A Line In The Sand

2004 - Music To Be Deployed To

So the year is ending, and with it lists abound of what was the “Years Best” of nearly everything.  My blog has always been atypical of other soldier blogs in the sense that I have typically involved a lot of my personal stories and shared a great deal of myself from time to time.  I figured why not share a list of my favorite albums this year, and provide the basis for the soundtrack that has accompanied me during this deployment.  Of course there's much more than this that played in mp3 player, but I wanted to limit the scope to albums released this year.  I've been working on this post for a while and have listed some descriptions of the albums either in my own words or the descriptions listed on Amazon.  The amazon link has been provided if you're interested in reading reviews and buying it for yourself or someone else.

AC Newman “Slow Wonder”: Newman is a classic, if eccentric, songwriter, part of a lineage that includes Ray Davies, Harry Nilsson, Colin Blunstone, Dave Edmunds, Andy Partridge, Ben Folds, and Britt Daniel. The results are predictably stunning--a smart singer-songwriter pop record with a beautifully open and uplifting feel combined with lyrics that subvert and twist the sunny vibe. "The Slow Wonder" runs the gamut from ballads to frisky guitar numbers to Graham Parkeresque late '70s production quirks. -Amazon Album Notes

Ambulance LTD “Ambulance LTD”: This album is like watching a bunch of kids going crazy trying on fancy clothes at the department store, as they gleefully mix and match the Lilys, the Kinks, Versus, the Stones, and Apples in Stereo. This is not meant as disparagement; there's a real joy in watching a band come into its own. It's a safe bet Ambulance Ltd. will already be there by the time you read this. - Amazon Album Notes

Arcade Fire “Funeral”: "Wake Up," a track from the debut full-length by Montreal's Arcade Fire, builds from a midtempo strum into a "You Can't Hurry Love" gallop, which singer Win Butler interrupts with a yell: "You better look out below!" Somehow, none of this hits the ear as overemotional. Throughout Funeral, the band augments its five-piece lineup with string sections, weaving a near-cinematic, folk-influenced chamber pop that slots in somewhere between Belle and Sebastian’s delicacy and the robust classicism of ’80s New Zealand bands such as the Chills and the Verlaines. The album drips with enough romanticism to rival Jeff Buckley's Grace, from the dreamscape of "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" ("Meet me in the middle of the town...forget all we used to know") to the epic realism of "In the Backseat." One of the indie rock community’s most beloved finds of 2004, Arcade Fire are poised to win over even more listeners. --Rickey Wright

Blue Eyed Son “West of Lincoln”: Named as an homage to Bob Dylan, this album encapsulates the "feel good pop" aspects that can be found in certain elements of indie rock.  This album has been described as the perfect summer mix of great pop tunes but it has more than that thanks to its thoughtful alternative country/singer songwriter influences.  I've described this album to friends as a marriage between the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel with collaborative efforts by the Blue Eyed Son himself.  Fans of Elliott Smith's "Figure 8" should purchase this cd without delay.

Broken Social Scene “Feel Good Lost”: This is an emotional album, pure and simple. Each piece evokes a feeling or mood inside of you - sometimes you just have to wait until the right moment. This album is the soundtrack to your own self-made Volkswagon commercial - driving a road at night with the sunroof down; these are the songs that are in the background. Take the fuzzed-out atmosphere guitar of "Passport Radio" as a good guiding light for the eve. The drums decide to want to dance around a little bit on "Alive in 85", but something like the near-tribal "Stomach Song" comes into play, and your mindset is changed yet again. The band finds melodies in simple-yet-beautiful guitar lines, like a downtempo Explosions in the Sky. Throughout the album, a particular string sample does occasionally find its way into the songs, as if to act as a unifying theme - it never fully materializes, but provides a glimmer of familiarity in the sometimes vast-instrumental landscape that lies before you. - Amazon Reviewer

