See, the brotherhood of arms trumps political persuasion. That said, I echo this question from Jonah Goldberg: "NOW THAT HE'S NOT USING IT... Can John Kerry please tell us what his super-duper special terrific secret plan to fix Iraq was?" Is that fair? Is that mean? Unless everyone knows (nudge nudge) that there was never a plan? And what if it's not that badly broken? Anyhow, how did the troops mark the election? According to the NY Times, in a story headlined (no kidding) "Most Of The Troops In Iraq Have Other Things Than The Election On Their Minds, Like War" most of the troops didn't even remember it was election day (bold emphasis added below). The marines (sic) here are expected to lead an all-out attack on Falluja, the insurgent stronghold, in the coming days. Although the Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, has not yet given the final order, the troops are busy cleaning their weapons and doing combat drills for what could be the most decisive battle since major combat operations ended almost a year and a half ago. That reporter shore is a smart feller. He's rite. I'm hopin I can get me one of them innernets over here and start me a blog. Also he's rite about homo marridge, Thats the nummer one issue with troops, homo marridge. One domestic issue resonates with many troops, he said, because it angers them: gay marriage. But on many other issues, troops tend to be too busy or too far from home to pay close attention If I get me a innernet I'll stop that homo marridge. The Washington Times sent a reporter to a different Iraq. Their headline? "Bush's Victory Comforts Troops, Most see win as support of war" For U.S. troops serving in Iraq ? many of whom are preparing for a imminent confrontation with armed militants in rebel strongholds ? the presidential election back home passed by quickly, with most saying they were relieved that their commander in chief, President Bush, fended off a challenge from Sen. John Kerry. Interesting that in both the real world and the alternate universe where NY Times reporters dwell Marines and Soldiers are preparing to attack Fallujah - though the spelling of the town's name is slightly different. We'll watch to see if the results of combat differ as well. By the way, while both stories have pictures, The Washington Times has a picture of smiling Marines. Here in my world the Chaplain opened the commander's staff meeting with a prayer. After calling for hellfire to rain down on gay people everywhere he gave thanks for our Democracy, thanks for the freedom that Americans enjoy, and expressed his fervent hope for Iraqis to share that soon. You see, registration began for the Iraqi elections this week - a story I haven't seen in too many places yet. I'm going to bet that the NY Times reporter has been instructed by his commanders not to tell that story. Some day soon he might have freedom to tell the truth. Or some day soon people just won't listen. Fine days ahead indeed. One would think a better sunrise then that pictured above would be called for.  That's better. Just needed a different perspective. Posted by Greyhawk / November 4, 2004 8:30 PM | Permalink 17 TrackBacksHow did the troops in Iraq mark the election? Apparently, according to the NY Times, Greyhawk has been blogging without a "innernets": Read More Read Greyhawk - a soldier writing to you...from there. (via Roger L. Simon, who writes: "...He gives us a compare and contrast between the NYT's and the Washington Times' vision of Marine attitudes there toward the election. As you recall,... Read More Since I'm sick, let me just heave some link droppage. I'm reading these posts on my sick bed, so why not refer them? I just can't keep them down--stuff seems to be coming out every oraface! Crumpets get puked. Southern... Read More To start, Uncle Sam wasted no time in deploying our good man Chad of Dogtulosba fame. He is currently at his new post in the rocky and mountainous environs of Afghanistan. Go over here and wish him well. In personal items, I lost this link to the pics ... Read More Some additional musings... I would love to see a cartoon from Cox and Forkum showing either GW or Uncle Sam skeet-shooting "moonbats." Mrs. Edwards: My dad died of cancer in February...I think it would be nice if Red Staters contributed... Read More Voter Registration began in Iraq on Monday. Read More It's LaShawn Barber's blogiversary, and she has a bunch of great celebratory links about the election. Greyhawk has how troops... Read More Hmm...Let's see. Mudville Gazette Anyhow, how did the troops mark the election? According to the NY Times, in a story headlined (no kidding) "Most Of The Troops In Iraq Have Other Things Than The Election On Their Minds, Like War"... Read More Greyhawk has a great post about what the troops in Iraq are saying about the Bush victory. Needless to say, they consider it a vote for their efforts also. Read More At the Mudville Gazette, there's an excellent post on how newspapers are approaching, or failing to approach, the realities inside Iraq. Two papers, two Iraqs, two US militaries. How amazingly sad. Mudville also makes an excellent point about the meani... Read More I've added the Moonphase Calculator to my sidebar. Hey, I like the moon. You can get it here. (Link via a commenter to Mudville Gazette.)... Read More So, you probably didn't ask, how's the election playing in Iraq? Why not ask a soldier: Saw more than a few online pundits wondering how the troops in Iraq were responding to the election results. 'How are they celebrating... Read More
I love those guys. I think about them every damned day. I really do. My message for them is as follows: I hope you come home soon, and I than... Read More
I love those guys. I think about them every damned day. I really do. My message for them is as follows: I hope you come home soon, and I than... Read MoreThe New York Times's David Brooks has an excellent column today explaining why the "moral... Read More It may surprise you to know that voter registration has started in Iraq for the January election. It started on 11/1/2004. I'll bet you haven't heard a thing about it from the MSM. A small paper published the story on... Read More Some additional musings... I would love to see a cartoon from Cox and Forkum showing either GW or Uncle Sam skeet-shooting "moonbats." Mrs. Edwards: My dad died of cancer in February...I think it would be nice if Red Staters contributed... Read More 36 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
My husband is a pastor, I'm going to ask him if he can use your chaplains prayer during this weeks service. :)
Excellent post!
