Thanksgiving AAR

By Lt Col P

Hope everyone had a zesty Thanksgiving, at home or far way. Here are a few thoughts on the Giving of Thanks, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

On a serious note, I can't say that I've ever been more grateful for what I have, and for what I've been given. The day after Thanksgiving, I went out on the force protection det to man the cordon around a refugee camp where volunteers from Eggers pass out blankets and clothes and little things for the kids. Lots of folks have it rough at home, I know, but we live like kings compared to these poor folks. We did what we could for them (and we made damn sure that the fuckos didn't interfere), but they need so much more. Our economy will recover (if it's allowed to by the professional tinkerers); theirs has a ways to go. If you can, dig deep and give a little, because a little goes a long way here.

I also spent some time re-reading some of the Thanksgiving entries from Cooper's Commentaries. The man knew whereof he spoke. Take this one, from Thanksgiving 2001:

Now involved in what may turn out to be a very long, holy war, we should all be very thankful that we were born on the right side of this conflict. We had nothing to do with this individually, but that does not prevent our being truly thankful for the circumstances. We did not choose this war, but we must now proceed to fight it with determination and will - and naturally to ultimate victory. That may take longer than we prefer to think, but we have no choice now. As President Bush put it, the alternative to victory is a world killing-zone in which every population center is a target for mass murder. This is a daunting prospect - the most daunting that this nation has ever faced, and probably the most daunting that Christendom has faced since its inception.

All hands, man your battle stations!

Never a dull moment in that man's life. Nor, I daresay, a wasted one.

Now for the ridiculous. MSNBC broadcast a report from Camp Eggers, in which could be seen yours truly.

Here's the link.

Here's the still, with me on the left (of the screen, that is):

(Yes, I drew an EGA on the food server hat!)

November 29, 2009 03:48 AM Afghanistan

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Comments

Somehow this still doesn't mesh well with my recollections of you in Crozet Hall.

White Devil · November 30, 2009 03:52 AM

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 11/30/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

David M · November 30, 2009 08:57 AM

Col. P. - a belated but heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving. Indeed, though there are many dark clouds on the Great Republic's horizon, we still have much to be thankful for. Regarding Cooper's Commentaries, the late, great Uncle Jeff understood threats (national or personal) and the mindset required to conquer them better than any writer whose prose I've digested. Your excerpt makes that quite clear.

USMC_Back_In_The_Day · November 30, 2009 02:44 PM

White Devil:

Whatever do you mean?? Do tell! :-)

jpp 89

LtCol P · November 30, 2009 10:13 PM

Superb Content, Top Notch, and User Friendly are the best way to describe this post, reading this motivates me.

gunz hacks · February 7, 2010 01:32 PM