LETTERS FROM BAGHDAD

july27,2003
e-mail
yes, makes me homesick, thinking of all
the fun days i had sailing on my boat.
goddamn this place is like a prison! i
miss you you too but i just have to wait.
it may be a while before i e-mail again,
the net has become so unreliable here
(especially this time of the day!) the
last few times i have come up here the
net has been shut down. dont be alarmed if
you dont hear from me for a while,
(remember i have to walk almost 5 miles to
get here!) i sure miss home where i have
my own pc. this one is soooo slow! i'll
send more snailmail but remember it
takes almost a month to reach you...
thinking of you always, miss you...love...m

july26,2003
e-mail (edited)
hey babe!
things are a little better here on this end,
so life is becoming a little easier. got another
package from you, takes about five weeks (bummer).
i am gaining weight it seems, (must be the heat LOL!)
also the iraqi people are always feeding me, it's unreal!
(you cant refuse thier foodLOL!) i'm starting to send
some things home (including some gifts). just in case the
rumors are true i dont want to tote a bunch of stuff around!
afraid to write too much (net might go down like the
past few days). stay in touch. really stuck on you babe
(my hearthrob!) love...m
p.s. you have more snailmail coming (wish it didnt take so long,
kills me!)

july25,2003
e-mail
hey babe!
it's true they may keep us here until next year.
(we may still make plans for spring, i'll keep you
posted).any ring you send me i will wear forever, even if it's
on my dogchain. i had no idea the bastards would
keep us so long. other units are getting to go home
(like sgt's) but they are keeping the police and infantry here
until we can be relieved next year. (tough luck)
there is a rumor going around that we are leaving
in nov. so keep your fingers crossed. many guys will
mutiny if they keep us through the holidays i'm sure.
i better go while i can, the net could go down at
any time. see ya. love you...m

july21,2003
e-mail (edited)
greetings from baghdad babe! all is calm here,
i keep hearing things on the news but nothing is happening
here, not even a gunshot. i went to the bazaar today,
kind of pricey and most of the stuff you can find in the states.
anyway, i count the days till we can be together (months!)
we are scheduled to go home*** i hope all is well with you.
i'm writing more letters as well, (i can take my time).
morale among the guys only gets worse here,
(everyone wants to go home!) bush and rumsfeld are the most
hated men on earth around here now, i dont see how he can get
re-elected now, (they are so hated!) anyway, i will write more later.
nothing much to say except i long for the day we can be together.
oh yeah, got to explore an old chem lab, (no WMD's of course)
but it was fun pouring acid on stuff and watching it burnLOL!
anyway, love you babe...love...m

july17,2003
e-mail (edited)
hey now! i'm back! first sgt. didnt want to stay out long,
(wouldnt even let us go to burger kingLOL!) anyway, all is well
except for the fact that i am stuck here. it's a miserable situation
but at least a couple pools are open. they are going to move
the post office closer so maybe i can actually send things!
i wrote you a long letter, i cant wait for next year, i live for it!
anyway, tonight's letter will be short, i need to get some mail out
and catch up on the news. the internet being my only lifeline
to the outside world. love you babe...m

july15,2003
e-mail (some of the private stuff is edited out)
i miss you too love! i don't think they (the forces that be)
know how bad this sort of deployment hurts people and
the lives they have. thats why your letters and words
are so important to me! all through this hell you're still there.
i too dream of our future together and look at this part of my life
as being in prison of sorts. they should have sent us home
by now but they are making us stay, its almost like
they are punishing us. i'll be gone tomorrow on a short mission
but i'll get back to you as soon as i can (a day or two perhaps).
every day here is pure freaking torture. well, perhaps i will say
more in a letter. i'll have time to write and i will try to get back
to sgt's place asap. take care babe. love...m

