Finally

Spring is an odd thing. One day it's pretty and warm the next it's cold and dreary. The wind can knock a body over in these Mountains. Cherokee elders taught their kids that the north wind was bad...it spelled defeat and cold. The winds have been out of the north for the last few day's. Saturday there was a controlled burn going on in Tennesee and it blew the smoke all the way up the French Broad River Valley. All the way to the headwaters here in Transylvania. The French Broad flows north. You could smell it...That sweet smell of the woods burning. Surely the Pisgah was on fire, but, it turned out to be the Cherokee National Forest...Far down the river in Tennessee.

Things can carry a long way. Look at our present technology. World wide communication has burst out. It's amazing. Thirty years ago you could only catch broadcast news at certain hours of the day, now, it's 24 hours. News travels in no time at all. But, that doesn't mean that it's accurate. Early news is usually inaccurate news. Bill Lind wrote of the German Commander that went and cut roses when he first heard of the Allied Landings in Normandy. He knew the first reports were excited and prone to exageration.

I wonder about this. Now everyone talks of the amount of Dead in Iraq. I may stand to be corrected, but, the first year of Conventional Forces in Vietnam about 6,000 Servicemen were killed. Just a pondering...No conclusion.

Yesterday I saw a Snake, today it sleeted. Spring is an odd thing.

It's officail, my Orders have arrived. I'm going to Iraq. The last few months have been a roller coaster ride. At times I don't feel like I could fully explain it. But, they are finally here. The wait is over. The whole ordeal has been like Spring. A tug of war between warm and cold. Like my freind Traveling Ed spoke of Spring....Like a Cat getting ready to pounce.

It's a funny feeling. It's releif, anxiety, excitment...It's like Spring. It's a roller coaster ride all over again. But, it's bonified...I'm going to Iraq. That in itself is a releif. No more "we don't know for sure", "They(DOD) have asked for troops, but, won't cut Orders". It's done. I'll miss these Mountains and my freinds. I'll miss my family. I'll miss the Dog and the Cat. Heck, I could use a change of pace anyway. Bachelorhood has gotten old again, but it's convienant when going to a War Zone.

I'm a member of the 108th Division, Institutional Training(DIV IT)based in the Carolina's, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, also Missisippi and Puerto Ricco. It will be our job to continue training Iraqi Army and supporting them where ever possible. We are releiving the 80th DIV IT, based in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. The two Division's compete for Missions, but, they will be glad to see us this time.

Here are some News Atricles about their Mission and soon to be ours. One of them has an AOL Journal.

My day is the 17th of April. It will be here before I know it. I have things ready, yet, I have so much to do. My Brother was here this weekend. He's down near Birmingham Alabama. He has selflessly taken on the job of looking over my affairs while I'm gone...all the way from Alabama. Thanks to the technology I mentioned a while ago. If everything goes smoothly, he shouldn't worry too much with it. He doesn't know how thankful I am. I'm going to have to load him down with Deer Meat when I come back.

I realise in some way's I havn't been myself latley. I don't like to admitt it, but, the inertia was getting to me. Now, I have so much to do...I have so much to say. Things I've wanted to say latley but, havn't. Now I've had enough of typing. I'm ready to get up from here and move.

The next year and a half of my life is going to be very interesting
Appalachian Intellectual