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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! January 28, 2005 TwoBy Mrs GreyhawkI?m Greyhawk?s daughter, and I will be celebrating my birthday today without my dad. I remember when I was reading my dad?s On Leaving post. I had just gotten done fighting back the tears after we dropped my dad off. Then mum told us that dad left us a goodbye message. Once again I could feel the tears swell up in my eyes. That?s was me he was holding in his arms; which just makes it even cooler to hear this band singing a song based on that night. I had these small worries in the back of my mind that I didn?t want to grow and haunt me. So I thought as positive as possible, and tried not to think about the dangers. I would think instead of how happy I?d be when he came home. Sometimes it?s hard when you hear news like I did yesterday about a helicopter crashing that killed 31 men. A sudden fear struck me that my dad could have been on that helicopter. I feel proud to say that my dad is in Iraq serving our country and helping Iraq become a free nation. In two days this election will finally happen. But why must they still fear this freedom? I think it?s wonderful that these people are finally getting the rights they deserve. I also learned in my history class that it took 150 years before women could vote in America. This opportunity is available to the women of Iraq today, that puts them one step ahead of America's first elections already. Who knows if this election will be a perfect election? What?s stopping a terrorist from shooting one of the candidates or voters? But, we must not give up. I shall end my post with this simple summary. It?s gonna be dangerous and people will be risking their lives, but freedom isn?t free. Littlest Notgreyatallhawk Posted by Mrs Greyhawk / January 28, 2005 12:19 PM | Permalink 2 TrackBacks...She gets it. Read the whole thing -- she's celebrating her birthday while her dad serves in a dangerous place. Read More First Afghanistan voted. Now Iraq votes. Exile Mehsin Imgoter breaks down as he casts his absentee vote. Does voting mean this much to you? Michael Moore had to promise free underpants to folks just to get them to come to... Read More 41 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 |
What a great message! You must be very proud of your Dad, as am I. I pray for success in his and our country's mission to help secure freedom for the Iraqi people. I wish more adults were as smart as you and could see the enormous strides that have been made in a part of the world that has lived in tyranny for so long. We are truly living an astounding moment in history, thanks to your Dad and the men and women of the Armed Services. I wish you well.
I was so impressed reading the rest of your message that I almost forgot!
Happy Birthday little Hawk!
Dear Little Hawk:
Happy Birthday! I hope that you have many more that are all safe and pleasant.
Happy birthday youngest Hawk. I am so proud of you. Maybe you should start your own blog site. ??Have a great day.
Way to go Little Hawk. I am sure your Dad is proud. Terrific insight for someone so young.
Happy Birthday ChickenHawk! Your father is an amazing man; you should be proud!
Happy Birthday.
Wow - it must be in the genes! All that wisdom, creativity, thoughtfulness and courage. What a family!
Littlest Notgreyatallhawk, your dad is a bona-fide hero, your mom is awesome and *you* have one heck of a head on your shoulders. Excellent post, and happy birthday!
Greyarents...y'all are doing a great job. Can you bottle it and sell it to other parents? ;)
Hapy Birthday Little Hawk. Excellent post. Your understanding of the situation is very good. I hope and pray that your dad will be by your side to celebrate your next and all future birthdays.
Happy Birthday LittleHawk!
I grew up as an Army Brat, much like yourself. You've got a great head on your shoulders. Your Dad is an honorable man and it shows in his daughter. I'm proud of you both.
By the way, your post is incredibly well written. Great work.
Cordeiro
Well said and God Bless you young lady. We are praying for your Dad and all is comrades in arms fighting freedoms fight. May today's election in Iraq be freedoms first light in a dark corner of the world.
Happy Birthday, LittleHawk! Thank you for all the sacrifices you and your family have made to allow your Dad to serve so proudly. I am so glad to read of your pride - because he deserves your pride completely!
You make great points on the upcoming election in Iraq, and on what a wonderful achievement it is. Our troops there have done a fine job, and it frustrates me as well that the MSM folks Miss.The.Point so completely with their nay-saying.
Well-written piece - I hope we'll get to hear from you again now and then :-)
Happy Birthday, and thanks for sharing your dad. He's doing an important job, and so are you in supporting him!
Great site. Keep it up
Happy Birthday, Littlest Hawk! As so many have said, you have a very good head on your shoulders.
