From The Sand Box

 To the fine people of Winston Co, most of you know me by Flipper I went to high school in Double Springs. My mom Pat and Dad Nick live in Haleyville. I have been in the wonderland of Iraq for 11 months, when I got assigned to the 172^nd CSG out of Broken Arrow OK. I was put in charge of the automations section, (people that have known me in the past must be rolling there eyes at that), I did that for about two months after we hit the ground on Camp Anaconda (Balad) Iraq also known as Mortarville. Around the second month my Command SGT Major started a convoy security team for him and the COL, it was supposed to be for them when they had to roll to other camps. That quickly turned into a whole lot more. We ended up with four convoy security trucks and have been all over central Iraq pulling security for convoys carrying everything from fuel to food even living containers, from Baghdad to Fallujah and north near Mosul. I have been on close to 35 convoys as a driver and gunner; I get to operate the 50 Cal for the non mill. types that’s a really big rifle that fires a huge bullet and a lot of them. I still do both jobs automations and convoys, I must admit I would stay with the convoy thing but there’s no m oney in it! I have met a lot of people I consider some true friends since deploying here, two of them are CW1 Mark Rollings and MSG Kreider, most of our convoys were with CW1 Rollings in charge and me as the NCOIC.   I must admit this is a place that has to be seen to be believed. I have been to 13 states and 10 different countries and I have never seen such a beat down place anywhere else. When we roll outside the gate it’s like going back in time. I don’t care what place in the US you are from, if it’s the inner city hood or way back in the woods or if your one of the Lil Gang Banger wanna be’s we seem to have running around back home Iraq's got ya beat. When we roll out some of the people wave at us with there hands but a lot with just one finger if you know what I mean.  My mom showed me this website when I came home on leave, I read a lot of the stories that had been posted by other soldiers from back home and I just wonted to add some thoughts of mine, I hope you don’t mind. A list of some of the things I have missed in this year.

1.      My son

2.      My wife

3.      Not being able to give my friend Greg a hug and saying face to face that I was sorry for his fathers passing

4.      Carrying my son to school

5.      Fishing with my son

6.      Just hanging out with my son

7.      Seeing my sons first b-ball game

8.      Riding my Harley with friends Greg Tay and Skylar Watts

9.      Shooting bows with my son

10. Deer season

11. My Mom and Dad (I love YA)

12. Drinking a cool one with friends, Wayne Cagle, Genghis, Gary Lester, Greg and Tay

13. Uncle Charlie

14.  My family in and around the county

15. But most of all I miss  MY SON

Since I have been here I have convoyed as a gunner  and driver going down the highway dodging the Iraq that for some reason drive on both sides of the road. I have been past IED holes that I could fit my HUMMER in, I have been shot at and have seen IED’s explode in front of me, I have been on my camp and had a rocket hit the road in front of me less the a 100 yards away. I have had a friend hurt and have been woken up in the middle of the night by rocket attacks and have been on the out side of my gun truck with no where to hide while some of the great Locals here shelled us. But only thing that truly scared me to the core was thinking I wont get hold my son and tell him how much I love him.  To my Mom and Dad I love and miss you and sorry I lied about not leaving the camp, to Lefern Morris big up’s for all the support that you have given me your letters and e-mails they meant the world to me, to my son Nicholas Daddy loves you and not a second goes by without me thinking of you. To all the rest of the friends and family hope to see you for X-mas, I will be the one on the black Harley doing a hundred past you, to the fine police men and women in Alabama just kidding about driving fast, we all know I would never drive fast er then I could see(Hee Hee).

PS

The pictures are of me and Keith Steele and the rest are friends of mine here
SSG McCullar, William