Just a former US soldier who served 2 combat tours in Iraq as well as an additional tour as a Federal Civilian. These are my thoughts on life, family, the Army, and other insights. ****DISCLAIMER**** ALL opinions expressed on this blog are those of myself in my private capacity and not as a representative of the DoD, DA, or any particular element of the Government. By viewing this site you accept and agree to this disclaimer in the use of any information accessed in this website.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Just Keep Walking
Was walking outside Another suicide bomb I just kept walking
It is hard not to get complacent with all the death dealing going on here in Tikrit Iraq.
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I love your haikus, your little meditations on violence and death. I could see them introducing chapters, stories, when you make these blogs into a book-length memoir. Sometimes poetry is the only way to say things, I think.
it's ok, zack. last night i was sitting up watching TV, here in venice beach in LA, and near midnight, i heard a burst of automatic gunfire on the block behind my house. then an answering burst. i picked up the phone and called 911 in a 'eyeroll, tireed' kind of way and reported it in a matter of fact voice, telling the dispatcher to just get a car over here and the airsupport helicopter with the nightsun floodlight, and that, no, giving my name, number etc wouldn't help them any further. i hung up and a few minutes later heard an explosion that wasn't gunfire or fireworks. then another burst of gunfire and another answering volley. i picked up the phone a second time and phoned this in, as well, in the same unremarkable tone, emphasizing the fact of the intervening explosion between the two volleys. heard the sirens coming before i got off the second call and wondered where the damn air support was? and went back to watching tv. didn't run to look out windows, get excited, nothin. just another night in LA, wonder if i got any new email during that last show? so it's not just you. think of it as 'their terror tactics aren't working' . ---------------------- janet in venice
I don't know, Janice. I lived in New Orleans until a couple of months ago and we used to hear gunshots every night (and the cops didn't come for hours, if at all), and I don't think it was ANYTHING like what Zach is facing. Seeing your friends and associates killed, seeing people blow themselves up in front of you...I'd say that's violence on a completely different scale.
Of course, it doesn't excuse the violence in America and doesn't make it any easier to live in a violent neighborhood. We were complacent too. Sometimes, though, we were jolted back to reality, like the time the gunfight was literally next door, or when our close friend was held up at gun point in his drive way, or when a friend of a friend was murdered in his house. But that's another story...
Warm wishes to you and your family, Zach. I hope you all are hanging in there. Take care --
4 comments:
I love your haikus, your little meditations on violence and death. I could see them introducing chapters, stories, when you make these blogs into a book-length memoir. Sometimes poetry is the only way to say things, I think.
Take care --
it's ok, zack. last night i was sitting up watching TV, here in venice beach in LA, and near midnight, i heard a burst of automatic gunfire on the block behind my house. then an answering burst. i picked up the phone and called 911 in a 'eyeroll, tireed' kind of way and reported it in a matter of fact voice, telling the dispatcher to just get a car over here and the airsupport helicopter with the nightsun floodlight, and that, no, giving my name, number etc wouldn't help them any further. i hung up and a few minutes later heard an explosion that wasn't gunfire or fireworks. then another burst of gunfire and another answering volley. i picked up the phone a second time and phoned this in, as well, in the same unremarkable tone, emphasizing the fact of the intervening explosion between the two volleys. heard the sirens coming before i got off the second call and wondered where the damn air support was? and went back to watching tv. didn't run to look out windows, get excited, nothin. just another night in LA, wonder if i got any new email during that last show?
so it's not just you.
think of it as 'their terror tactics aren't working' .
---------------------- janet in venice
I don't know, Janice. I lived in New Orleans until a couple of months ago and we used to hear gunshots every night (and the cops didn't come for hours, if at all), and I don't think it was ANYTHING like what Zach is facing. Seeing your friends and associates killed, seeing people blow themselves up in front of you...I'd say that's violence on a completely different scale.
Of course, it doesn't excuse the violence in America and doesn't make it any easier to live in a violent neighborhood. We were complacent too. Sometimes, though, we were jolted back to reality, like the time the gunfight was literally next door, or when our close friend was held up at gun point in his drive way, or when a friend of a friend was murdered in his house. But that's another story...
Warm wishes to you and your family, Zach. I hope you all are hanging in there. Take care --
I forgot to mention...
Janet, warm wishes of safer nights for you too. Take care.
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