Thank you so much for sharing your father with our country and with the Iraqis, and for sharing your excellent thoughts. Your whole family are heroes to the rest of us.
OK you three notgreyatallhawks, you are never again to post anything on this website, NEVER, do you hear me? Because every time that you do, your poor old auntie cries her eyes out! I am so proud of all of you. And just to let all of the readers here know that their impressions are correct, I can verify that Littlest Notgreyatallhawk and all of the greyhawklings are sweet, caring, intelligent, gorgeous, loveable, terrific kids (and I am completely unbiased, as you can tell). Hope you are having a great birthday, sweetiepie! And remember, NO MORE POSTING or its timeout for you! Love and hugs (& miss you terribly), Auntie K.
You have learned your first lessons in history in your own home at your father's knee and by your mom posting. You have learned the first rules of being a patriot.
Happy Birthday. May your birthday wish come true.
Happy birthday, young non-grey hawk lady! :)
Keep reading history.
Oh, and feel free to post again. It might make your auntie cry, but I'm a big meanie. ;-)
Happy Birthday! (a little late I think) Looks like you are following right in your father's footsteps and are quite a writer. Keep on learning, keep on reading, keep on thinking - we always need thoughtful intelligent people like you - makes the world a better place! *grin* In the meantime - it sounds like you're hanging in there and doing well. I hope it was a terrific day!
Happy Birthday Littlesthawk! I couldn't be more impressed at what a thoughtful and articulate person you are. Your post is proof that wisdom is not always a product of age, and yours certainly surpasses many who are closer to mine. Your parents have every reason to be as proud of you as they are, as you have to be of them.
My very best wishes to the entire Hawk family!
-Pooke
Sorry I missed your birthday, Little Hawk. I am sure your Dad is as well. Just as I want to thank your Dad for his service in protecting me and mine, I want to thank you and your family for your service as well. All your Dad has to do is read your words and all the good he is doing for all of us is clear. Stay proud and free, like all hawks should be.
Wow you're Mom and Dad must be awfully proud to have such a smart and passionate kid. Kudos to you on a well thought-out message. Iraq is free and way ahead of where we were 200 years ago. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your Dad with us.
Dear Littlest Notgreyatallhawk,
Happy Birthday! I have a big favor to ask you. Would you move to Massachusetts and run for Senator? I know you'd do a much better job than either of the men who are their current Senators.
Remember to get permission from your mom and dad before you go. Good luck!
Kenneth Greenlee
Happy Birthday! I am sorry that you have to spend it without your father. I missed my kids' Birthdays last year, and likely again this year due to deployment, I know he'd rather be with you if he could.
Happy Birthday! You are a wise little one and sounds like you have learned well. You are fortunate to have a great family and a father that I admire and respect though we've never met. Your father has given you a great gift; patriotism, wisdom and understanding. Please know that strangers share your concerns for your Dad, and care for your family. May good things happen to you and your family. You are good people.
Gag me with a spoon. Please spare us this uninformed crud.
Whoever wrote this needs some serious study of the situation. This faux-tear-jerking bilge is what's blinding so many people to the reality of the situation.
Heads in the sand...pathetic.
Happy Birthday!
You go girl!
When you see Gods gift of a beautiful day and say its such, dont pay any attention to those that say, Look! The ground is dirty...
Were all proud of your dad, and his little girl.
Now, that dirty ground sure grows some pretty flowers, doesnt it?
Little Hawk,
There is very little I can add to all of the above comments. It's obvious you have a brain and you use it.
I'm sorry your dad is not there for your birthday, I know it saddens him too, as he's mentioned it recently.
I can understand how much you miss your dad, because you see, I am raising my granddaughter who is 9 and she misses her mom terribly. Her mom is not doing anything as honorable as your dad, but the pain and the hole in her heart is the same that I bet you feel right now.
Know your dad loves you and will be home again soon. There will come a time, rather soon I suspect, where you will be able to share many, many birthdays together.
Your father is a hero and many, many, many Americans are proud of your dad; indebted to your dad. Because of your dad and men like your dad, I can sleep in peace at night. Because he is protecting me and my granddaughter. He's keeping the bad guys away from our country and standing guard at the door. A greater hero than your dad and his fellow soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen do not exist.