Dios “Dios”: A number of reviewers have made comparisons to Radiohead, Wilco and Grandaddy, but the only influences that I see manifested readily in Dios are those of the great, sunny Beach Boys (the flourishing refrain of You Still Believe In Me from Pet Sounds is incorporated into Fifty Cents) a dash of Elliot Smith (the beginning of Just Another Girl sounds like a bonus track from Either/Or) and Neil Young (they play a faithful, endearing cover of Birds and deftly utilize Old Man era licks on You Got Me All Wrong). Aside from the hefty, though not overbearing derivation from the aforementioned musicians, Dios also musters up a healthy number of entirely original gems that possess and express the raw emotion of growing up at its most poignant. The gliding, jaunty Starting Five, the wistful, dolorous All Said and Done and the beautiful, candid ballad Meeting People are all authentic and absolutely outstanding songs. With Dios' debut album, they creatively run the gamut of emotions, and do so with the grace and dexterity of a band who has been playing together for forty years. They have something very special, and I highly recommend that you hear it for yourself. -Amazon Reviewer

Elliott Smith, From A Basement On A Hill: Posthumous releases fall into two categories: those which the artist was working on at the time of their death, and those which are gathered from every nook and cranny to keep fans enthused and cash registers ringing. Elliott Smith's from a basement on the hill is of the former variety. It was close to completion at the time of his untimely death. Over the course of the set's 15 songs, Smith's powerful songwriting and production skills are shown in their full breadth. From thickly interlocked chordal guitar riffs ("Coast to Coast") to shimmering melancholia ("A Fond Farewell"), the songs are each brought to their own particular focus by whatever means were most appropriate. There are lush background vocals, keyboard washes, pounding rhythms, and heart rending balladry. This disc is a sad goodbye to richly emotive artist. --David Greenberger

Feist “Let It Die”: Feist is a Canadian songstress, hailing from Toronto. Her first album 'Let It Die', is produced by Renaud Letang & Gonzales. Feist has been Gonzales' fellow for years. Part of the Canadian collective band, Broken Social Scene, Gonzales convinced her to come to Paris to record this first album. The journey started in an out of time, out of norm atmosphere, whose lush grooves are offset by a thoroughly enjoyable live performance, with members of the Germany via Toronto Kitty-Yo crew such as Peaches, Gonzales, & Taylor Savvy. Features 11 tracks including the singles 'Mushroom' & 'One Evening'. Universal. Amazon Description

Iron and Wine "These Endles Numbered Days": Florida’s brilliant singer-songwriter Sam Beam expands Iron & Wine from solo project to a gaggle of friends and family on slide guitar, percussion, and backing vocals on his second album. Fans need not worry--the hushed immediacy and rich melodies remain the focus--but new flavors abound. For instance, the strange "Cinder And Smoke" sounds like a collaboration (with banjos of course) between America, Robert Wyatt and Low. Meanwhile, "On Your Wings," "Free Until They Cut Me Down," and "Teeth in the Grass" showcase a brooding, earthy, Southern-rock-on-laudanum side that the band had previously only demonstrated in concert. It's rare when an artist who's become known for bedroom recordings makes the transition to the studio to produce work that's better--Daniel Johnston, Lou Barlow, and Liz Phair all made their defining moments crouched above a cassette recorder at home. But Beam is the exception to the rule, as he has easily bested himself on the second Iron & Wine album. --Mike McGonigal

Kings of Convenience “Riot On An Empty Street”: Thier first album, "Quiet is the New Loud," became the hallmark of a new era in indie rock the took heavy influences from the folk practitioners of the 60's and 70's.  Their brand of sweet harmonies and gentle, intelligent songwriting continues on this album, with the addition of more instrementation and a few upbeat, radio friendly pop numbers, such as "Dance With You."  If you're a fan of Simon and Garfunkel, this album lives up to and at time exceeds the men of Scarborough Fair. 

Mason Jennings “Use Your Voice”: With Use Your Voice, Mason Jennings turns in what is easily his finest CD to date, an understated masterpiece of sensitive songwriting, minimalist production, and wonderful folk grooves. The vibe on this disc is heartfelt and intimate, but--as lead track "Crown" reveals--Jennings never succumbs to earnestness or folk-rock cliches. Instead, he captures the essence of vintage, pre-electric Dylan with poetic and timeless ballads about love and loss. Though Jennings is often compared to Jack Johnson, his bluesy songwriting and infectious rhythms on this fine disc are thoroughly unique. As his tunes move from funky ("Empire Builder," "Keepin' It Real") to somber ("Fourteen Pictures," "Ballad of Paul and Sheila"), he sounds soulful, not affected. All told, Use Your Voice is a great disc, and a fine introduction to this ascending talent. --Jason Verlinde

n. Lannon “Chemical Friends”: I found this album sometime last June and instantly loved it.  Nyles' songs are well-crafted indie folk songs, resembling the styles of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith.  Although he resembles these wonderful artists, he has his own voice and unique style, perfect for cloudy afternoons and anytime you need a little musical inspiration.