You can find an actual moon phase calendar at here. I've had one in my blog for a while and it's always accurate
Didn't know you had such a sense of humor till I read this post of yours. God bless and all that
-Max
"The Paper of Record" sure has lost it.
"Internet is scarce here"
My sister was stationed at the 23rd CSH in Balad, and we talked daily over Yahoo IM for the 7 months she was there. She was well informed about what was happening in Iraq AND HOW IT WAS BEING REPORTED IN THE US BY THE MSM. She was not very happy with the media, especially the NYT. Maybe that's why the NYT could only find scowling marines and soldiers.
Also from the NYT, their editorial Nov. 3:
"We have had enough of the rancor for a while, and our greatest hope now is that Mr. Bush will set out to earn the right to be seen as leader by all the nation."
Sooo... Winning the electoral vote by a clear margin, winning the popular vote with the most votes ever won in an American election, winning a popular majority for the first time since 1988, expanding his party's hold on both houses of Congress for the first time since McKinley--none of that is good enough in our system of democracy to earn the right to be seen as leader. It needs some certain je ne sais quois to get progressives to assent to lose the BUSHITLER!!!! signs.
Wotta bunch of soreheads; arrogant, cloistered soreheads...
Great post! You represent so well in your graphics the same message of your words.
We are with you in our thoughts and prayers.
The only ones who might be in disagreement with your thoughts are so confused at the present in their shock at their losses that they're making very little sense so it's unclear what their views are on any topic.
Another wonderful post with wonderful pictures. My husband brought home lots of nice pictures from Balad but not the breathtaking one you have just put on. (i can only stand so many pictures of broken helo's ..shh dont tell him i said that)
Soon you'll be home. Until then stay safe. And know that there are so many people out there who are so very proud!
reachingout
http://soldierslifeafteriraq.blogspot.com
here's a note i sent off to the NY Post (probably the only place that would run it) and a few other places.
I'm getting so tired of intellectuals trying to rationalize the vote.
Here it is:
I find it interesting that many are overcomplicating an issue, that for most Americans is very basic. Everyone is analyzing how the vote turned out, why the vote turned out. They are analyzing why the security mother or, the Jew, the evangelical, the Hispanic, the African American or the white males, etc., voted the way they did. We don't need exit polls to tell us the reason for Bush's amazing win. The answer is very simple. On September 21, 2001, we all sat in front of our TV sets, and radios and listened to our president declare a war on terrorism, and anyone that harbored them. He asked us to support him in a war that would take us around the world, that would require sacrifice and steadfastness. We all agreed. We were going to battle terrorism, no matter what it took, no matter how long it took. We all swore we'd never forget. Most of us meant it.
Now the election is over.
To the 56 million that forgot, I ask, did you know you were lying when you swore you'd "never forget"?
To the 59 million that remembered, I say:
Well done my friends!
As usual, I loved your post. And, as usual, all I can say is a simple "thank you" for what you are doing. I'm so glad you guys know about the millions of Americans who appreciate you and honor what you're doing.
The elites don't get it, but us normal folks do!
Stay safe, friend that I've never met - you're in our thoughts and prayers.
I wonder ... were those Marines really instructed not to talk to reporters, or did they just blow the NYT reporter off when they found out what paper he's from, and the reporter wrote his "interpretation" of their response?
And another thing, if the NYT style book doesn't require "Marines" to be capitalized, then the paper as an institution is subtly, but purposely, insulting the Corps. What a bunch of bozos! (BTW, I'm not a Marine, but an "Army brat.")
Thanks for being over there- must be tough. I hope you come home safe and smiling, thinking "mission accomplished". Kudos, respect, and admiration, twice over.
Great post.
Thank you for doing what you do; thank you to your wife and children for supporting what you do.
May God bless and keep you and wrap his loving protection around you as you go about your day.
Amen.
Greyhawk, check out my site, I have some pictures of the BIAP tower that I took from almost the same perspective.
Actually, I never posted those. But, I do have other BIAP pics.
