A Most Moving Post

Just about anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that I love the soldiers and I avidly read the military blogs and the blogs of their families. One of my favorites is One Marine's View. Capt. B. is a wonderful writer who can put you right in the thick of things with his descriptions. This particular post touched me so much that I had to share it.

While in this country of Iraq, I have seen a lot of great things transpire, people stand up and a country become proud and strong. I could tell you how your Marines brave small arms attacks; tracers in the cold night, IEDs exploding just feet from them, sometimes underneath them, nightly Islamic prayers played on loud speakers during sundown and intermingled with a low base IED explosions off in the distance. The smell of trash and tires burning continuously throughout the day. I could explain how during a cold brisk morning we went out and about through the city escorting a few more “passengers”. Life is good, things are just freaking chipper. The schedule is on track and we pause and stop to observe some new Marine Corps equipment and as we begin to get briefed from the Soldiers who run the gear, two enemy sniper rounds fired from at least a mile away hit in close proximity. The Marines know what they heard and move to protect our passengers when a 60mm round hits about 30 yrds in front of us. We had a good berm to cover us and we continued to move into our hummers to evacuate the area before they can bracket us and lock onto our position and do some real damage.

But what I will tell you about is the smell inside an envelope from home. Where you can actually smell some of the things that where there when the letter was written. You can close your eyes and recognize the smell of the familiar little one who wrote you the letter. You can pick up on familiar surrounding’s like the pledge cleaner that was used on the table where the letter was written on or remember where the flowers are in your home that are neatly placed and accompany your letter. The smell of the room where the letter was written in cuts through the familiar burning tire trash smell you’re currently surrounded in. It’s a nice treat to get mail regardless who it is from. You get the letter here in a country that doesn’t even have a mail system. It might have been a week old which is better than past wars where it could have been months before you received a piece of mail, it’s a special piece of home...

This is only part of the post, so please go to his blog and read the rest. This is only part of the reason why I "adopted" several soldiers and I try to write to them as often as I am able.

A few months back I had read a post by Holly Aho A Soldiers' Angel. It was about actually supporting the troops by more than just saying "I support the troops." So, I adopted a soldier and then another and then another. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I haven't heard from any of them, but that's okay, they are hearing from me!

Along the same lines as my previous post regarding Valentine's for the troops, Soldiers' Angels is doing a similar program and you can find the details here at Operation Love Our Troops. Help put a smile on the face of a soldier and at the same time you will help get this Valentine into the Guinness Book of World Records!