Nick Drake “Made To Love Magic”: All the world's a stage and folk legend Nick Drake--a frail, reclusive romantic whose music was sad but beautifully emancipating and who died young in 1974 in mysterious circumstances--was one of life's reluctant players. As epithets go, the lyrics to Made to Love Magic ("I was born to sail away into a land of never, not to be tied to an old stone grave") aptly convey how Nick Drake's legend continues to gather no moss, even some three decades after his lonely tranquilized farewell. Enthusiastic newcomers should start with any of Drake's three studio albums (Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon) and Patrick Humphries' definitive biography but Made to Love Magic is, nevertheless, essential. Consisting of rare and unheard tracks (many of which have even avoided the mucky paws of the keenest bootlegger) and compiled by those closest to him (sister Gabrielle, engineer John Wood, and fellow Cambridge University student and string-arranger Robert Kirby) the album is a labor of love. Lost amateur recordings of Nick Drake at University in Cambridge, outtakes from the Five Leaves Left album, Robert Kirby's unused string arrangements for "Magic" and "Time of No Reply" finally restored, an early rendition of "Three Hours" featuring Rebop Kwaku Baah (Traffic, Can) on percussion and remixed versions of those despairing final songs from July 1974, including the newly discovered "Tow the Line." This is surely the final word on Nick Drake; unless, of course, those Aix-en-Provences tapes and that mythical lost Peel session from August 1969 ever make themselves known. --Kevin Maidment (Amazon.com)

Pedro the Lion “Achilles Heel”: Dave Bazan's latest release is a wonderful array of pop songs that offer a melancholic twist. 

Pinback “Summer in Abaddon”: Although it may seem like gentle pop music at first, the brilliance of "Summer In Abaddon" is slowly revealed over repeated listenings. The songs are buoyant and lively at times, melancholy and dark at others, and always resonate with an underlying intensity. Pinback lays out beautiful melodies that are deceptively complex, layering sounds and instruments upon one another and trading contrasting vocal parts with ease

Rilo Kiley “More Adventurous”: Are they alternative-country rockers or alternative rock crooners? That was the conundrum following Rilo Kiley’s 2002 release, The Execution of Things, and with More Adventurous, the band’s first record with major label support, we have our answer. Jolted by the divinely pure vocals of Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett's howling guitar on prospective indie anthems like "Portions for Foxes," the Los Angeles foursome has two fists through the earth in their quest to depart the underground. It's obvious from the opening smack-talk sing-a-long "It's a Hit" that Lewis is the centerpiece of this 11-song pop consignment (leaving the capable Sennett to sing only the acoustic low-fi "Ripchord"), and the unabashed charisma that is her trademark infiltrates throughout—from rockers ("Love and War") to ballads ("Absence of God") to pop ("Accidntel Deth") to Dusty Springfield soul ("I Never"). And while the production is polished to radio-friendly, it fails to dull the charming accessibility of a band that wears progression as a badge. --Scott Holter

Sondre Lerche “Two Way Monologue”: The follow up to the critically-acclaimed 'Faces Down', Sondre Lerche's second album is a tour-de-force of soaring pop melodies and rich technicolor arrangements. The 21-year old Bergen, Norway native recalls artists like Jeff Buckley, Elvis Costello, Beck, Brian Wilson, Rufus Wainwright, Burt Bacharach and Cole Porter. From the fragile acoustics of ‘It’s Too Late’ to the symphonic variations of the title track, from the no depression lilt of ‘Stupid Memory’ to the uplifting pop of ‘On The Tower’, this is an album of breath-taking diversity and imagination. -Amazon.com

Sleep Station “After the War”: This amazing concept album takes you through the life of a soldier in WWII.  It is full of wonderful songs with an important message that proves as pertinent today as it did 60 years when addressing the feelings soldiers experience.  The combination of message and music propelled this cd to be one of my all-time favorites.