Stay safe and God Bless you and your family. We are so proud of our soldiers, the best in all the world! We've done our best to vote for a country you can be proud of, and to support you. Come home soon...
Stay safe and God Bless you and your family. We are so proud of our soldiers, the best in all the world! We've done our best to vote for a country you can be proud of, and to support you. There is no substitute for victory.
Come home soon with the honor you have earned!
thank you for your service. we owe you more than we can possibly pay.
thank you for your noble service. you inspire us, and we pray for you daily.
thank you for your noble service. you inspire us, and we pray for you daily.
A free, friendly Iraq in the center of the middle east is a bastion for the civilized world.
In the hands of terrorists it would be the end of the civilized world as we know it.
The Arabic and English alphabets are not isomorphic, which means you're allowed to spell Arabic words any phonetically-similar way you like.
Fahlewja is as correct as Fallujah.
Sadamn Insane ... kind of a stretch, if gratifying to say ...
You are the best thing about our nation. It pains me that we have to risk you in the coming battle. What you are about to achieve will echo through history.
With this election, the 59M did what we could do bury the reeking stench of the slanderers and spitters whose very faces dishonor our servicemen and women. Your victory in Fallujah will complete the act. Our prayers go with you.
ExRat -
I have the NYT style guide on my shelf (I'm an editor - occupational hazard), and here is what it says:
Capitalize "Marine(s)" as a synonym for the United States Marine Corps: "He enlisted in the Marines"; "a Marine landing." But: "three marines"; "a company of marines"; "the corps." If the world "soldier" or "soldiers" would fit logically in place of "marine" or "marines," lowercase the "m." If "Army" or "Air Force" can be substituted logically for "Marine" or "Marines," uppercase the "M."
So they use the uppercase "M" only in reference to the USMC itself, but not in reference to individual members of the USMC.
i.e. ... soldier : Army :: sailor : Navy :: marine : USMC
As you can tell, whoever came up with that rule did not have a clue about the mindset of Marines.
My Dad was one. So you can probably guess my view of this rule.
P.S. The Chicago Manual of Style is no better than the NYT ... lowercase "m" on individual "marines."
A pox upon them all.
VN-era vets are watching, and proud. Keep the parade going.
Great post. Thanks for sharing it with us. The irony was especially good.
I'm going to add this blog to my must-read-every-day list.
you guys stay safe over there and don't ever forget that there really are folks back home that fully support what you're doing.
Thank you for your service and for your perspective.
Thank you for all you are doing to defend our freedom and the future of Iraq. The New York Times doesn't seem to understand the troops, or the majority of America either. I think they should send one of their journalists to live and report from the heartland of America. If they did maybe they would understand what every day Americans really think. I think they are clueless.
My prayers and thoughts are with you all there.
Hey, this site is teriffic, give me the feel of being right there w/you troops. BTDT, tho I am not a combat vet, did my time for 31y8m23d.. now ret'd MSgt, last asgnmt Cmd Trk Cmdr (ancient M-113a)..Ft Hood . You troops have earned the undying respect, honor -- and everlasting prayers from so many millions. I am posting your link on a veteran site, an ASA site, Comintel after 1983, more than 1300 members, all vets, most responsible, few liberals.. gotta have some ya know,
armysecurityagencyvets-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Semper fi (This from an ole brown shoe army Sgt), just keep on keeping on !!!
I'm damned proud, and grateful, for all you and your brothers' in arms are doing for all us over here - please stay safe - and please get this nasty job done. You are all in our prayers. God speed.
Greyhawk;
Yeah, i needs one o' them innernet jobbies, too.
The election news is just about all I was able to get for about a week rrior, and I'm brobably no more than 10 clicks from where you are sitting now.
I read a lot about blogger parties back home. We ought to see if we can get one together here, should OPTEMPO allow.
This is a terrific site. I really like the posters and books you have listed in the ads. Your words are good and so very very important. I like your pictures too!
I'll have to go thank Dean's World. He sure has been behind our soldiers and so am I.
God Bless
Exrat & Othello--
AP Stylebook must have been edited by a Marine for it says:
"Capitalize Marine when referring to an individual in a Marine Corps unit: He is a Marine."
I would have liked the "pollsters" to conduct a poll of the men and women serving in the military. My guess is that President Bush would have had an overwhelming lead! I pray for all of you over there and I Thank You all, for your dedicating service and keeping me and my family safe!!!!!!
99% of us wish we were there with you. We don't have your skills, training, intelligence, dedication, so we can't do it. You can. For all of mankind. Thanks are not enough. If your family needs anything while Dad is doing the work for the world, let us know.
OL'Gringo
AP Stylebook must have been edited by a Marine for it says:
"Capitalize Marine when referring to an individual in a Marine Corps unit: He is a Marine."
The AP stylebook still comes up a little short. It should have ended that sentence with "and damn proud of it."