News Tribune reporter Sean Cockerham and The Olympian photographer Tony Overman covered local troops in Baghdad and Mosul, Iraq, for several weeks in Sept.-Oct. 2006. For news stories and photographs, visit our Military section
If you have questions about our local troops or their deployment, or want to suggest story ideas, contact military reporter Mike Gilbert.- All
- Observations (36)
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FOB Marez, Mosul __ Holidays don’t mean a lot here.
I haven’t been in Iraq for Thanksgiving or Christmas, which I imagine involve something special at the chow hall. But most days are the same.
Everyone who’s been to Iraq has heard the cliché lifted from the Bill Murray movie --it’s Groundhog Day every day here. Soldiers constantly lose track of what day it is. It’s not like it really matters, they don’t get weekends off.
Birthdays also aren’t much different from any other day. I turn 34 today. Tony will have his birthday here in just over a week. I might grab an extra bowl of Baskin Robbins ice cream at the chow hall to celebrate. I expect I’ll get emails from my wife and parents.
I don’t imagine it’s much different for the soldiers, all of whom will turn a year older in Iraq.
Far more important is that today is the memorial service for Carl Johnson, a Fort Lewis soldier killed by an IED in Mosul on Saturday. He won't get to have his 22nd birthday.
-- Sean Cockerham