The Good Life “Album of the Year”: Catchy, moody, pop rock that fluctuates between the all-ages club and the smoky cabaret, right alongside sing-along crescendos that spin into cinematic bursts. -Amazon.com (This was by far my favorite Saddle Creek album this year)

All This Talk Of A Great Generation

Suzanne Fields penned an Op-Ed for the Washington Times today illuminating why she sees the current groups of men and women serving in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the next Great Generation.  She illuminates the spirit of service many in uniform have as they embark on long deployments to lands they never imagined stepping foot in, but even more importantly, she addresses the spirit in which that service is completed.

She writes:

When I look into the faces of our young veterans, I see the faces staring back at me from the photographs in Tom Brokaw's book, men caught up in the turmoil bequeathed to their generation, willing to do whatever it takes to make the world a better place. They evoke the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt: "This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."

In so many ways she is right, and in many ways I feel honored to have been able to witness the bravest of these men and women by serving beside them, as they set off on dangerous convoys and participate in potentially deadly missions.  In many ways I don’t even feel my service comes close to the sacrifice they make, and I look at these same soldiers who personify selfless service and make extensive daily sacrifices.  What I have been asked to sacrifice in spreading the gospel of freedom has been extensive on a personal level, but putting myself in harms way nearly every day was not the request of Uncle Sam, and sometimes I feel that simply being here doesn’t place upon my shoulders the burden and blessing of bearing the membership in the next Great Generation.  As I write this though, I realize that this too is the mentality of many soldiers in theater.  We see the sacrifices as small compared to those who have sacrificed so much more than we have, and believe they are entitled to the true title of great members of a strong generation. 

Ms. Field writes on this sentiment when she states:

They sound a lot like the surviving soldiers of World War II, men moving now into the deepening shade of their ninth decade, who become the boys of summer once more when they talk of their war now receding swiftly into a distant past. They're proud of how they did what they had to do. Like all men who have marched to the sound of the guns, they are marked by the grace of modesty. "No, no," one of them told Corinna Lothar, in her moving account in The Washington Times of a visit with veterans returning to the field of the Battle of the Bulge in December of 60 years ago, "the guys who didn't come home are the real heroes."

Although my personal feelings have very little to do with the big picture, I can say that I believe the title now being bestowed is well deserved.  To find an example of this, simply check out the latest poll of uniformed service members.  Knowing full well the consequences of service in theaters of combat, 60% of the military supports the war effort.  These are the folks who will serve at some point, if they haven’t already, in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Although they may not want to go, they will, and the vast majority will serve honorably and contribute 110% every day.  There is endless potential in our current youth, and I am honored I will have the opportunity to grow old in a nation with such great men and women. 

The Next "Greatest Generation"?

Some of you may remember this post from June 10, 2004, more than six months ago now.  I felt it was applicable to todays entry and so I reposted it.  I didn't have time to re-edit it, so please bear with any mistakes.  Thanks.

The talk has already begun among men and women in the United States, from the President to the more conservative members of the Fourth Estate, referring to those of us here in the field, and those back at home as America’s newest “Greatest Generation.” In fact, the Sergeant Major of the Army, spoke in April at Fort Bragg, NC, and told the soldier their, “You are the next ‘Greatest Generation.’ Be proud of your service to your nation.” Sergeant Major of the Army Preston is a capable man, a man worthy of great reverence for his service to our country and his statements carried a great deal of weight with me. While I feel the sacrifices demanded for the whole of this generation are far less than those of the previously titled “The Greatest Generation,” I do want to express some thoughts I have had recently on it.

