Our Beloved Kelly

Our “Doc” Dave will be home in just a few short days! We’re excited, we’re anxious to see him, and we’re grateful for the Lord’s watchful care over him and his Marines. But in today’s blog entry, we want to talk about an unsung hero: our beloved Kelly.

In Proverbs 31 we read, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him, but help him all her life.”

Reading this passage naturally brings Kelly to mind for many reasons. Throughout Dave’s deployment (and even before), Kelly has shown herself to be loving, strong, cheerful, resourceful, supportive . . . in other words . . . a “virtuous and capable wife.”

At Dave’s request, Kelly willingly left her home and loved ones in California and moved to North Carolina to create and maintain a first home for herself and her new husband, a place that Dave could envision in his mind to help sustain him through the grueling months of war.

Kelly is also a hero in the communications department. She not only kept her husband supplied with letters, motomails, and care packages, but she consistently shared with us any news she received from overseas. She opened her heart freely and allowed us to share the good and the bad, the hopes and the fears, the joys and the sorrows. We often laughed, sometimes cried, and also prayed together.

We also award Kelly a medal for showing great courage in facing a class of 4-year-old tyrants and then in having the wisdom to know when to leave an impossible situation to find sane employment elsewhere.

In spite of the many stresses in her life, Kelly has maintained a cheerful disposition, a positive outlook, and faith that the Lord will see her through these trials. (OK, Kelly . . . we know you’ve got a flaw or two here and there, and this is getting gushy, but just indulge us, OK? We’re almost done. Promise.)

In July, Kelly came to California to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. During that visit, we were able to spend time with Kelly and some of her family. It was a real joy to see the flow of love and mutual respect. Family has always been extremely important to Kelly, and now we enjoy the special blessing of being a part of her family.

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? Dave did! ! !

Third time's a charm

On Wednesday David called us (both home & cell), but we weren't home and didn't hear the cell phone ring.

Thursday he called again, but again we weren't home and didn't manage to pick up the cell phone in time.

So Friday (today) when he got off duty from walking post, he called when he KNEW we'd be home - 1:20 a.m. for us, 12:20 p.m. for him.

In between walking patrols and walking post (sounds like sentry duty?), David is studying hard for an oral & written exam he'll take at the end of the deployment earn his FMF (Fleet Marine Force Enlisted Warfare Specialist) pin. It's tough to study alone, as he's the only corpsman in his unit now. (Check out the FMF link to the left.)

He is very relieved to have been moved from his previous location. The group that is there now lost another Marine to an IED.

Dave said they are living in a stone house with dirt floors, but they have cots to sleep on, air conditioning (yea!), goat's milk to drink, and fresh meat to cook. And they've built a BBQ out of an old gasoline drum.

A new pair of feet is Dave's most urgent wish right now. He said his feet are really messed up with big blisters from walking patrol & post in old, dirty, stiff socks.

We are so looking forward to welcoming our "Doc" home again, and pampering him with fresh fruits & veggies, green salads, clean sheets, and being able to go barefoot if he wants! Just a few short weeks and he'll be back!

This deployment has been hard on David and Kelly, and on all of us who love them. Your continual prayers and good wishes have eased that burden tremendously. Thank you all!

Mutton, anyone?

Had a nice phone conversation with Kelly this morning (actually, ALL our conversations with Kelly are wonderful). David has been able to phone her much more often, which is really good news. Kelly says that he continues to sound upbeat and is definitely ready to head for home.

A really nice change for the guys is that they received a truckload of real food; chicken to barbeque and also frozen pizza that can be microwaved. (So I'm guessing that, duh, they must have access to a microwave; probably came in a box labeled: "Food Irradiation Device, Medium, One Each" and painted Olive Drab. More realistically, it was probably labeled as "Entrenching Tools."

