Thursday, November 20, 2008

Tank You Very Much


Yesterday morning, sitting on the front porch, having a cup of hot Stash Mango Passionfruit Herbal Tea, I gazed upon the pristine morning landscape laid out before me and the snappy sunshine bearing down in its sparkling happiness. But the faraway sounds did not go with the view. The ground began to rumble and the window panes started rattling. Having been in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, I momentarily thought we might be experiencing one here in Texas, but the thought faded quickly as the low rumbling sounds continued. I knew they were coming from Fort Hood.

It’s like watching one of those Japanese B-Movies, dubbed in English. You hear the actor speak his line and then a moment later, you see the actor’s lips move in a totally weird way. That’s what it’s like when I look outside at the beautiful countryside and hear the intrusive, distant bombing. It just doesn't match up.

For the past couple of days, the earth’s been shaking at the Double M Ranch. Off in the distance, I hear the rumble of big guns going off. We live near Fort Hood, the largest active duty armored post in the world, and when they begin their practice maneuvers, we know about it.


Clearing a stairwell, Soldiers with the 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conduct urban operations training at the Elijah MOUT site on Fort Hood, Texas May 1. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ben Fox, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

The sound reminds me of the many American men and women who are overseas, fighting a war that doesn’t make much sense to most of us. I am grateful for their bravery and commitment to freedom and duty. I pray for them. I pray for the decision makers, who keep us entangled in policing the world’s criminals.


Operation Rock Wrench clears industrial section of Baqouba - A Soldier from the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, provides rear security as a weapons cache consisting of grenades and hand-held radios, discovered by soldiers of the 5th Iraqi Army Division, burns. Iraqi forces focused on clearing structures while U.S. forces provided security for the mission in the industrial section of southern Baqouba. (U.S. Army Photo by 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

The United States is a superpower, a blessed country that comes to the aid of those being downtrodden by the unjust actions of power-hungry egomaniacs. Yet, there is much to do in our own country, many downtrodden here to help, too.

I pray that our new President (I can’t even bear to say his name yet) will make good choices for our country, with the help of the Congress, over the next four years, that all the countries in the world will stand up for right and work together toward peace.

“There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they grow up in peace.“ -- Kofi Annan

Pray for Peace, Y’all!

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