july 17, 2003
e-mail
hey babe! (good morning!) yeah, you'd
get no complaints on the one way ticket thing, i'm
here for you (i've only had a half year to think about itLOL!)
youre lucky in that dept. (i'm bragging) because i would wait
for you no matter what you decide. i'm really that kind of person
i'm also good at resisting temptation (some of my friends
are not very good at itLOL) so you know i'll be
here for you. funny you mentioned employment. my
old ***company is offering me a cash bonus to sign
back up but i hated being alone on the road for weeks at
a time. it's great money though (and if i had someone with me...)
anyway, i'm still stuck here (without you) and it's driving
me crazy. feb. seems such a long way off...
the good news is life is full of good things and surprises and you
entering (re-entering) my life ranks up there bigtime. i guess
it just goes to show how much can change in such a short time span.
we have something to look forward to and that always makes me feel
better.(just wish i wasnt stuck hereLOL).
we can thank sgt. for the net use, (they still dont have internet cafe here yet).
love your letters babe (have you recieved all of mine?) the guys were with
me when i opened your packages and freaked out at the length of the
letters LOL! i'm so happy (no one else gets letters like thatLOL!)
i love the snacks, nothing but crap food at the PX (i only buy cokes
and smokes) well, i'll sign off for now.i want to check the news groups
for things (see, i'm always hoping we'll go home early). i wish the
administration would get off thier arses and get some of us home
(it's all anybody thinks about no matter what your politics).
love you babe...love...m
ps i'll write another letter tomorrow (instead of
e-mail) so i can take my time, etc...

july12,2003
e-mail
subject:how are you sweet one?
hey babe! i just got your packages! i mean just now!
i left for chow and to visit sgt. so i still have your letters
to look forward to before i go to bed tonight. and i'll read them
twice like i always do. you have no idea how warm
your words make me feel! i can't believe i found you again
(or vice-versa) i'm glad you are in my life again.
mid*** sounds great! i won't be here any later than***
(as per orders) and that will give me time to***.
only a few friends are writing still and i will keep a low
profile until you arrive. i've so much to do when i return
(like having a life again!) you will be there for my birthday.
two months sounds great! we'll have plenty of time together.
you already know how i feel about being together forever,
i'm into that bigtime but i'm mr. flexible (i've never been one to
worry or read into things) any amount of time i could get with you
would be cool and we'll make the best of it. i'm trying to
keep up on the news but it's not easy even with the use of sgt's
pc. it's hard to get away from the army life to surf the net.
i sure miss the palace and being with the special operations
people, (we had it made!) we're just 'grunts' here, infantry that the
v corps just uses for dirty work. we may be the only infantry
here, i don't know. i think this place is aging me! i've got to get
home again! believe it or not i can stay in better shape at home!
i'm going to sign off for now babe, (i want to check the news some)
love you babe (can't believe you are still here with me) in mind and
soul... anyway...love you babe...
p.s. i love the beads you sent! i'll carry them everywhere (can't wear them,
i'm afraid they will break) love...m

july11,2003
e-mail
subject:how are you sweet one?
hey babe! did you get the photos? the arnie pics
didnt load onto the floppy (shit)..
your plans sound great, i'll motor to ***,***,
and florida and we'll fit a train ride in there
somewhere. how long can you stay? we can make a schedule
later but at least we have something to go on. i havent got
any mail in weeks, same with most of the other guys. some
get mail but most of us havent recieved a thing in a month or two.
the outgoing mail seems to be working .
it's pretty boring here at the time being. things are improving.
we have a new chow hall and the swimming pools are open.
they say there will soon be internet but it hasnt happened yet.
i'm going to check out your photos sweet one! if i have time i'll
get back to you this evening. it's tough sometimes. the net
is so unreliable (it's been down the last couple times i walked
up here)...i'll be back...love...m

july8,2003
(e-mail)
subject: worried
hey babe!
yeah, i know , i feel the same way. i keep thinking
about when we can be together.it's the only thing on
my mind now and it just might be what keeps me sane
in this hellhole...
not to worry, no one shoots at me. i do make trips to
baghdad and the airport from time to time but it's
always calm.
we sure won't get bored next year with so little time to
do so much. of course we have to spend some time
in btown and we have to deal with your work but florida
interests me the most simply because of the weather
and the ocean. (so many things a couple can do together.)
i find myself thinking of you all the time now but at first
i tried to distract myself just to avoid the pain of
not being with you. anyway, i'm worried now i'll lose
this connection so i'll send now and maybe write you
a letter later. take care love, be safe yourself...love...m...