The Greatest Generation faced a period of difficulty in the Depression only to escape from that dark era united behind of front of freedom and dedication to ending WWII. The sleeping giant was once again awake and a generation of young men and women were united in a cause. They epitomized duty, honor and selfless service. When they came home from the War, they celebrated together, and then settled down to start families and contribute to their communities. Our generation on the other hand, was raised in relative privilege compared to the Depression, technology made everything simpler, we were more apt to play video games than do homework and were more keen with computers than cars or farm equipment. Most began understanding politics when Bill Clinton was president. There were no fireside chats to spur on the American public and inform them of what their government was doing, the nightly news exhibited confessions, both true and false, from the baby boomers in our Presidential Administration, and cynicism came to govern every aspect of life. Seinfeld and the Simpson’s were possibly our favorite shows. Both shows prey on the sarcasm and cynicism of our society and bring a sense of irony to even the most mundane of daily activities. In the midst of all this, there appears a generation of American’s who, against the grain of many of their parents or maybe thanks to them, are making life changing sacrifices on the field of battle, or in their education and home life, to serve their country so far from home.

In their book entitled, Millennials Go to College and Millennials Rising Neil Howe and William Strauss outlined some interesting notes on those “babies of the eighties.” The Kansas Star shared this:

"They are optimistic, team-oriented and they closely resemble the `Greatest Generation' that fought World War II," said Howe, a Yale-educated historian who is considered one of the nation's leading experts on generations and historical cycles. "They are planners and goal-setters."
"They feel like they are special," Howe said. "They have been treated that way by their parents, by the government and the school system. They are team players who tend to be conservative and much more cautious than previous generations."

Indeed, we are all here for different reasons, but the banner of freedom is still here for most of us, and we are united in the same spirit of our grandparents. Camouflage poles are used to erect flags outside of tents, and the stars and stripes send an eternal message of destiny to every soldier. Honestly though, it is not just those of us in our late teens and early twenties who have decided to bare this burden in uniform, it is an entire segment of the American population dedicated to its soldiers, to a policy of utilizing freedom to end the newest form of fascism and terrorism to surface in the world.

It seems to be in a simple analysis of dates, that every half century in American history (give or take a few years) has opened opportunities to imprint upon the American spirit images of greatness. The Revolution, begun in 1776, certainly produced one of the most amazing generations in history. Nearly 50 years later, the courage at the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the Star Spangled Banner. Less than 50 years from that early re-assertion of independence and destiny, the American Civil War was waged, and in all the sacrifice of human life and property that occurred, another great generation was born in blood to promote freedom for all. Out of the Spanish American War, the epic of the “Rough Riders” helped propel an American President into the auspicious territory of folklore and legend, and yet out of the death and destruction and sacrifice of the First World War, “The Greatest Generation” rose to the challenge of defeating fascism and imperialism in the promotion of and self-preservation of American republicanism. And yet, 60 years from the invasion at Normandy and D-Day, another generation has risen to the challenges of self-preservation under the banner of the War on Terrorism. It is in this history that we are told that there are those among us composing before the eyes of the American public the latest, greatest generation in American history.

Clearly, one such reason can be the sheer size of this conflict and the numbers of citizens involved in it. With 135,000 soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 30,000 in Afghanistan, and tens of thousands of others guarding freedom’s outposts in Korea and Germany, a great deal of effort is going into re-shaping the world and its view of human capabilities for self-rule and human dignity. It is not in the numbers however that we are gaining recognition, rather it is the spirit of our Armed Forces and the manner in which they fight (an “All Volunteer Force”), and a sense of the general public on the home front. Reservists, for example, are expected to serve their country in the same capacity as active duty soldiers in theater, spending a year or more away from home, away from their families and their civilian jobs or schools. The American public is asked to be vigilant, to keep their eyes on the home front to defend against any terrorist acts, if need be in the way those brave American’s sacrificed themselves over a Pennsylvanian field.

In many ways, it places more of a burden on my self-conscious when I hear talk of what we are doing here in Iraq and beyond in the War on Terror as being the actions of a great generation. It takes the rigmarole of the daily activities and immediately places every decision into a historical perspective. Is this something that would make my grandparents proud, is this something that will make my grandchildren proud? Being guided by conscience and acting upon that conscience spurs men and women to behave justly, but bearing the cross of greatness leads men and women to behave on a scale that is almost messianic, saint-like. It places an immense responsibility on our shoulders that what we do here today determines the safety of American’s tomorrow: that each step of progress guarantees that safety, and that each regression is a detriment to that safety. Moments like Abu Ghraib become especially painful, exceptionally disgusting, and the good things, the “thousand points of light” that occur each day become the expectation. This is in no way a gripe that great things are expected, for when greatness is the goal, greatness will generally be achieved.

