Adapting to the Surroundings

I left the camp at least two dozen times, as part of convoy duties or air sentries transporting people from one place to another. I don’t know how to explain it, it was just something that you immediately have to adapt to. It’s part of your job and it was definitely an eye opener to see these people. You knew the people that wanted you there and you knew the people that didn’t want you there. They would throw vegetables or rocks or wood, whatever they could get their hands on and throw at you, and then there would be people that would wave politely and clap their hands as you drove by. And it was interesting to see just how hard of a working people they are, I mean they’re up before the sun is up building brick and getting their shops ready for sales and I mean as war torn as it was, I mean you would see little carriages on the side of the road selling Coke or Pepsi but in Muslim language and, you know, Aquafina water for us, they had the same kind of stuff there. It was something that I’ll... it’ll be with me forever.