Now I know that you are wondering about the title of this entry - I'm getting to that. As it turns out, the guys were out one day and "discovered" a sheep. No doubt, when you've lived on a ration of MREs for far too long, a sheep looks mighty like dinner at Grandma's. So . . . using euphemistic language, the guys pooled their culinary skillsets and provided a much-needed meal for the masses. Baaaaa baaaaaa . . . bye.
-- Kevin

Wake-Up Call

We had quite a surprise three hours ago. The phone rang at 1:50 a.m. and it was Dave, calling from Iraq. What a blessing, and a wonderful treat. Well worth the loss of sleep!

Dave sounded strong and in good spirits. He's making mental lists of things he wants to do, places to go, and people to visit when he gets home late next month. He and Kelly plan to make a trip to California and make the rounds (as time and energy allow). Yea! ! ! !

When he called, Dave had just finished his time on post (sounds like that means guard duty). They're doing 4 hours on, 12 hours off, plus walking foot patrols. He has also set up a mini Battalion Aid Station at their new location.

Dave again sends his thanks for all the wonderful packages, letters, motomails, and prayers. The location they're in now is even more remote than before. No mail coming in or going out at all, so no more packages. You can still send letters and motomails, and he'll get them when they get back to the big base.

Next Month!

Kelly received a phone call from Dave last week, and fortunately the connection held for a few minutes this time. Dave says that it is ok now to let people know that they'll PROBABLY be coming home in late September; unfortunately, this will probably be coupled with a fairly short turn-around and they may all have to go back in a few months.

Better news is that he and Kelly want to spend a couple of weeks in California in October! We may not let them go back. ;-)

His only request this time was that Kathleen and I send some jar cakes ( cakes baked in jars and sealed as if canning ) for his fellow Corpsman's birthday. So we put together a party pack and sent it off with the express wishes that his next birthday would be in much better surroundings.

Kathleen would like to include a few more pictures that Dave has sent so here they are. I hope you are all enjoying your summer.

NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! ! ! !

Kelly just now called us, and Dave's company has permanently left the town where they've been since March. They've had many IEDs and numerous casualties in the past few weeks, but have now been moved to a much better place. We are so grateful, this sounds like a much safer location. Praise God!

The downside is that there's no mail going in and out of this location. They will only get mail when they can pick it up at the large base. Dave said it's best to stop sending packages now, but please keep the prayers, letters and motomails coming.

And now back to the pictures . . . .

Pictures from Iraq

Dave called Kelly Friday morning. He and his company were at Al Asad for a few hours because they are making their own supply runs now. It was also an opportunity to eat some fresh, healthy salad and get a haircut. Best of all, he was able to make a long phone call to Kelly on a REAL phone. What a blessing!

Kelly said that Dave asked her to pass along his gratitude for all the care packages. They not only meet many physical needs, but help him remember that he is loved and cared about by many people. Thank you, everyone!

The latest newsletter (for June) from the Charlie Company commander is posted online. The link is:
http://www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/Public%2FIIMEFpublic.nsf/sites/1bn2mar

Dave mentioned to Kelly that uniform regulations are being enforced much more strictly. No more mustaches and no more bandanas around the head to keep the sweat from dripping in their eyes. He's had to learn how to hold his mouth "just so" when he breathes, in order to avoid getting a mouthful of gnats.

Best of all . . . . Dave mailed Kelly the memory stick from his camera, and she sent us a few photos via email. Here they are:

This first picture was taken in April. The rest are from early to mid-May. Clicking on a picture will show you a larger version.















Thank you for your continuing to support Dave and ALL of our troops through prayer!

Call from Dave

We were blessed this morning with an early phone call from Dave! Yea! He was trying to call Kelly, but her phone was turned off during church services, so we got a turn. :-) He sounded very tired, but it was amazingly wonderful to hear his voice.

He appreciates all the support he's been getting - motomails, letters, packages are all wonderful. For those sending care packages, Dave says don't send any more shirts or underwear, but he still needs socks. He also now has access to a microwave, so microwavable foods like EasyMac are good to send. And he no longer wants toys to give to local kids.