Despite the overriding interest of self-preservation in ending terrorism or at the very least crippling it, there truly is an over-all theme of freedom and democracy that echoes throughout the halls of Congress and the public American debate. At least in the Presidential campaign, it is not a matter of whether the war should continue, but a matter of technique. The idea of freedom in the Arab world is not hotly contested, but is an accepted idea among the leading presidential candidates. Most American’s see the need for self-rule among the Arab peoples, and do not see them as incapable of establishing republican governments and recognizing human rights. In fact, it can be argued that the Arab world is more ready for freedom than Germany in the post-war era. After all, there was no liberation of Germany, only a deafening defeat and condemnation for their lack of vigilance in allowing Hitler’s meteoric rise to power. The power struggle in the Arab world has been one where oppressed peoples simply have transitions into new oppressive governments.

Together, the sacrifices by many American’s in joining the War on Terrorism, and the dream of democracy established and defended by Americans whether through their election of leaders who support such efforts or their own efforts in military service, are shaping this country’s next greatest generation.

It is a lofty measure to hold us up to, but it is a title I will proudly bear in the decades to come if we continue in our efforts. To meet the challenges of our times and secure a victory in the clash of civilizations means that another threat to freedom has been squashed and freedom’s bell will chime in a new corner of our world. Let us bear the title in the future, but please be reserved in your judgments today We have a great deal to accomplish and the road is still long and filled with potential conflicts. I would argue that we let the next generation recognize our actions for what they were once history has played its course. It is in this that we will be measured by the ruler of historical analysis, and it is then that I hope that the process I am apart of today will measure up.

(Incidentally, I am not trying to say that the challenges overcome by our soldiers in Korea and Vietnam were not laudable, they were indeed amazing. The political culture and the social culture back home however did not foster the sort of “generational” impacts that had happened in WWII. Perhaps our soldiers of that time were The Toughest Generation for overcoming an enemy on the battlefield and mis-directed hatred at home.)

Merry Christmas

It is a strange feeling today, being Christmas and all. It is as if there is an internal calendar that is instilled in you as a child, a calendar that leads you to anticipate this day all year long and look forward to the relaxation and gifts exchanged in the company of friends and family. It is as if I know today is exceptional, and yet being here make this Christmas the exception to everything I’ve ever known. For most of us, it is just another day in theater. I am working my normal shift, accomplishing all the standard duties. The only difference was the exceptional lunch in the chow hall, which was festively decorated and a delicious reminder of the sort of meal I would normally enjoy, and the Christmas music playing in the PX.

I ate an enormous amount of turkey. It made me think of my family with the same sense of nostalgia I wrote with the other day. My family is “turkey crazy,” and as they read this today they’ll probably laugh knowing how true that statement is. No matter what time of year it is, there is always at least one spare turkey in the freezer. It is kind of like an insurance policy, one that says just in case we have family from out of town; a great traditional dinner can be ready by the end of the day. The great thing about it as a meal is that it always promises to leave you with enough leftovers to have sandwiches late into the evening or the next day, when the talking of old times continues. In our family, there is a rich nostalgia for the era when my mom and all her siblings grew up in Rochester, NY. The same stories get told year after year, of the tree lined sidewalks with rich history on Augustine St., where for years my grandparents’ house and most of the children’s houses were just yards away from each other. There are the stories of the woods behind Aquinas High School, near their old home, and the bittersweet stories of what family life was like.

My mom, dad and brother flew to upstate New York for the holiday, to be with family there. From what they say it is five degrees below zero, an almost unimaginable temperate (about as unimaginable now as 145 degrees was before I spent a summer over here). It is definitely a different Christmas for them as well. Usually, our California Christmas’ truly leaving us dreaming of a white Christmas, but knowing my dad (who in his single days used to go sailing every Christmas morning in Long Beach) that dream won’t occur to him for several more years. He is a typical Californian in many ways, always donning his Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts and happy to be outside with a short sleeve shirt everyday of the year. I think they may have gone to New York this year to help change their routine as well, perhaps using a change of scenery and step away from tradition to make the holiday a bit more palpable for them.

