I feel lucky to be one of the first grunts to be up here. As of the present, you can have a bit a privacy. After Fort Camel, this place is heaven. It's obvious that ain't going to last, so I'm enjoying it while I can, just as long as Saddam and his rat bastards don't come over the border.
In a weird way, I'm kinda relieved to be up north. If we have to fight, I'm glad to catch sight of the battlefield before the fight. I don't know how to describe it to you other than it's sorta like being a boxer who walks the ring before the fight, you know, to get a feel.
There's a lot of work to be done, by the time you read this, the rest of my Brigade will be in Saudi, if not already at Bastonge. I don't know when I'll be able to write; there's a lot to do. I'm sure we'll be training our asses off. I promise that when I get a minute and have the energy I'll pen you another letter. Keep writing. Letter's from home are better than gold. More inspiring than the heavens at night.
Count
PS. Thanks for listening to my pissing and moaning.
***
Shannie, September 25th, 1990
Looking for a new place? Have I found a house for you! It's in a quaint little place called Qaryat al Ulya, we call it Oasis cause of their being one about five or so clicks to the southwest. Housing's cheap, and there's plenty of them. This place is just like the Jersey shore, without the fancy houses, boardwalk, or the ocean. Qaryat al Ulya is an abandoned town, the fanbelts left long before Saddam ever thought of invading Kuwait. Now it's 101st territory - another FOB. Besides covering, we're using the town training for house to house combat. Fun shit.
Speaking of shit, get a load of this, and you thought flies are disgusting; you should see these dung beetles! They're the most sickening creatures known to mankind. Arabs hijack jetliners; dung beetles hijack shit. They're the kind of creature Steve Lucas would have as a pet. Come to think of it, if you'd put that pissant in an armor shell, he'd look like one. The dung beetles are starting to be a problem. Out in the desert, we don't have the most modern facilities. So when nature calls, you answer wherever you can. You dig a cat hole and throw a little dirt on top when you're done. No sooner than you're done, these dung beetles appear, dig the dirt up and roll the crap away. If it weren't so sick, it would be funny. Because of the dung beetles, our Lieutenant's worried about sanitation. Now we have orders to dig two-foot deep catholes to do our business in and pound 'em shut when we're finished. Gives a new meaning to pounding sand! You've always said the army's goal is to tell you how and when to take a dump.