Cannondaler Gallery :: Iraqi Freedom

Kuwait Apr 18, 2003

Here is a shot taken on the 18th, down close to the port facilities where I call home for the short time being prior to movement forward into Iraq. HR some how (wink) "obtained" this new honda CRV (with AC thank you) as my vehicle to work the yard and do my supervisor thing, and honestly it will go north with me....think?...hey its silver...closest thing to my dale....!

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Iraq Apr 27, 2003

Moving north today we hit a sandstorm, will its more like a dirt blizzard....been going on for 2 days now...this shot was one of the better visability shots...that up front is a 5 ton cargo truck with a hmmwv in front of that. We were litterally driving on our hands and knees....zero visability and in the storm itself, temps were around 108 or so....just fun fun fun.

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Iraq May 11, 2003

Well we hit another depot, and without going into the specifics….(1000s of tons of stuff there) here is a photo of me with just the base shell for a soviet 152mm howitzer shell, solid brass, would be awesome to have in the garage!….that is another shot of me in one of the warehouse buildings….full of the stuff!

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Iraq May 11, 2003

Last shot of me and the toys….this one was a quick load set up by Iraqi’s of Multiple Launch Rocket ammunition, set and camouflaged so allow a unit to drive by and quickly load up and then move out. These are free flight rockets, 122mm about a 20 click range on em, but never to be used, cause this stuff like the others we found will soon be destroyed by fellow combat engineers!

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Iraq May 11,2003

Well, got to the depot and a fire had broke out (this is a bad thing in an ammo depot with arty rounds, main tank shells, mortar rounds, anit-tank mines, AAA ammo you name it, well things got fun….stuff was going off constantly as each building was consumed, sounded like microwave popcorn, except just a bit louder, and with the concussions of each slapping your pant legs and chest….well after some tank rounds went flying over head, my team and I left the area. The photo is of the depot cooking off behind me right before we left. Well we drove bout 3 clicks away and put a terrain feature between us and the depot to call things in on the radio and put a no fly zone in effect for helos, thinking we were safe,,,,,then that good old freight train sound over head and about 500 meters away another tank round exploded out in a field……okay that was fun….

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Iraq May 11, 2003

Oh and just in case you didn’t think I was being safe, I found this Iraqi fire extinguisher in the depot, and felt that just in case in the heat all the stuff stored in the open might just catch on fire, I was ready!…(no the fire extinguisher didn’t work, but hey, made you feel good!)

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Iraq June 9, 2003

Here is a shot at our command and control facility. Had to add some color to an otherwise bland yucked out landscape. Yep Dale jersey, DCU pants and boots, Kevlar and a 9mm, HRs new riding outfit?????? Have to check to see if the bucket is safety checked I think. And yes those little boxes in the back are homemade showers. Beats the baby wipe baths I have been using for the past oh. well too long, don't want to count! Finally got some gravel in (hey its an engineer thing), keeps the dust down a bit…and yes if you look at the tents behind me, they are dark dark green, but the constant blowing sand and dust, you would think we had tan tents. Lovely place, just lovely. Was under a camo net in a bit of shade earlier today…bout 11:30 am and was drinking some water yakin with some guys, and I checked the temp on my watch…was 109 in the shade….I was honestly hoping for a 120 degree day, so maybe we hit it, I will check later! Woooooo HOOOOOO! This place just doesn't cut it unless its at least 110….dust just isn't the same! Lovely place.

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