God Bless you Little Hawk. May God Keep you in His arms and provide you comfort. Thank you for your sacrifice. I know you will be richly rewarded.
Mr & Mrs. Greyhawk - I'm sure you both will hear "Well done thou good and faithful servants".
Warmest,
Cheryl
Happy Birthday, Little Hawk!
It's wonderful to see the greatness of America passed down from a patriot like your father to a young person like you. There are no finer people in this country than Greyhawk and his brothers in arms. May god bless America and your family.
Did you even know what the real point of this post was Mr. BIG MOUTH Jawz? It was my birthday yesterday, and I was telling MY opinion on the situation as I know it.
Gag me with a spoon?! What are you 10? because I'm 14. Tear jerking bilge??? This is my dad's blog and I can post whatever I want, so maybe you can relate to this. Na na na boo boo.
What part of MY reality could you not grasp? I'm living this reality. How is it that you have a better insight on the situation over me? I bet you're sitting comfortably somewhere with no other worries but how to be mean to a kid.(on her birthday)
Uniformed crud?! If you don't like this blog then you dont have to read it and then you can spare us all from your pacifism and stupidity. :P
p.s. Sorry Auntie K. had to post one last time.
Happy Birthday, Little Hawk. I admire you for the understanding you display about your dad's absence.
And a big Well Done on your reply to the idiot Jawz. Bested by a 14 year old girl! I love it!
Retread and Little Hawk,
Ignorance may be bliss but it gets people killed. Read this article by someone who has been going to Iraq and been involved in our foreign policy with Iraq for decades: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17103
That is just a start. Bested by "Na na boo boo"? Pathetic.
And yeah - it's a blog so I'll post whatever I want as well, and you don't have to read it.
jawz, you are such an ignorant fool.This has little to do with "policy", and a lot to do about a young girl who misses her dad. A smart young girl who is also a patriot. BTW, have you served in the military?
Jawz,
No more Mudville for you!
You can't post anything you want here anymore:p
Little Hawk, Happy birthday and I ditto all that Auntie K said. I am saddened by the remaks of Jawz and I know how hurtful they were to you. Your reply was wonderful and know that as my dad has always said "It takes all kinds of people to make the world go round". Consider the source. Please know that there are many people who love you and your family and I know you miss your dad, I do too. He is a strong man. Know that you are all in my prayers. He will be home with you soon, for that you are very fortunate, remember that and cherish the time you have with him. Sorry I'm a little sad remebering how proud your uncle would be and was of his little bro. I love you. Auntie J
Well done Little Hawk
You will know the saying "The pen is mightier than the sword". It is a bit trite, there are times when there is no alternative to military action. But the words your father writes go all round the world, and so have the words you wrote on your birthday. Many people visit this blog after being referred here by other blog-writers who have seen your Dad's stuff.
Always remember that America is not on its own in all this.
Here is a good book for you to tackle - a fascinating life story of a great man who stood up for freedom when times were dire. It may look long and heavy - but I am sure you could tackle it.
"Churchill" by Roy Jenkins
Oh - and his mother was American !
Best wishes to you, your Dad and all your family, from an Aussie in London.
Hope you received your package. I love you very much. You did a great job of writing. I agree with your auntie, too many tissues needed. I know it has been very hard on all of you little hawks. I saw the pictures of the father daughter dinner. That makes one realize how much you are giving up. Hang in there. You dad is tough and he WILL be home soon.
OK Darlin'
You get a break from timeout this time, especially since your response to Jawz made me cheer instead of cry. And Jawz, you leave my sweet little niece alone, or its worse than timeout for you (and if you think that's bad, just wait until Grannylu gets ahold of you)!
Thanks everybody for your kind words.
Youngest Hawk, you have more "comments" on your site than Daddy Hawk has had and I'll bet he has a smile from ear to ear. I know I have , and so has my "hubby". XXOO
Excellent post Little Hawk ....where were folks like you and your family when I was serving in the USAF??
Mr and Mrs GreyHawk be very proud of your offspring .. the world needs more simple truths from the mouths of babes ....
Jawz ... please remember freedom of speech does not mean freedom to be MEAN, RUDE, CRUDE or otherwise SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE .... even when we disagree we should at least try to remain civil.