Dave sounded very tired. The extreme heat is very wearing, and they are constantly going out on patrols. In the mornings, when it's time to get dressed, his cammies are still wet from the previous day's sweat.

Unfortunately, the battalion chaplain does not visit their outpost, so there are no worship services or prayer support for the guys in Dave's company. He says he's on his own for prayer, which is discouraging.

We didn't discuss timetables for his return but I know we are all looking forward to the end of this deployment. One of the things he's looking forward to when he gets home is being able to cook healthy meals.

Dave said that yesterday he was thinking a lot about the two weddings he was missing. Two good friends, Jon Hansen and Reeve Farmer, both got married. Dave wished he could have been here for those two wonderful events. And yes, Jon, we did tell him about the Star Wars music! :-)

Thank you all for continuing to write to Dave and pray for him as this dangerous time continues.

Charlie Company Newsletter

I discovered this morning that Dave's battalion has what appears to be a fairly new web site, and it includes a newsletter for each company.

The web site behaves a bit oddly, but it works. To get there, click on the link over to the left called "C Company Newsletter." It will take you to the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines web page. Scroll down that page and on the right side you'll see "C Co. Newsletter." That's Dave's group. Click on "Read More" and you'll see the whole newsletter and a few pictures.

Phone Call From Al Asad!

Kathleen and I had a most welcome phone call from Kelly on the 6th at a much more civilized time of day than the 4:00 am phone call that she received from Dave a couple days earlier. Well, WE certainly were interested in what the news was, so Kelly (have we mentioned how much we like this woman?!) dutifully relayed what she could.

Turns out that our son was having a very brief stopover at Al Asad Airbase which is the big base in western Iraq. He was able to get a haircut there and have a meal at the Burger King ( I have to wonder if they have the same menu; would you like your burger with one hump or two?) He was able to buy a phone card and therefore have a nice long conversation on a regular telephone, without the significant delays and aggravating signal drops that have bedeviled their conversations on the satellite phones.

It was great to hear from Kelly that Dave was in good spirits. That is so wonderful to hear! She says he has lost about 10 pounds, as he is usually only eating one meal a day and supplementing with snacks. He really appreciates the care packages; Kelly says that when he receives a package, he spreads all the contents out on his rack for an initial triage.

On the scarier side, the other corpsman in Dave's platoon stepped on an IED but miraculously was only slightly scratched on the lip and on his eye gear. We don't have any further details but this definitly sounds like a miracle and we are so thankful that the damage was not worse. Keep up the prayers! Well that's it from me for now . . . here's Kathleen with some further thoughts.

Oh . . . before I go, we want to congratulate Kelly on getting her diploma!!!! We're so proud!!!








Kathleen here . . .
Chaplain Johnson, who serves Dave's battalion, is one of the chaplains supported by the Adopt-a-Chaplain organization. Chaplain Johnson made a special request for sewing supplies to give to the women of the local Iraqi village to help them make children's clothing and household items. Of course, we put out the call to our network of quilting friends. So far we've received 2 used sewing machines, many yards of fabric, and plenty of pins, seam rippers, and zippers. We could still use scissors and sewing machine needles.

Doc's Wife & Doc's Mom

A week ago, I flew to North Carolina to spend some time with Dave's wife, Kelly. Words can in no way convey how blessed and honored I feel to be able to call this wonderful young woman my daughter (OK, technically daughter-in-law)!

We spent Sunday with my cousins Laddie & Edna Munger in Cary, NC. They welcomed us with love, and we had a great visit. The photo to the right was taken in their beautiful back yard.

