I just spent my lunch hour listening to a buddy of mine's stories from Iraq. First hand information, without the filter of the MSM or even other blog pundits. He finally returned to work recently and this has been the first time I've been able to talk to him on a more personal level. I had avoided any mention of Iraq because I wasn't sure how he was adjusting and wanted to lay low. During lunch today, I realized why I'm so thankful for our men and women over there.

Throughout the conversation, he kept saying phrases like "Oh, no, that was the first IED attack, I'm talking about the one a month later" and "so this mortar comes flying in...". He was the OIC for a SeaBees unit. Lost a lot of his guys from what I've heard.

And to show you what our guys are made of, he told me about one time where a mortar came in and killed around 12 people next to him. He managed to survive and got up to try to help out the injured and get people on stretchers. Another mortar was lobbed in and even while others were running for cover he still ran to help who he could. For this he was given a Valor award. He tried to give it back. The explanation? The first mortar damaged his hearing and he had no idea more were coming. Now that's honesty!

We all got a little chuckle out of that story.

It's both amazing and a little sad to hear from him. His job was rebuilding stuff. He said that many of the Iraqi contractors he worked with were killed by the terrorists simply for working with the Americans. And he said as soon as they'd rebuild the schools the terrorists would destroy them again. So much for Moore's 'minute men'. I don't remember Paul Revere burning school houses on his ride to warn of the British.

It's good to see him back alive.