june 20,2003
(snail mail)
dearest love!
greetings from sunny iraq! it's just too bad it takes a
month to recieve this letter. i feel like anything i say
is oddly outdated. the phones and internet are
unreliable as hell here. i got to read some of your
messages the other day but couldn't reply because
i kept getting disconnected. the phones are turned off
because 'general franks' is in the area. i wonder what
they would do to me if i 'flipped him the bird' should he
happen by my guard post? i blame him (or people like him)
for keeping us here. we sit here now talking about throwing
eggs at his convoy. i'd like to have that escort duty though,
i'd tell him just what i think about his 'screwed up' little
war. anyway, we are stuck here in baghdad until the end of
july and then we will go somewhere else (they won't tell us where).
we are treated like mushrooms (they keep us in the dark
and feed us shit). find enclosed a coin. i'm afraid thats all
this poor foot soldier has to send to you. i can't get away from
post to buy anything. i'd have to have an iraqi
mail it anyway, they won't let us send anything 'iraqi' home
from here (though i am sure other soldiers get to send things
home). i'm on 'escort duty' for the time being so maybe i'll figure
something out, you have a birthday gift coming and i wanted to
shop for that. i also can't get you off my mind wondering
if we'll ever get to see each other. i had another dream
about you but like the last dream, i never found you.
i don't know when we can meet now. i read an article
in the stars and stripes about our unit. it said we can expect
a year or more of duty here (this is only month five!) sucks, eh?
they won't even let us take leave or R&R. (even in the marines
i got R&R!) oh well, i don't mean to be such a downer babe,
it is just that i love and miss you bad...m LOVE!

july 4th,2003
subject: independence day
greetings babe! we can't get the digital cams to work
(but something will developLOL!) got to meet arnold
schwarzenegger today! he visited the camp palace and i
got to take lots of pictures. also got my picture taken
with him. the unit will post it on a website so you can
have that photo as soon as i get the web address.
the dates you mentioned sound perfect. we might as well start
planning, thinking of things to do. i need a break and this will be perfect.
i can rest up during the holidays, and do the*** thing
until you arrive. i've also put a lot of money aside
so there's no financial limit to what we can do though
i'm sure we'd enjoy each other's company even if
we were broke!LOL! i'm going to bring my camera up here
tomorrow and we'll see if maybe we can get some pics to you.
sgt. thinks maybe the problem is with his computer, we'll see.
not much to write about from this end babe, i had a day off.
everyday seems the same here (boring, hot and dry). i am
starting to learn some arabic. but i was hoping i wouldn't
be here long enough to learn itLOL! one of my iraqi friends
quit his job the other day.that sucks because not many
of the guys we escort speak very good english.
i'll get back with you tomorrow nite, you're always on my mind
now which might not be such a good thing due to the
fact we are apart so long!LOL! love you babe...
love...m

july 4th,2003
subject:can't stay away
hey babe! you can send all the mail
you want to this account.there's no spam
and sgt.'s pc is pretty fast.i've no problem
getting to use it, there's no one here now.
no matter what happens i will be home for the holidays.
and we need at least one month to "demobe". lets make
plans for this winter. i'm so into it i have so much
to look forward to when i get home! i bought a digital camera
we'll see if we can get it going. sgt. is gonna buy one too.
they just got in. i thought it would be cool to
send you some pics, maybe a short time movie.
like i said my plans this winter are simple. take a break
when i get home, do things with you when you visit
(we can work out the details later). if youre serious
about visiting i will put my life 'on hold for you'.
i'll write tomorrow or the next day (its a long walk
up here to HQ from my barracks LOL). you should go ahead
and make some plans and get back to me (ie. your work,
florida trip, etc.) give me some feedback babe!
love ya babe. miss you...love, m

july1,2003 (e-mail)
subject: i love you!
hey babe! it's a small world after all,
i'm sitting here with a sgt.p, says you
contacted him via e-mail about reaching me
over here and he only had to walk 25 feet
to find me LOL! he says i can use his pc from
time to time so i will try to stay in touch!
they haven't got any internet to our unit yet
but it may be crowded if they do. i've sent you several
letters, hoped you recieved them. i'm looking at some
time in november for getting home, so anytime you can
visit after that would be cool. i'm thinking some time in
florida would be cool,maybe on a sailboat. i know you have
work to do there, but maybe there will be time for other
things LOL! i'll get back to you before i depart for the
evening. going to check the rest of my mail.. love you babe

july1,2003 (e-mail)
subject: i love you!
i'm still here, thought you would be home!
it's a small world. i don't think he ever thought
he would find me that fast. we stand guard duty
near here at the HQ. there are rumors that we are going home
in august (cross your fingers!) thanks for always being there.
i have a chance to go to the market so i hope we don't leave
too soon LOL! i got something in mind for your birthday
gift. sgt. p says hello. i'll get back to you more now
that i have a pc to use! love ya babe...m