While we were in Cary, Dave called twice! Both times, reception went bad and we lost connection after just a few minutes, but I did get a chance to talk with him a bit. It was difficult for several reasons: the reception is very poor and unstable; there is a delay of several seconds in the transmission, so you tend to either talk over each other or have long pauses; and I was so excited and nervous that I forgot all the questions I wanted to ask, and forgot that the best thing was to just listen. But it was still a huge blessing to be able to hear my son's voice! Dave was able to call one more time when we were in Charleston, but all Kelly got was "Hi, it's me" and the line went dead.

Dave loves and appreciates the care packages he receives, and asked for a few specific things. His group is being housed in an old school building, and they were able to scrounge some lumber and build themselves some bunk beds. There's very little head space between bunks, but at least they're up off the ground. Dave asked us to send a foam pad to sleep on and the biggest battery-powered fan we could find. We also found out what specific kinds of underwear we can send.

There's no word on how things are going for Dave's unit. He doesn't like to talk about it on the phone, but needs to hear familiar voices.

Monday morning, Kelly and I headed for "home" in Jacksonville and went shopping for Dave at Extreme Outfitters and Walmart. We filled two boxes with a 10" fan, a self-inflating air mattress, a couple of sheets (olive drab, of course), a battery-powered hair trimmer, some underwear, snacks, and lots of batteries.

(Here's a care package idea, folks: The fan takes 8 D-cells, and will only run for a couple days on each set of batteries.)

Tuesday morning early, we headed for Charleston, South Carolina, for a "girls-only road trip." Along the way, we stopped to mail our care packages.

Once in Charleston, we went to the Visitor's Center, then took a carriage tour of the historic downtown area, followed by a trip to the old City Market, a great seafood dinner, and a 2-hour leisurely stroll around some of the old homes and the waterfront. It was beautiful, and the weather was mild.



Wednesday, we took a guided walking tour that included tours of two old mansions, then after a late lunch we drove up the river to tour a plantation with fabulous gardens. Kelly figured up that we walked for seven & a half hours that day!

While in Charleston, Kelly and I coordinated our outfits, wearing shirts we had bought for each other. On Tuesday we were "Proud Mom of a Navy Corpsman" and "Head Over Heals for my Corpsman." On Wednesday, our shirts said, "Doc's Mom" and "Doc's Wife" with Dave's picture. Many people stopped us to ask about our Corpsman, and the universal response was, "Thank you both for your sacrifice, and please thank him for his service to our country." It's wonderful to feel the appreciation and understanding.

It's good to be home again, but it was hard to leave Kelly. She is amazingly brave and strong, and she's on a mission to "keep the home fires burning." She makes sure Dave knows that she and their home are waiting for him when he returns. As you pray for Dave's strength and safe return home, please remember Kelly, too.

P.S. Click on the picture above to read the back of her WAY cool sweatshirt!

Calls to Kelly

Dave was able to call Kelly both Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon. A satellite phone has been installed at their camp, but the line to use that phone is always very long, and Dave is really busy. In fact, he'd had no sleep in between the two calls.

There's no real news to report, except that Dave is OK and doesn't want us to send any more clothes. Regulations about what they can wear ( including underwear) are really strict. Much of what he has received in care packages either does not fall within guidelines or is too tight.

Dave is longing for home, for sleep, for loved ones, for healthy food, and for being able to cook again. It's a huge boost to his spirits to know that Kelly is in North Carolina making a home for them, and will be there when he returns. Bless you, Kelly!

For those of you sending occasional care packages, canned fruit would be a great addition.

The best thing we can do for Dave, in addition to constant prayer, is to write letters telling of day-to-day things. Our ordinary activities are what he'd like to hear about, even if they seem boring to us. If you don't like to write letters, ask me about Motomail. It's fast & easy, almost like email!

A letter from Dave

We received our first letter from Dave this week. It brought both joy and heartache, and was a true blessing to read. He told us that what is keeping him going is the great love he feels from his wife, his family and God.

Here is a portion of the letter:
"I have seen His hand at work many times already. Even the non-believers have stated that they have experienced a miracle. Indeed, it was a miracle that we took zero casualties when my squad was ambushed."

