Speaking of Tapline road, it's like the major highway in all of Saudi, pretty pathetic considering it's a two-lane road, kinda like 724, except more dangerous. I shit you not. Fanbelts don't know how drive. They're lunatics! Get a load of this, if a driver coming towards you and decides he (and it's always a he Ortolan, it's one of the things the Arabs have right, women ain't allowed to drive) wants to pass, he has the right of way in your lane. No wonder the fan belts are so fatalistic. They are always going around saying Inshallah - God willing. I guess they figure if God wants them to be crushed by a five-ton truck or a flatbed hauling a tank it's perfectly all right with them.
To answer your question, no, the Saudi government ain't like a bunch of cultural or religious Nazis. Whatever you've been hearing on talk radio is full of shit. Far as I know, nobody around here's been hassled about crucifixes or Stars of David. Religious Services are held openly. Our rations still have ham, if that's what they call it. No one's given us any shit about American flags on our fatigues. You know if they were, I'd be bitching up a storm. Till next time, hang lose. Enjoy the fall; you don't know how lucky you are. What I wouldn't do to see another frost.
Count
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Shannie, October 31st, 1990
Jesus Christ, I turned in tonight and before falling asleep realized its Halloween. It's funny that I almost forgot, considering just the other day I got to thinking about the night we borrowed the corpse from Lucas's. It's funny now, but back then it was serious business. I never admitted it, I was scared shitless after old man Lucas threatened to call the cops. I thought for sure we bought it. I know Morrison felt the same way. I still don't know how you figured out he was bullshitting us. But, I never could figure you out. I think Morrison is the only one who can. That reminds me, when I get back, we have to have a talk about you two.
Anyway, it's late, reveille is early. I'm turning in. Again, Happy Halloween, even though it'll probably be closer to Thanksgiving when you get this. So happy Thanksgiving to.
Lurch
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Shannie, November 20th, 1990
Rumors 'round here are jumping. This place has more rumors than dunes, and you have to be here to understand that statement, really!
The big one is we might be coming home! Words filtered down that the brass in Washington is chewing on a rotation policy. If they approve it, we're stateside! Sentiment is don't get your hopes up. I'll believe it when I see it. In this case, it's safer to be the pessimist - at least I won't be disappointed. I thing a lot of folks are reacting to the arrival of VII Corps. If you watch CNN like you say you do, you knew they were coming. You can't help but noticed the increased traffic on Tapline Road. A joke has it that they brought so many tanks that the Arabian peninsula will break off and sink into the Gulf. A buddy of mine over in aviation brigade told me his CO is on record as saying VII Corps is here to join us not to relieve us. You know what that means - the road home goes through Kuwait. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how the road gets me home, as long as it gets me there.