[at-l] Not Trail related: Letter from a sailor

[DaRedhead@aol.com]

I interrupt your regularly scheduled program of hiking, thinking about 
hiking, dehydrating food for hiking, and the Subway Series (why can't I say 
that without smiling?).  From a Lt who flys SH-60B's off the USS Hawes.  
Thought you might like to read it.

"It wasn't until a few days ago, though, that we started doing something that 
I feel may be the first thing I've seen in my short Naval career that has 
truly made a difference.  Right now we're supporting the USS COLE and her 
crew in Aden.  When the attack occurred we were a day away.  Just by luck we 
happened to be on our way out of the Gulf and headed towards the Suez and 
could get here in a relatively short amount of time.  I know what you all 
have seen on CNN, because we have seen it too. I just want you all to know 
that what you see doesn't even scratch the surface.  I'm not going to get 
into it for obvious reasons.  But I will tell you that right now there are 
250+  sailors just a few miles away living in hell on Earth.  I'm sitting in 
a nice air conditioned state room, they're sleeping out on the decks at 
night.  You can't even imagine the conditions they're living in, and yet they 
are still fighting 24 hours a day to save their ship and free the bodies of 
those still trapped and send them home.  As bad as it is, they're doing an 
incredible job.

The very fact that these people are still functioning is beyond my 
comprehension.  Whatever you imagine as the worst, multiply it by ten and you 
might get there.  Today I was tasked to photo rig the ship and surrounding 
area.  It looked so much worse than I had imagined, unbelievable really, with 
debris and disarray everywhere, the ship listing, the hole in her side.  I 
wish I had the power to relay to you all what I have seen, but words just 
won't do it.

I do want to tell you the first thing that jumped out at me - the Stars and 
Stripes flying.  I can't tell you how that made me feel...even in this God 
forsaken hell hole our flag was more beautiful than words can describe. Then 
I started to notice the mass of activity going on below, scores of people 
working non-stop in 90 plus degree weather to save this ship. They're doing 
it with almost no electrical power and they're sleeping (when they can sleep) 
outside on the decks because they can't stand the smell or
the heat or the darkness inside.  They only want to eat what we bring them 
because they're all scared of eating something brought by the local vendors.  
Even with all that, the USS COLE and her crew is sending a message guys, and 
it's that even acts of cowardice and hate can do nothing to the spirit and 
pride of the United States.  I have never been so proud of what I do, or of 
the men and women that I serve with as I was today. There are sixteen 
confirmed dead sailors who put it on the line for all of us, and some of them 
are still trapped here.  Please take a minute to pray for their families and 
say a word of thanks for their sacrifice - one made so that we can live the 
lives that we do.  All of you that serve with me, thank you. All of you that 
have loved ones that serve, thank you."

Please feel free to pass this on to those you think will appreciate it.

V/R
LT Landry

Back to the regularly scheduled program . . . :)


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