Dave added more detail about the ambush in a letter to Kelly. His squad was out on patrol. (They go out looking for weapons caches and IEDs.) A ways up the road, four gunmen in two separate houses started firing automatic weapons. At first, due to the distance, it sounded like firecrackers and kicked up dust all around and between the guys.

Dave said he could hear the bullets whizzing past him. Acting on adrenaline, he jumped aside into some barbed wire, and barely felt it at the time. The guy in front of Dave was hit in the chest where his Kevlar vest protected him. The guy behind Dave was grazed in the back of the leg. The lieutenant fell down, which saved his life (don't know exactly how, those are Dave's words).

The Marines began returning fire, but the other guys had an escape route planned, and took off in a truck.

Dave's company has suffered several casualties, but no deaths. Four of those casualties were the result of a suicide bomber.

Dave's closing advice to all of us were to cherish each other, because life is too precious to be taken for granted.

Out on Patrol

While Dave's platoon was out on patrol Friday, they had to stop for supplies, so he had an opportunity to call Kelly. (With the time difference, it was 4:30 a.m. for her.) He said they haven't been able to shower for weeks, and he's pulling chunks of dirt out of his head (not sure what that means?). His back is hurting alot because they have to wear their 60-pound Kevlar vests and other gear all the time, and they're sleeping on wood planks, which means not much sleep.

Dave says the packages he's received have been wonderful, and the motomails and letters lift his spirits tremendously.

Of course, no water for showers also means no water for laundry, so he asked us to send cheap marine-green t-shirts, PT shorts, and white tube socks that he can wear for a while and then throw away.

Once again, Kevin gave me a wise perspective on the situation. He said that if Dave is talking about being smelly and dirty and tired and sore, that probably means he hasn't been having to treat wounds from bullets & bombs. Better to have some personal discomfort to think about than the loss of a wounded Marine that he might have been unable to save.

In addition to having her husband in a war zone, Kelly is having a lot of stress with her new job as a preschool teacher. Please keep her in your prayers also.

BOX 4,000 for 4,000 has arrived at TQ!!!!

This is the special care package (number 4000) that Kathleen and Kelly helped pack for the Adopt-A-Chaplain organization; see the March 22 entry in this blog.

Chaplain McLaughlin is the chaplain who overseas all the other chaplains for the 4000 Marines in western Iraq. Thus the label on the box: "Box 4000 for 4000."

You can read an article about it in the Marine Corps news by going to the link below.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/748F32988B8AC26D852572B50034CE2F?opendocument

Thank you all for your continuing support of our troops!

Quick check-in

Kelly just called from the Phoenix airport. She's on her way from California back to North Carolina, and wanted to let us know that she received a very brief phone call from Dave at 3:00 this morning.

Apparently there's been some alarming news coverage of his Area of Operations, and the troops were given the opportunity to make a 5-minute phone call to assure loved ones that they're OK.

He's in a very remote location, so we don't know the logistics of how the phone calls were arranged. We're just extremely grateful to receive some news! Kelly said there was a lot of noise in the background, probably all the other guys standing in line for their turn to use the phone.

Dave said to please keep sending letters and motomails, because that's what keeps him going. The mail is slow, arrives infrequently in large batches, and is appreciated more than we can imagine.

(He also said he is "stinky and gross," and could we please send t-shirts, underwear, and wet wipes.)

Adopt-A-Chaplain

Today's post is a tribute to the Adopt-a-Chaplain organization. These folks have taken on the task of supporting deployed military chaplains all over the world. Their ministry is growing daily: in their first 18 months, they mailed 1000 care packages; in the next 6 months, another 1000 packages; package #3000 came 6 weeks later, in February 2007; this morning, they mailed package #4000!



