“The Wings of Normandy”

 

22 November 2001

 

It is now 2025 hours (8:25 PM) on a beautiful night here in northeast Bosnia-Herzegovina.  The sun set about 4 hours ago and it’s now a crisp 40-45 degrees with clear skies and minimal ground fog.  The ground fog here has become our constant morning and evening companions, so to look up and see the moon and stars is something to be thankful for.  Although today started just as any other day for us here, it was a very pleasant and special Thanksgiving Day.  The dining facility (I still call it the mess hall) put on a wonderful spread for us to include cakes in the form of the White House and a Bible.  Our Bosnian Muslim friends that staff the mess hall were very thoughtful knowing that we would all like to be home with our families to celebrate everything that we have to be thankful for.  We are thankful for each other, our country, our health, and most importantly our family and friends. 

 

1SG Ivory “They really shouldn’t issue captains HMMWV drivers licenses” Robinson and I are about half way through an 8-hour guard duty shift.  Doing this will definitely give you a true appreciation for what our junior enlisted soldiers have to endure along with their normal duties.  My special thanks go to SPC Paul “Mini-Moose” Sheridan for straightening me out prior to my shift.  I am now thoroughly re-acquainted with my 3 General Orders and my uniform, weapon, and equipment are squared away (for today anyway)!  We really don’t have it too bad because we are in an Armored-Up HMMWV conducting continuous roving patrols.  I started the shift driving, but I think I scared the 1SG, so he insisted on driving.  So I am taking advantage of the shotgun position to knock out this newsletter.

 

We just talked with WO1 Jesse “My commander made me stand next to the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders” Ramirez and SFC Harry “Your not supposed to be doing that while your on guard duty” Newman at the FARP.  They are taking advantage of this beautiful night to continue some Night Vision Goggle mission training and we ran into them while their aircraft were getting hot gassed.  Flying with them on this beautiful Thanksgiving night are CW4 Darryl “The Professor” Scarborough, 1LT Jeff “Pudding Boy” Laing, 1LT Fred “I really don’t like being called LT Fred” Keller, SGT Warren “Rock” Hudson, SGT Chris “Flying Black Hawks beats the heck out of being a driver” Watts, CW3 Joe “What’s aahhhhhp” Puckett, CW3 Delmar “Me and Donnie Rice are NOT twins” Kidd, SSG Bruce “I can’t believe I extended my enlistment” Thomas, and SGT Ken “Refrigerator” Perry.  We also had a 4 aircraft mission led by 1LT Mark “Pigpen” Baush return from the live-fire range at Glamoc today.  Even though it’s Thanksgiving, your soldiers are still flying missions.  These aircrews’ sacrifices are part of their daily routine and are greatly appreciated by this Task Force and me.

 

It’s always an honor and a pleasure to recognize deserving soldiers, and we had that privilege last week with Harry Newman pinning on Sergeant First Class rank.  I also had the honor of pinning the Master Aviator Badge on CW4 Frank “You know…” Northrop.  We also recognized SPC Robert “I can’t believe I extended my enlistment” Doerflein with two of the Adjutant General’s extension coins.  As most of you that visit our web site regularly already know, we did promote CW3 McKenney (did you see the picture Kelly?), CW3 Becker, CW4 Beauvais, and 1LT Laing the week before last.

 

Two other exciting events have taken place over the past two weeks.  The first being a USO tour and show that brought us great talents, and patriotic Americans led by Wayne Newton (what great hair!), Bo Derek (yeah, I mean no she is NOT beautiful), country western singer Neal McCoy (what a great 1^st name), Ruth Pointer from the Pointer Sisters (she wanted her picture taken with Phil), Miss USA (tall, blonde, leather pants…and a great personality!), Jessica Simpson, Rob Schneider, and eight of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (I have never before seen Steve Tuck speechless!)

 

We were also honored by a visit from ten WW II veterans of the 29^th Infantry Division that went ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day.  Talking to them was probably the best three hours that we’ve spent here.  These ordinary men that accomplished extraordinary feats that shaped the course of history were an absolute pleasure to meet.   From ‘Fightin Joe’ Fairnholt who earned four Silver Stars in four months during the fighting in France, to Mr. Austin Cox who tragically lost a daughter three weeks before the trip but came to see us anyway, to Dr. Harold Baumgartner who spoke (before Tom Hanks) at the dedication of the D-Day museum in New Orleans, they were all an inspiration!    

 

The football Beasts (coached by Joe “Paterno” Puckett and quarterbacked by Phil “Son of Carl” Brashear) just completed a stellar regular season with a 6-4 record (I won’t tell you how many games that we won by forfeit).  We entered the post-season tournament in 3^rd place.  After an extremely close 2-point loss, we annihilated our next opponent and were poised to take the other teams down one by one……and then it snowed.  It was not our 1^st snow, but it was about 2-3 inches worth.  It was enough for numerous snowmen to be built around the camp, and enough for the safety conscious Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) chief to cancel the rest of the Comanche Base tournament.  As one of the top 4 teams on Comanche, we have been invited to compete in the Eagle Base tournament to be held this weekend.  In spite of scheduled missions and minor “we ain’t as young as we used to be” injuries, we will field a team worthy of our adoring fans back home.  (No Lisa, I’m not playing, so I won’t hurt myself…again.)

 

Our talented web-master, CW4 Jim “OK Sir, let me draw it out in crayon for you” McGuffey is in the process of reorganizing the web site to make it more user friendly to computer knuckleheads (me).  There will be a clear path to view the Refugee Camp photos and trip reports, as well as a separate path to view the elementary school photos and trip reports, an organization of photos by time period (like chapters in a book), and, what you all need, an easier way to get to and read my increasingly long newsletters.

 

On a somber note, our condolences go out to CW3 Sam Worley’s family on the recent loss of his stepmother.

 

Again, I can’t express enough our appreciation for all of our family and friends back home that continue to give us the love and support that enables us to accomplish our mission here.  Your sacrifices are not unnoticed by us.  You are all great Americans!  We hope that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Please continue to leave your messages in our guest book!  We love getting them and we have been printing them and posting them in the ‘Shark Tank’ (another story for another time).

 

 

God bless America!

 

 

                                         Sincerely,

 

                                         NEAL J. EDMONDS

                                         CPT, Aviation

                                         Commanding

 

 

“Bravo carries the Task Force!”