One of the things on my bucket list is to go back to Iraq and see my old friends.
There's Raheem from out side the back gate to Baghdad International airport. I'd sneek out with another soldier in a borrowed vehicle and get beer, and I mean real beer, Raheem had Corona, MGD, Bud, some european beer by the case. The rest of the convoy would be afraid to go but I declaired myself the beer NCO. Alchol was vervboten, but screw that, every mission could have been our last. Nothing like a good beer buzz after a long stressful trip. We had a mutual conspiracy to get by the MP's. I'd get 10-15 cases @ $20.00, Raheem started comping me with extra cases and a secret stash after we got to know each other.The year was 2003.
Then there's Dief Moshin, google him, he's the third generation caretaker of the world's most well preserved ziggarut in Ur.Unbelieveable person, taught himself english with a dictionary. Knew the history of Ur and gave us a tour that will always be one of my most cherished memmories. He was in National Geographic in an article about the journey of Abraham. At the time the artticle was published he was unable to get a copy because of the sanctions against Iraq. I had my wife find a copy on the internet and had her sent it to me. Presenting it t

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