That special package is being sent to the head chaplain who coordinates all chaplain services for the 4000 Marines and Corpsmen serving in western Iraq. The commanding general (and a publicity crew) will be on hand when package #4000 arrives in Iraq, and Kelly, Kevin and I were there to see it mailed. Kelly was photographed handing box #4000 to the supervisor of the Saratoga Post Office! It was an exciting, heart-warming, and greatly encouraging morning. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone at Adopt-a-Chaplain for your devotion and service to the Lord and to our troops.












Dave's chaplain, Lt. Charles Johnson, is now among those being supported by Adopt-a-Chaplain. This morning's packing included boxes for Chaplain Johnson and even a special box for our own Dave, and we were blessed with the opportunity to write letters to include in these boxes. Wow, what a day!

"Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."
Philippians 4:6

Lizard breath and bridal shower

First the bridal shower . . .

Kelly is on a "battery recharge" trip to California, and as I write this she is driving from San Diego to our part of the state to visit family. What a blessing it is to us to now be part of her family! Wow!

Thursday night part of our church family is hosting a belated bridal shower for Kelly. Party time!

As to the lizard breath . . . .

Dave was able to squeeze in one more phone call to Kelly yesterday, and related a fun story. While he and I talked on Thursday, I was outdoors and encountered a lizard on the sidewalk. I told him about it, with fond memories of him & Scott both chasing lizards when they were kids. A day or so after our phone conversation, Dave saw a lizard poke its head up out of the sand, and he grabbed it. He was carrying it around the camp, showing it to the other guys. The lizard bit one of the Marines, who got mad, bit the lizard's head off and spit it out in the sand. Eeeewwww . . . .

On a more serious note, Dave is part of an advance party that will soon be heading to their assigned AO to check things out and get set up for the rest of the group. As corpsman, he has the "honor" of setting up the designated latrine areas. Trenches must be at least a certain distance from the sleeping area, farther from the eating area, and a specific number of feet wide/long/deep. Another eeewwww from mom!

Yesterday, this same advance party was ordered to a tent to watch a 2-hour video on IEDs, and instead they were shown the new movie "300," which was just released to theaters. Not my cup of tea, but a nice treat for the guys. :-)

There's no running water where the guys are headed, so if anyone out there is sending care packages, please include wet wipes and hand sanitizer. Thanks!

Kelly and Dave are grateful for your love and prayers. They both know it's important to put their trust in the Lord and rely on him for strength, and your prayers are a huge encouragement to them.

Getting ready to move out . . .

What a blessing from the Lord! David called yesterday morning and we were able to talk until his phone card ran out (about 45-50 minutes). It was almost noon for me, past bedtime for him.

He’s doing OK, except for lack of sleep. There are 50 guys to a tent, sleeping on small cots. Dave says he can lie on his back on his cot, extend his arms, and touch the two guys on either side of him. It’s past midnight when things quiet down, and by 0400, the noises begin again.

Chow is good, in spite of the long walk. In addition to “regular” food, there’s a salad bar, a pasta bar, a pizza bar, and a freezer full of ice cream desserts.

As a security measure, the base is kept dark at night. It is constantly being watched from outside the walls, and the civilian workers on the base also present security challenges.

His battalion’s current focus is on getting ready to move out of the base into their designated Areas of Operations (AOs). Dave can only say that they’ll be in isolated areas (very likely without running water) that are known to be high danger areas. An advance party went to one of the AOs a couple days ago and hit a roadside bomb. We’re grateful that they were in a super-armored Humvee, so there were no casualties.

When Dave’s group arrives at their AO, he and several other corpsmen will be setting up a mini Aid Station for treating casualties. For significant injuries, they call in the med-evac helicopters, which are only a few minutes away, so casualties can be transported to the regular Battalion Aid Station.

So Dave is spending most of his time during these few days in training classes, learning things he’s mostly not allowed to tell us about. He sends his love to everyone back home, and really appreciates your prayers. He said it was possible that this could be the last phone call he'll be able to make for months. We pray that's not the case, but we're constantly reminded that "no news is good news."

