I have chosen not to update my blog over the last several weeks due to my son's deployment. The unit has deployed to Afghanistan and most of the soldiers are in their duty stations.
I heard from my Soldier when he was in about 4 hours out of Kabul preparing to enter Afghanistan via military transport. They were tired since the flight was very long and crossed several time zones.
Recently, I heard from him again - by phone and email. He is "somewhere in the mountains" of Afghanistan in a remote operating base. The Soldiers have assumed the care of three dogs who were adopted by the Soldiers that just left Afghanistan to come home. The dogs accompany the Soldiers on patrol and assist in guard duty patroling the wire at night. He describes the area as ruggedly beautiful and the people as poor and very uneducated.
On the first patrol, many of the Soldiers contracted a mild food poisoning and plan to schlep a refridgerator to improve sanitary conditions at their remote outpost. During the winter months that was not necessary because perishables could be kept in an underground locker but with the weather warming, that appears to be a bad idea. When they are not patrolling, they are working to improve their temporary outpost.
As he does his job in Afghanistan, I am pleased to say that the peace work at home has not stopped. Chicago held a large peace demonstration last week. It was significant because the march was held on the Mag Mile where activists were arrested last year because the City of Chicago had forbidden access. We were well guarded by hundreds of police in riot gear in what can only be described as a show of intimidating force. There were no arrests according to the Chicago Police. Prior to the Chicago March, a weeklong vigil dubbed Camp Bring Em home was staged by a new Chicago peace Coalition called the Anti-War Majority at the office of Dennis Hastert. Following the march for the next week Camp Bring Em Home was moved to the offices of Rahm Emanual. One of the anchor groups of the Anti-War Majority, the Christian Peacemaker Teams, received the news that three of their members held hostage in Iraq were rescued...and on their way home to their families. The fourth, Tom Fox an American citizen, had been found dead in Baghdad a few weeks ago.
I will post pictures of the activities in Chicago as I have time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
My heart and my soul goes out for you army mom and for your son and all of our soldiers. I too pray for global paece to come someday and that we, as one earth, we who all bleed red, will someday come together, as peacefull beings, for the sake of our children and the children to come. God bless you and know that you and your son will be in my prayers. For many years of my life I have prayed for peace on earth, goodwill towards all, and as long as I walk the earth I will continue to speak out, as you, and never give up the hope for peace, love and a end to hunger, isolation, desperation and the respect of our enviorment. I will think of you and your son each and every day and will keep you in my prayers. I am not afraid to say I care army mother and I am too like you. We are all earthlings, we all bleed red, and it is who we are inside, our soul, that really matters. It is my hope that someday this world will realize what you have written. Once again army mother, I care, and may your son, and all the mother's sons come back home. Earthmother55
Post a Comment