june 5,2003 ( a"fast"snailmail)
dearest love!
i get to sit down and write you a letter! I hope by the
time this letter reaches you i have contacted you by
e-mail or phone (or better yet, i am at home!) we have
gone from living in a palace, (complete with e-mail and
swimming pool) to living in a dusty old warehouse with no lights
or running water. it's back to the real army now, complete with mp
and kp duty. that's why i could never tell you what i was doing before.
we were attached to the special forces who were attached to
special operations. they are the 'spooks and kooks' of the service.
we were involved with the war before it was a war so they were very
strict about what we could say and not say.
anyway, i have tried to reach you by phone but with no luck, i haven't
been able to reach a live operator who can connect me to your number.
i got lucky the one time i could reach you because the operator was willing
to plug in the numbers until they worked.*** did not charge me for that call.
but no luck getting an operator to try that again.
everyone here now wants to go home real bad. six months is long enough
for reserve soldiers. we all feel that way, (there is a lot of guard and
reserves here) but no one knows when they are going home....
i guessed we would be here about six months and that would mean
you would recieve this letter when i am at home (i pray). if not,
i'm skrewed. i don't know what's up with the army but they are keeping the
people here in baghdad a lot longer than anyone ever thought they would.
even the 3rd infantry div. is still here and they were the first to arrive.
the tv news said they were to go home... not so. (they are not very happy)
we are getting some better treatment, which helps. they brought in two
huge air conditioners, complete with generators to cool our 'warehouse' and they
put windows in. they are also going to open the swimming pools near here,
but with all that, people still want to go home.
they are trying to make it better for us but 'there is no place like home'...
i had hoped you could make it stateside for the holidays but in the event i am stuck
here,i suppose next summer would be best. yes, i can help you move your stuff!
not a problem! i would like to take the time to do that and i will have my own truck
(or we could rent one). i don't expect to be paid but you can foot the bill if
you like for (lodging and a meal or two, etc.). i have room for your stuff where
my things are stored, and your stuff would be safe if i got my own place.
i will be available for you...
i am kicking around the idea of going to grad school or getting a 'real' job,
but i plan to hang out in btown for awhile and just do my own thing. raise
a puppy, fix up my sailboat, work at the ***, ride my horse, listen to my stereo,
and get wasted a lot.LOL! after this, i'll never take life for granted or complain
about things again. nothing can prepare you for what happens here.
i'll have photos to share with you, the best way to describe what was happening with
me. i do hope you visit, that would mean so much to me, i don't expect
a relationship or*** but spending time together and just holding hands would be cool.
i have my own way of doing things so i'm sure you'll understand.
i doubt i will be seeing anyone, in the near future anyway. i'm sure someone
will 'pop up' but it is not a priority at this point in my life. even in the event
that i might have a girlfriend when you visit i will spend the time with you
because it is only fair. you are leaving the company of your mate to
spend time with me (as a very close and 'dear' friend) so the least i
could do is spend time away from a girlfriend. i don't like keeping things from
people but this meeting could be justified simply by our relationship. i wouldn't
worry a girlfriend any so i could just lie of course (lie lie lie)LOL!
they still don't have the lights working here so i am writing by the light of a flashlight.
someone said we must be going home (or leaving) because they are
'fixing up' the place. we just recieved a new refridgerator/cooler and microwave
as i write. someone just stopped by my bunk and said there is a rumor floating around
that flights are being booked for us. some one else just brought dinner to me, i've got
some good friends here, i'll sure miss them if we do go home.
some of the guys saw your photos posted above my bunk here.
they said it looks like you got a boob job,LOL! i said your not the type
but i would ask LOL! ( poster's note: these guys need to go home bad, they are
seeing mirages!!!LOL) anyway, you look awesome and i would be proud to have
you as my own. i've had such strong feelings for you (for decades!)
i can't believe we never got together since high school. I'll write more
later but i'm being forced into a chess game. we don't have a lot of free
time so i spent the evening writing letters. c's mom writes as well.
c writes too so i wanted to get these letters out! i sure miss my e-mail
and i always make a point to answer yours first! you are the main
reason this tour has been easier for me, staying in touch with
you has made it easier... well, i will sign off now, love you dearly!
(love you babe)... m
p.s. your package just arrived. thanks! (it has been a good day)