"This I declare of the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I am trusting him. "
--- from Psalm 91, "The Soldier's Psalm"
(See the link to the left for a good article on this Psalm.)

Mission Training

David was fortunate to be able to call Kelly again yesterday. (I think it was yesterday - with an 11-hour time difference, it's sometimes hard to tell.)

The entire battalion has arrived at Al Asad now, and they're being trained in the specifics about their mission, how to spot IEDs, and numerous things he couldn't discuss on the phone. Within the next 3-4 days they will head out to their various AOs (areas of operation).

The guys were told about a new kind of boot that's more comfortable and better for your feet than the standard issue. Uncle Sam allows them, but doesn't provide them. So Kelly went to one of the numerous military supply stores in town and bought a pair to ship to Dave. Hopefully, they'll arrive within 2-3 weeks, before the weather gets too awful. Right now it's only in the 80s.

The Marine Corps has a new type of mail service available to anyone who wants to write letters to Marines or Sailors. You go to www.motomail.us and sign up for the service (using the address information I provided in email last week), then write your letter online. It is then sent to the military facility nearest its destination, printed out, sealed, addressed, and delivered with regular mail call. All within 24-48 hours. Regular snail mail takes 2-4 weeks.

Call from Iraq

Dave was able to call Kelly today from the big American base at Al Asad, Iraq, where he is spending 4-5 days.

There were travel difficulties getting from Kuwait to Iraq, and the battalion is traveling in groups, so they're waiting for the last ones to arrive. A number of his Marines are suffering from food poisoning. They went to a McDonalds in Kuwait, and everyone who ate a certain (unnamed) burger became very ill.

Security on the base is very intense, and a buddy system is strictly enforced. Sleep is at irregular intervals on a dirty concrete floor with bright lights blazing all around. The closest chow hall is a 15-minute walk, and some days he's gotten only one meal, but is glad they're not having to eat MREs yet.

Tomorrow they begin classes regarding their mission, so Dave is glad to have something to do besides taking care of barfing Marines.

Deployment begins . . .

The latest news from our end is that David left Wednesday on deployment to Iraq, because as a Navy Corpsman, he is attached to the Marines and goes where they go. He's with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines in Charlie Company, so he'll be going out on patrol with them in the 7-ton trucks.

David called us Friday morning from Camp Virginia in Kuwait. They arrived there Thursday night somewhere around midnight Kuwait time, which is 11 hours ahead of California. Lights didn't go out until 3:00 a.m., and even though there was no reveille call Friday morning, he was up at 7:00 for chow and a much-appreciated shower.

They had flown from Cherry Point, North Carolina, to Bangor, Maine, where they were met by a group of WWII and Korean War veterans, along with the Freeport Flag Ladies. Check out their web site for pictures: http://freeportflagladies.com

On the left side of the main page, under "Meeting the Troops in Bangor", click on "March." At the bottom of that page are numbers representing pages of pictures. Dave is on pages 4 & 5.

The Freeport Flag Ladies are a group in Freeport, Maine that drive two hours each way to meet & greet the departing & returning troops. The reason there are so many pictures of Marines talking on phones is that these ladies provide the cell phones. The Marines & Sailors can temporarily turn in their ID card in exchange for a few minutes of phone time. In the two pictures of David, he's talking to Kelly. On page 4, he's in the eighth row down. Four guys in the foreground are playing cards, and David is sitting in the background, leaning against the wall. On page 5, he's in the second row down, picture on the right.

After an hour or so in Bangor, they flew to Germany, and from there to Kuwait. About 28 hours of travel, with their only sleep being catnaps on the planes and in airports. They'll be in Kuwait for a day or maybe two, then fly into Iraq on C-130s.

Pre-deployment pics of Kelly & Dave at their apartment in Jacksonville, NC (click on a picture to see a larger version):