Story 7
I met this women in the female bath and shower room, she is the highest rank officer there is in Delta Iraq where there were 3 bombs dropped in this base where we are right now just the day before you arrived Bailing, she told me calmly, a chill covered my body as if I am taking a hot shower suddenly ice water falling hard, I looked around suddenly become so nervous: "Anything I mean anyone... anyone got hurt? " I asked. Wow I just suddenly realized I am in the war zone the most dangerous place on earth now, seriously I was afraid before I came here, my mom asked me to call her after I return from Taiwan to LA, I said yes, but I did not, cause I can not tell her I am going to Iraq in a few hours, she will be so worried and she will for sure think I am out of my mind and she will anything to stop me of going. But I did go, sometimes I do think I am a little crazy taking risks like this in life. But somehow its important for me to come to see the soldiers, cause I used to be a soldier, and I know how nice for them to see us, to know that we really care.
I did not hear her answer " What? Did anyone get hurt yesterday of the bombs?" I asked again. She says: " No, they just made big wholes on the ground."
I looked at where my feet are, there are dust flying in the sunlight..... I started to imagine the bombs, shoot this is no good I shifted my concentration from my feet and my mind...
"Are you afraid?" She asked."No not really" I said.
Little silence in the bright desert companied us like a shadow......
We walked together from the women bath and shower room: "Are you afraid of the danger you are facing everyday?" I asked. "No not really, I never really afraid of it, I don't know why, just don"t." She says calmly, I look at her sees the calmness on her face so calm as if there were never a danger, as if danger has never crossed her mind.... Wow! So impressive a woman leading men in the war zone!!! She has 34 soldiers under her, they are all male, she leads them go to town all the time to train the Iraq soldiers and polices, she says: " In the beginning I thought they are maybe behind kind of not that smart, but to my surprise, they are as good as us, very smart ( Iraq soldiers)." I asked: " What is the most fun rewarding things for you to be here?" She says: " To be and hanging out with all my guys, its a joy, I like my team a lot." I looked at her suddenly all my fear is gone. Then she goes: " Maybe I am not afraid of the danger is because no one close to me has died, maybe that's why I am not afraid." She is still with the calmness but this time she smiled, I can see her eye lush blink in the hush sunlight..... little stars landed.......
She has not married and dose not have a boy friend, I asked her why not? She says: " Well not here, what about you?" " I travel too much." I said.
She has this calm attitude that made her so confident, I like her a lot, always have great respect for women who are in charge and intelligent doing difficult jobs like men do, sexy to me, just like the woman doctor who give me IV, she is so confident, she says one time she had to live and sleep with 20 guys in a little tent, she is the only female.
The hush Sun waved a little shadow over our head, the woman officer asked me to visit her office before I leave, but I never made it there cause has to catch the flight, she last said: " Well I don't watch much movies, but I know you and I really appreciate that you are here, I know how difficult it is to come all the way here, but you came." I said: " Well this is the least I can do, I have great respect for you, and for all the soldiers here." and she said: " I have never seen any actrors here, I have great respect for you Bailing!"
Danger like clouds hanging over my head everyday I am here in the wide open dusty dangerous desert of Iraq, felt so vulnerable, but I know I am safe.