More than anything else, I want to wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas. I want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to check in, and thank those of you who have sent e-mails, cards and packages. I do have more I want to write today, so hopefully later I’ll have a chance to get back to the blog.

Christmas Eve

I don't have much time to post right now, but I wanted to take a moment to say thanks for the prayers for those of our troops in Mosul.  My buddy got an e-mail yesterday from his brother.  Apparently he was late to lunch that day, and the explosion occured on his way to chow.  As for the others who were not so fortunate, my prayers continue to be with their families and fellow soldiers. 

Merry Christmas Eve to all of you.  Hopefully later I'll have a chance to get to a computer and post a little more. 

"A Virulent Nihilistic Minority"

Thomas Friedman has an excellent article in the NY Times today and summarizes where we stand in Iraq.

However this war started, however badly it has been managed, however much you wish we were not there, do not kid yourself that this is not what it is about: people who want to hold a free and fair election to determine their own future, opposed by a virulent nihilistic minority that wants to prevent that. That is all that the insurgents stand for.

Check out the whole piece.

In Need of Prayer

I just wanted to ask everyone back home to say a prayer for our soldiers in Mosul and their families.  Tragedy strikes everyday in Iraq, but the attack in Mosul, in its scale and severity, has hit one of my best friends in my unit very deeply.  His brother is currently stationed in Mosul, and spends much of his time working in the chow hall at the very camp where the attack took place.  Like thousands of parents and friends and family members in the States, he too is awaiting word of his brother's safety.  Another day has passed and we are hoping for him that it is a good sign.  It serves as a solemn reminder of the tragedy that has hit thousands of families the last few years.  My prayers, especially this time of year, are with each of you as well. 

As Jason brought up in yesterday's comments, it is also the place where CB posted from.  Although he hasn't updated his excellent blog in a while, I also pray he has come out of this event unscathed.

One Foot in Front of the Other

I was listening to a live bootleg show of one of my favorite bands the other day, and the message in one of the songs struck me as contradictory.  The group Bright Eyes (reviews here), led by Connor Oberst, was at the forefront of leftist activism in the most recent presidential election, and although I sharply disagree with Mr. Oberst’s political views, I have had a deep respect for his musicianship and his depth of conviction on political issues.  One of the songs he was singing was entitled “One Foot in Front of the Other,” and had a chorus that repeated the refrain, “If you walk away, I’ll walk away.”  This phrase was used to address any number of conflicts, but had an overriding sense that this concept could be applied to all aspects of life.  Its concept offered a social and political appeasement that posed as a solution to problems.  Such an interpretation would apparently be in line with his political ideology, and so I don’t feel too far out of line finding a political interpretation of the songs theme, a song which could fall into the category of being a “protest song.” 

My point is that in the song, one verse states the following: “There’s kids playing guns in the street/ And one’s pointing his tree branch at me/ So I put my hands up and said enough is enough/ If you walk away I’ll walk away.”  In what is sung almost as an afterthought Mr. Oberst, adds, “And he shot me dead!”  I listened to the song on repeat several times because this particular line seemed so opposed to the concept of the song.  Sadly however, it may just be the most realistic line of the song.

I don’t mean to impose upon a single song something as grand as the War on Terror, but I feel the message so aptly describes one of the flaws of America’s anti-war movement.  As Mr. Oberst approaches the children playing with fake guns, he abhors the sight, and attempts to strike an accord of peace with them, dealing from a position of weakness.  In offering to just walk away, he finds himself being shot.  As tragic as it is, isn’t this the way the world usually works?  There is always an enemy looking to exploit weakness, to force the turtle back into its shell, to eradicate those who seek peace but offer no leverage to enforce such peace. 

