Happy Thanksgiving from Al Asad!! Another busy day here in Iraq. It was pretty much business as usual for the men and women in uniform here. There were no 96 hour liberties, or even a single day off. There was, however, an USO show at 1pm today that some of the troops were allowed to attend. You know the guy that plays Fez on That 70;s Show? He was there as well as some model named Myra.
Something I was VERY surprised about was the Thanksgiving Day spread at the dining facility. It was magnificent! Be sure and check out the photos of the sculptures, cakes, and more. There were over 15,000 meals served today and the food was delicious. It may not have been as good as mom's, but they served roasted and baked turkey, all the trimmings, plus prime rib and Cornish hen. There were all kinds of
pies and desserts and a ton of bread. The troops seemed pleased.
Today I toured the air wing of the base where the helicopter squadrons are. I once again ran into many men and women who received their training in Pensacola. I actually met two gentlemen who graduated from our area. One was from Pace and the other was from Tate. They were excited to share their Pensacola memories with me.
Col. Caveman Holzworth made it out to check on me and spend a little time with me. Seeing him talk with his Marines is so awesome. You can almost see the inspiration on there faces. He captures them and they respect him. He is such an asset here in Iraq.
Many of the guys and gals had a little free time today to play some sports, cards, hackey sack, and football. Speaking of football, as usual that was the Thanksgiving talk at most of the dining tables. Ahhhh….just like at home.
Tomorrow I continue my journey with a stop in Kuwait for a few days. My mission? To track down and talk to our deployed sailors serving at a Navy Hospital there. I also will be speaking with members of Battalion 11 whose stories we have been following for months.
As my Thanksgiving Day comes to an end, I want to ask something of all of you. I want you to give your family the biggest hug EVER! Tell them how much you love them and how much you appreciate them. It is hard to be away from my family today, but it makes me realize that perhaps I take them for granted all too often. Please say a prayer for our troops serving over here in Iraq and all over the world. I know now
how much they are sacrificing to do the job they are doing so well.
Thank you and God Bless.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Dana
