Just to let you know...

I will be gone a while conducting a large operation, the first since Operation Matador. I'm looking forward to it, but at the same time, we are going to a dangerous city. Anyways, I just wanted you all to know that I won't be blogging anytime soon, but will return with a story to blog about.

2nd Half

With half the combat tour over with, I am looking forward to finishing the second half strong and getting home. With that in mind, things have been a little bit slower around here than what we’re used to. For the past couple weeks, we have spent most of the time here at the dam running short missions nearby. This has allowed me to get a good amount of rest. Meanwhile, my platoon is staying here at the dam while the rest of the company is conducting a long op out West. So that leaves us doing these short missions around the dam, which can last from a few hours to 24 hours. The best part is, there currently is a shamal, a sand storm, running around here for the last few days. With that going on, helo flights are grounded so that means our missions are also cancelled, most of them anyways. With that being said, there hasn’t been too much going on so that’s why I haven’t posted anything lately.

I have been in contact with a buddy of mine, who was injured in Ubaydi during Operation Matador. His name is Lance Corporal Scott Bunker. He is doing alright healing and being honored by the city of Kettering by calling June 14th Scott Bunker day. I think that is fantastic to hear people back home are treating him like a hero that he is.

Here is one interesting picture that I took while conducting one of our many patrols out into the open desert, surrounding the dam. This missile is like 8 or 9 feet long! Don’t worry, it appears to have been there for a long time and it is hollow on the inside.

Pirates?

Some good news to report, a former Marine of 1st platoon, recently took a trip to drop off some ‘cargo’ at Abu Ghraib prison. While there, he came across a copy of Star Wars III on DVD. Some of you might be saying, “How’s that possible? It just came out in theaters!” Well, my answer to that question might go something like this, “Arrrrr! We be pirates!” Just kidding; there actually are a lot of bootleg DVDs available for sale through the local populace. So, we are just trying to do our part in stimulating the economy.

I must say, it was a very good quality pirated copy of Star Wars III. Since it was a former Marine of 1st platoon, who acquired the movie, he showed it to us first. It just made everyone’s day a whole lot better. A pretty good movie overall with some splendid fight scenes. I would recommend it to anyone.

In other news, I know that it’s been awhile since I have had time to write back to everyone who’s been writing me. So, I took a few hours of time I had to write a bunch of letters to you guys back home. Plan on getting one from me in about a week. Sorry for the delay, but I have been a little bit busy. Just know that when I read a letter from home, it brings me back there for those few minutes of reading and I thank you all for that. Plus, it gives me less of a ‘culture shock’ when I do return home and have been able to keep up to date on happenings back home.


To everyone who reads this blog or checks out my flickr pictures, I would like to say thank you for your support. The continued words of encouragement left as comments, means a great deal to me. I never imagined that I would have complete strangers from around the country and even around the world like Australia. I even had a few German’s, though I don’t hold that against them. I never told anyone about my flickr photos except my friends. Now, I have over 30,000 views of my photos and receive many compliments for my work. I’ve been able to allow friends and family members of Marines in Lima Co., 3/25 the opportunity to see their loved ones and allow the world to see this war through my eyes as a Marine Corps rifleman. This is just totally amazing to me. The best part for me, is just reading all the comments I get; even the bad ones on occasion.

To anyone who reads this:
Thank you once again. You have no idea how much you have touched my life. Hopefully, in some small way, I have touched yours.