In the global WoT, I firmly believe that we must use the full force of strength to overcome our enemy, and do whatever necessary to ensure we are not offering a peace accord from a position of weakness or out of the belief that we can get along.  Non-interference is not a peace plan; it is negligent foreign policy and as the 90’s proved, will only lead to more terrorist activity.  This too applies to Operation Iraqi Freedom.  We are in an exceedingly difficult period, one I am willing to accept may be made easier with a larger force in theater.  I will admit however that I am hardly qualified to offer solutions, and am very leery of criticizing the choices our commanders have made thus far.  If we walk away, the terrorists may lead us to believe they will walk away as well.  This will not be the case for long though, and a policy guised in such terms will only lead to more tears and bloodshed in our own nation. 

I submit that we can only walk away when peace is achieved on our terms.  That peace does not need to lead to endless tragedies and destruction in our current battle; it only requires that the ideology of hate within extremist Islamic fanaticism be extinguished.  A lofty and difficult goal indeed, but what other option do we have? 

Traditions

There've been a number of important holidays that have passed since I've been deployed, but Christmas is definately becoming the most difficult one for me.  Growing up, my family had a ritual of traditions adhered to nearly every year at Christmas, traditions I've come to miss even more this year. 

My parents always did a wonderful job when my brother Matthew and I were little, to make the holdays seem enchanted while also stressing the importance of family and the meaning of the season.  December was always full of little events, forever ingrained on my memory.  Every year marked the beginning of a new search for my mother to find the perfect ornament for my brother and I, an ornament that would serve as a time capsule for us in the years ahead.  She would always seem to find the perfect symbol for my interests or endeavors that year.  I remember when I was six, it was a bulb with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it, and even into college, she had miniature ornaments of a soldier or the engraved glass ornaments that my college fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, sold.  She used to say she had collected these for us and would give them to us when we got married. 

Aside from the ornaments and setting up the Christmas decorations around the house, we always had our Christmas Eve and Christmas day traditions.  My brother and I could always expect to open one gift on Christmas Eve.  For as long as I can remember, my mother had matching pajamas for my brother and I to wear that night.  Some years, the whole family had matching pajamas.  After opening them, we always tried to pursuade her to let us open one more, but she rarely caved in to our demands.  After we had changed, we would set out the cookies for Santa and head to bed.

The morning ritual was played out yearly, as my mom would wait with us when we were children at the end of the hall as my father went into the living room and turned on the lights on the Christmas tree, lit the fireplace and set the video camera up on the tripod.  We would all open our gifts and then turn to our stockings.  The handmade matching stockings were always stuffed with smaller items and always included an orange and the holiday box of Lifesavers.  Snacking on the candy while we played with our new toys, my dad would go to the kitchen and make breakfast for the family, and after eating we would all sit down to watch movies.  Sometimes I feel like I had the best childhood in the world, any given year would have provided Rockwell with a perfect setting. 

Even though things change the older you get, my mother always found a way to keep pieces of our traditions alive.  She continued supplying my brother and I with a new set of pajamas on Christmas Eve, and I can remember my father year after year making a feast of a breakfast.  These images struck me the other day when I opened a care package from my mom.  She had sent a bunch of Christmas stockings for me to pass out to soldiers who hadn't received anything in a while.  As I reached for my stocking, it was filled with items I never expected to get when I was a kid.  Packages of baby wipes and boot insoles and other items soldiers need, but at the bottom was a box of Lifesavers with the holiday decoration.  It immediately took me back home, and made me wish the holidays were a little different this year. 

Living in tents provides a sharp realization that this year there will be no home for the holidays.  I won't say I prefer it this way, but I can say that next year I will appreciate the people in my life more than I ever have.  You gain a profound sense of just how important your family is when they are so far away.  This year, the only thing I hope for is that all of you enjoy and appreciate your time with friends and family to the utmost.  Remember, there are 150,000 people here in OIF alone that would love to be in your position, and although we would rather be home,  each of us in our own way is offering a gift to you by sacrificing our holidays and traditions in the name of freedom.

Holiday Spirit

In what is one of the great tokens of gratitude I have seen during this deployment, every soldier, E-4 and below, received a Christmas gift today on my camp.  The program is currently in its eleventh year and according to the letter included in the gifts, "is a thank you for the sacrifices and dedication to ensure the securty of the region and to eradicate the world of terrorism."  The organization solicits donations from corporations and Kuwaiti's as a token of gratitude for the sacrifices soldiers are making.  I included a picture of the soldier's from our unit who received a small gift today.