Trudging. Walking. Strolling. Fighting.

"After a near death experience, it's always good to have a laugh"

That nugget is from the Army of Dude (No..no...this is not another post about Palin. Not "The Dude". This dude is some kid in Iraq, who blogs.) I just posted to Linkastic an article about the 50 "buzziest" blog posts.

This post from the "Army of Dude" blog, was on the list.

Trudging. Walking. Strolling. No other thing was more common for our tour than the good ol' fashioned patrol. In Mosul we did it from our armored Strykers to show the world we could keep it under control without setting foot on the ground. We'd only get out if something happened (a sniper taking shots, IED, etc). In Baghdad it changed because the mission changed. We were constantly on the ground to clear houses and snoop out caches.

When we got to Baqubah and once found fifty IEDs on a stretch of road less than a mile long, we figured it might be a good idea to walk even more often.

... [snip; including a great write-up about a scary (probably routine for them!) gun-fight]

For the rest of the day we'd walk the neighborhoods looking for any more trouble, but with a more serious step. Those shots could start at any time and end you just as quick. And you wouldn't die bravely on a French battlefield or on the Rhine. You'd pass away spent, covered in sweat among the dirt and the trash of a forgotten Iraqi street, wondering where all the glory from war went.

Seeing "In the Valley of Elah" couple weeks back is probably what makes me want to share this here! I agree the movie wore its leanings on its sleeve and was a tad bit preachy, esp. at the end but it is overall a good movie and the story and message itself should not be diluted because of any obvious biases in its delivery. Because, war is not a movie (nor a video game!)

As much as I am against the Iraq war and as much as I think I would fail to convince these kids to my line of thinking that they are wasting their lives for a war waged on false premises, half-truths, and outright lies.... I really feel for these 20-something year olds who go to Iraq and have to deal with s*** there! More power to them for that reason alone and hope they all safely return back soon to lives that hopefully not be tormented for years to come with the memories of things they saw, did, and endured under the guise of patriotic fervor.