(06DEC2008) 
I heard my first Christmas song last night as I drove across post for a meeting.
This is likely the latest in the year I’ve ever heard the first seasonal song, and frankly it still took me by surprise. It doesn’t feel like Christmas-time around here, and I seriously doubt that will change in the next few weeks.
That said, I see a spattering holiday decorations – the occasional wreath adorning a door or series of faux stockings tacked to a wall. The conference room at the BDE I frequent now has a small (1 ft tall) Christmas tree on
the main table, pushed to the close end of the long table so that it doesn’t appear on camera when we have VTCs.
As I was walking into the DFAC last night I saw an announcement for R. Lee Ermey appearing at the MWR clamshell near my hooch. As I usually hear about these events after they occur, I was interested enough to make the effort to see him today. Interested enough to remember, which is really all the effort I needed to make.
R. Lee Ermey is a former Marine drill instructor who rose to fame in 1987 with his appearance as the fast-talking, foul-mouthed, hard-ass drill sergeant in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, among my favorites when I was younger (perhaps still, though I’ve not seen it in years). He would make more television and movie appearances, almost always in the same stereotypical role, including a spot in The Frighteners. More recently he’s hosted a show on The History Channel called Mail Call in which he responds to viewer questions about the military both past and present, and sometimes future. I’m looking forward to seeing him.
Of course, his appearance is canceled.
There are many reasons for cancellations here, to include the sometimes harrowing logistics of flying into a war zone. As I know from personal experience, flights in theater are delayed, re-routed, and cancelled altogether at a moment’s notice, and usually with no explanation.
As the MWR clamshell is only a short walk from my room, where I live and work, it was easy to pop up, see that it wasn’t going to happen, and walk back to my room and get back to work. The rest of the afternoon proceeds normally enough, and around 1800 I head out for dinner.
Part of R. Lee Ermey’s appearance in theater was apparently to pass out gift boxes, though I didn’t realize that when I was hoping to see him. As I walk by the MWR clamshell toward the DFAC, a female soldier hands me a box and a piece of paper, saying “Merry Christmas!”
I thank her and continue on when I see a collection of sailors just off the sidewalk handing out the boxes and taking pictures of each of us holding our boxes and smiling. They hand me another, smaller, plastic box and a small bag of Doritos, each of them echoing the holiday sentiment. “Merry Christmas!” “Merry Christmas!”
It seems early in the season for all this, but I gratefully accept and thank them each in turn. I then return to my room, not wanting to carry all of this loot with me into the chow hall.
The plastic box is actually a box of hand-wipes, which actually will come in handy (no pun intended) given the exceedingly dirty environment we operate in. The gift box has in it a T-shirt and the expected collection of hard candies, Gatorade packets, playing cards, more sanitary wipes, beef jerky, a candy bar, and a couple more bags of potato chips.
It also, quite inexplicably, contains a bottle of barbecue sauce. I have no idea what I’m going to do with that.
The box comes with a card which indicates the whole package is courtesy of the Navy Installations Command and the T-shirt bears the insignia of this Command.
The piece of paper that the soldier gave me with the gift box is a short note written by a young student, apparently as part of a Veteran’s Day assignment. It’s dated 11-7-2008 and reads, in its entirety (and verbatim):
Dear Veteran,
I feel so honnored that Men and Woman took chances of their lives to serve the army, or air force, and other things for America. And for leaving your family and home. It must feel good when you win a war. And sad for those who died.
Thank you. Love,
Madison
From the mouths of babes.
BDE = Brigade
VTC = Video TeleConference
DFAC = Dining FACility
MWR = Morale, Welfare and Recreation
I heard my first Christmas song last night as I drove across post for a meeting.
the main table, pushed to the close end of the long table so that it doesn’t appear on camera when we have VTCs.
It seems early in the season for all this, but I gratefully accept and thank them each in turn. I then return to my room, not wanting to carry all of this loot with me into the chow hall.
