Christmas In Iraq

This is how my Christmas in Iraq went. Not a lot of excitement.

Christmas in Iraq:

0001 in the morning, it is officially Christmas day in Iraq.  I look at the cards I have received from the people back home, some of them are from family and friends, but the majority of them are from kids all over the United States.

I wasn't really in the Christmas mood.  

It is a tough time for almost every soldier serving overseas.   Thousands of miles from the people they love, yet spending it with their brothers and sisters in uniform. 

Although we are safe inside our base, there are still people in the towers, on patrol, and manning the gates. 

I would shortly fell asleep thinking about my family back home and the wonderful food my grandma and mother would be cooking.

I wondered if they would enjoy the presents that I sent them.  It is hard to do Christmas shopping from the local exchange.  I did a lot of my shopping on the local economy.  I would buy my mom and Grandma some Iraqi jewelry, my sister and her husband I bought a hookah, and the children in the family I sent a movie.

I would awake up at 0630 this morning, I looked around and realized that Santa must have gotten lost, because there were no presents under the sock I hung on the wall. 

I would stumble my way down to the latrine to shave and shower. 

I ran into my friend Birds Eye and a couple of others.

We would make our way to the mess hall for a hot breakfast consisting of an Omelet with ham, cheese, onions and jalapenos.   Then I would get me some sausage and hash browns.  I would drink a couple of glasses of orange juice, before conceding that this is just like every other day.

After breakfast I made my way down to the company office where I would meet with the commander and the first sergeant, while drinking a cup of coffee that tasted like it was a week old. 

Someone had sent a care package with some cookies in it.  There must have been 5 dozen cookies of all kinds, but most of them where gone.  Luckily they left one chocolate chip and a dozen mincemeat cookies.

As I bite into the chocolate chip cookie it had become apparent why it had been left behind.  I was unable to bite into it, and when I tapped it on the marble counter top, it chipped the counter.  I then decided I would dip it in my coffee in hopes that it would soften it up, or make the coffee taste better.  To my surprises neither happened.

At 1030 I found myself helping a couple of the officers prepare to cook lunch for all the soldiers in the unit.  Some where they had managed to come up with steaks, and all of the trimmings. 

One of the soldiers had acquired a grill, not sure from whom, but I am pretty sure it came from the Battalion down the road.

We would eat at 12, all the soldiers where there except for a couple who were out on a tower pulling guard duty.  They were relieved by a few of the sergeants in the unit and shortly joined the party.

Everyone appeared to have a good time, although you could tell we were no substitute for everyone’s real family.  Most of the older members of the unit didn’t seem to care; they just figured they had a job to do and that there would be more Christmases.  A few of the younger soldiers, you could tell was having a hard time.  This was probably their first time this far away from home and their family during the holidays.

At 1400 someone dressed as Santa shown up.  Everyone was getting a good laugh at the man dressed as Ol Saint Nick.

Then the man sat down with his large bag of goodies, and started pulling presents from his bag. 

One by one soldiers names where called, and they would take turn sitting on Santa’s lap while opening their presents.

Most of the presents where nothing that anyone could ever use.  Being a unit full of all guys most of the items were just gag gifts.

One soldier got a box of tampons, while another got Vagisil.  The best gift had to be the blow up sex sheep.  In all of Iraq I have no clues were they would have found such a thing.  I finally decided they had it sent to them.

After all the presents were passed out, and everyone was done having a good laugh, everyone one just dispersed.  I would find myself going back to the company office and engaging in a game of poker. 

At 1730 I found myself riding in a John Deere Gator on my way out to guard tower 17.

Birds Eye and I would man tower 17 for the next two hours to allow the soldiers in the tower to go eat a good Christmas dinner.

While in the guard tower I was able to observe children playing in the streets, and people going about their lives as if they were not in a war zone.

Shortly before being relieved I got a grim reminder that we were still in a dangerous place.  I witness a medevac helicopter flying toward Baghdad.  Across the radio came the grim news that an American soldier had been shot and killed, and another was wounded at a camp not too far away.

At 1930 we were picked up and taken to the mess hall.   Inside it was decorated with tons of Christmas decorations.  There was a tree as you came in the front door.  There must have been a shortage of Christmas ornaments in Iraq his year. 

The tree was decorated with just about anything you could imagine.  Instead of popcorn, they used bullets from a M249 linked all together and wrapped around the tree,  there where paper ornaments,  and the lights, looked like something my grandparents had back in the 70’s

Christmas Dinner was probably the best meal I had eaten in Iraq.  It consisted of overcooked Prime Rib, rubbery lobster, ham, and all of the fixings to go along with them.

For desert they served apple pie, blue berry pie, and pumpkin pie.  I was in hopes they would have had a pecan pie, but was told I was out of luck.

After dinner, I found myself back involved in a poker game.  

Shortly after 2200 the Iraqi’s decided to give us our Christmas present.  They lobed 7 mortars on to the base.  None of the mortars hit anything, and no one was hurt.

After the mortar attack I would use the phone in one of the offices to call home and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  

I would find myself in bed at the end of the day, reflecting back on the day I had enjoyed with my family members in uniform.  I once again thought about my mom and my grandma.   I found myself reflecting on the soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  I thought about the families who have lost loved ones in the war.  The Children who’s father or mothers where killed, the mothers who have lost a son or daughter.  Wives who lost a husband.

Christmas in Iraq is hard, not only for the soldiers, but for the families left at home.  It has been said that the families at home also serve.

Knowing tomorrow would be a new day and the war would be back to normal, I made my way to sleep with dreams of a better place.

I ask of each and every person to remember the men and women in uniform.  I wish you all a very merry Christmas.

 

           The Hitman 0069                              Portland, Oregon

Author's Note

Christmas is hard on both the families and the soldiers deployed. Please keep all of them in your prayers.

Reviews

[Peeps MacArthur]

I was in Afghanistan for Christmas 2009. It was as if it was a kind of copy of Christmas and not even real. As if it was some knock-off item purchased at one of the bazars. The family that was all around me was my platoon. We had a few guys that took it really hard. When someone is affected to the point of being emotional you start to worry about them but then that makes it more like family.
Keep your Kevlar on and your a*s down. You can write reams of rich stories with depth and a very unique perspective next Christmas.
Take care brother and happy New Year.
Formerly, Sgt Brad Salomon (Now civilian…happy, happy, civilian)
236th MP Task Force Lone Star 2009-2010

[Hitman]

I was in Iraq in 2004 to 2005.