Oct. 02, 2010

Hello to All,

I guess I should really get back to this. I am out of Iraq but still in a Desert site away from home. My Grand Daughter Hailey has taken her first steps so can dance be far off? From the video we see she seems to like to get from “A” to “B” and back again. Let see two men “A” and “B”, name that movie.

Looking at what a number of my High School persons are saying (posting) is really interesting. My time just out of High School was the start of the end (but we didn’t know it) of Viet Nam. My path was different as I joined the Coast Guard with a number of the guys in my class getting drafted and the girls seemed to just move on. It took its toll on a number of them and later in life most of my fellow workers served and we all seem to have a common bond but we may not have known it at that time. Years later I find myself working with people who I can be their Grandfather not as the old dude but as equals. Somehow when they find out my age (62) a look of “No Shit” fills their faces. One 19 year old looked at me and said my Dad couldn’t keep up with you and he is 40. Today those who never seemed to think much about anything are now on the bandwagon about how our Country is being run. So focused on what is going on they never look at what has happened, how did we get here? Many are willing to “repost” stories as it was their own life. I have no major problem with this but it is all you hear from them. I would like to know how they feel not a cut and paste from someone whom I will never meet. SORRY but get a real life.

Each day I get to work with people who signed up to put their Life on the line for all of us and that is worth more than anything money can buy. At the end of the day when ALL of our people return unharmed and the aircraft we had as their shadows land it does not get much better except to see a photograph of them back home in the arms of those who Love and Missed them.

Thank you to all who serve in whatever roll, we all need each other and I for one will never forget. War is the result of Politicians failing to do the job they were elected to do.

I owe my Freedom to those who were, and are willing to serve and in nameless places were willing to commit unspeakable acts to protect and keep it alive.

Dane Walker

Travels

I have been following a young girl, Abby Sunderland, as she sails around the world. It got me thinking about travel. What was the first trip you remember taking? Mine was when my parents moved from Grosse Pointe Mich. to California in 1951 (I think). We stopped in Yellowstone and I remember eating pancakes. Over the years many other trips were taken and each time I seem to remember more. Some time later in life the roll changed and I became the one doing the driving. Peggy and I have a motorhome, Da Moose, and with the kids, Tiana and Justin we spent some wonderful summer trips. Looking back I now see the difference between my first trip and the "Moose" trips. As my Father drove we looked out the window and saw the country going by, a radio (AM) was about all we had other than each other and a deck of cards. Today it is so different. Everyone has their own music player and DVD player. Cell phones and texting to keep up with our Friends so we are never away. At one time you would stop for a cold drink and the Big Orange on the road side now it is all carried in your car and one of the most important things you need are batteries or a charger cable. I look at Abbys trip and feel how would a 16 year old of 40 years ago have made this trip, it would have been different. I live with the latest "High-Tec" items and at the same time I still like looking out the window. She is doing something few would try and unlike Shackelton we know how she is doing and travel with her. Sail On Abby and from time to time shut down some of the Comms system and just enjoy the view.

from the Deserts of Iraq
around 34°40' 20"N x 043°33' 00"E

Why ?

I think if it were easy everyone would do it. Writing is not high-up on my list of things to do and if I don't do it i'll never get better. Thank for looking in and seeing what I come up with, time shall tell.

As "Ted Baxter" might of said, It all started at a netbook keyboard in Tikrit Iraq...