My sister spent time in Baghdad about 10 years ago, working as a civilian with Ambassdor Bremmer. The sights, sounds, smells and adventures were nothing like I had ever heard or seen, and getting emails from her was always a treat - something of a lesson, a chuckle, a hug or all three. Thanks for this sentiment on Memorial Day, Elissa. Truly Lovely. From my sister: Last night, I found the email I sent after leaving Baghdad (I had not saved a copy, but, it turns out, my grandmother had). One excerpt seemed appropriate to Memorial Day--I am not posting this to make anyone feel guilty about having fun this weekend--all the troops I met would want you to enjoy yourself and have a beer, although I am sure they would appreciate if you raised a glass in their honor. Heres the excerpt: Before we got on the plane to Kuwait, we were told there would be two caskets on the plane with us. So you understand, it is considered an honor to travel with a casket--you get to ensure that the soldier does not travel home alone. It was explained that a member of the soldiers unit accompanies the casket the entire way. When we got on the plane, I was a little surprised to discover they sit right in the middle of the plane, right at your knees. They will not tell you anything about the soldier--not his name, not his unit, not how he died, or where he is from--nothing. This was an amazing, and in a strange way, appropriate end to my time in Iraq--they were kind of like the unknown soldier to me. They could have been from California, or Oklahoma or Hawaii--they could have been 18 or 30--they could have been from the 82nd Airborne (who I sat with for Thanksgiving dinner) or the 1 Armored Division (who patrols Baghdad)--they could have been one of the guys who adopted Dude, the puppy, or one of the boys from the concert we went to with Col. B. (the man who worked with the Down Syndrome School, who we got the President to mention in his speech). I spent much of the plane flight thinking about all our soldiers. When we arrived in Kuwait, the caskets exit the plane first and there is a small ceremony--I got in one, last, good cry.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 01:47:20 +0000
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