Gunner's Blog

SA 23 FEB 91

Dad
I guess by now you know I’m not at FLEET 15 HOSP. I was going to leave a message where I was going but all I knew was north. It took a period of 4 days to get where I am now. I’ll tell you all about that later, that’s a story in itself. I am with another hospital, next to Kansas and Iowa and the Nebraska territory. Planes and choppers buzz overhead around the clock, the thunder rumbles on and the bass echoes through you chest like on amp. Last night while I was on duty, right in front of me the sky was on fire. Last night the Iraqis lit the oil pots. The two nights before, the sky was black velvet here, and the stars shone like diamonds. I stepped out of the ward to look at the beauty; it was something to see as the thunder pounded. I heard a sound. I climbed atop the birm. Now I’ve been proud of myself, I’ve been hard enough that I know where I am. I’ve seen wounded, I saw a young Marine with no arms and one leg. I hear the sounds around me and I just take it in stride. But as I crested this birm, there on another birm appears, 50 m away, under this sky, silhouetted by the flashes in the North, stood one man and the sound of “Amazing Grace” pierced my soul from this solo bagpipe. I just can’t describe the emotions that drowned my existence. I looked around and all over stood others atop 10 feet birms everywhere to hear the pipes. As he finished I hollered out “Danny Boy” and he played that, then finished with the “Marines Hymn”. As I and everyone returned to Shelter, I thought “Are we crazy?” we stood atop birms everywhere for 15 minutes in the hell, but my spirit flew higher then ever and I returned to my shelter. protected from the sights and sounds. I get some cockeyed looks sometimes, with all this; I still find something to smile about. Even now with the northern night sky on fire, and G-Day hours away, making what causalities we have received few, I wouldn’t trade places with anyone right now. I know my job and do it, and what I don’t know, I must face and deal with, there’s no time to hide. For now I am dealing with it. Like I said, I would wish this on no one, and I won’t trade places with anyone. But there is not a night I don’t pray, “Let this be the war to end all wars”. I wrote a prayer that I say at the end of my prayer before I sleep

As I sleep in this world of war

I pray the Eagle higher soars

And if the call should come for me

I pray I gave my very best

So in peace I can safely rest

And the Lord take my soul with Thee.

Got to go for now
Mike
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Here is one that I got from a family whose son was in Gulf War 1. Pretty moving, particularly the prayer at the end.

As of this writing, the son is back in Iraq, and the father is there also, working for a contractor.

Gunner