Author Rusty Wilson in front of Speicher Stadium on a July evening in 2004. Does this guy look Arabic to you?
Speicher Stadium
As you can see, the structure is showing the effects of the war, and this is representative of most of the Iraqi buildings on the FOB. Between the bullet holes, shrapnel scars, peeling paint, and general disrepair, the whole base has a very "third world" feel.
American soldiers and civilians used the stadium for concerts, our 9/11 Candlelight Vigil, Labor Day festivities and competitions, pick-up soccer games, the flag football league, and other miscellaneous activities and gatherings.
Some of the Iraqi workers on base told us that Saddam used to visit during soccer matches, since this former Iraqi Air Force base is very near Tikrit, his home town. They also said that during breaks in the matches, thousands of dissidents and other alleged "enemies of the state" were executed in the stadium.
This is "Main Street" in Tent City. Each of these tents had approximately 30 inhabitants, each in their own 8'X10' cubicle with 7' high plywood walls. The latrines and showers were between 30 and 125 yards from the tents, depending on which one you lived in... a pretty good hike if you needed to make a trip in the middle of the night.
As you can see from the interior pictures on the left, there was a semblance of privacy, which was a real plus. Tent City II consisted only of open tents, with no dividers between cots.
Above is the front of MWR North. A pre-fab, trailer-like building, it covered over 5,000 square feet, and included (1) two internet- connected computer rooms with 20 computers (one room had six telephones), (2) a good sized gym/exercise room, (3) a Rec room with 4 PlayStation video games, foosball and ping pong tables, (4) a TV room with a satellite connection, (5) a library with over 1,000 books, and (6) a movie room with a large screen TV and surround sound, which also doubled as a meeting and classroom space.
This was one of the most poignant moments of all my time in Iraq: Our 9/11 Candlelight Vigil, held in Speicher Stadium. Whether you think the 9/11 attack has any real connection to the war or not, I can assure you that attending a gathering like this in a war zone will touch your heart. Attendance was voluntary, but several units elected to come en masse, as shown on the right.
From Chapter 1, this is the interior of my first housing in Iraq, at Camp Anaconda. In the center is the conex bunker we all debated running to during the mortar attack on my third night in-country...welcome to Iraq! The bunker may look a little rustic to you, but trust me, with the sand bags top and side, and the seating provided, this was relatively high-living! The concrete inverted "U" on the right is more representative of the usual bunker.
The shots above are from the Annual Army Ten Miler (Chapter 21, "I did it all for the T-shirt"). Runners from bases all over our sector of Iraq came and competed. (1) Here's the start, in the relative cool just before dawn. (2) Heading to the finish line. I'm sorry I can't tell you the name of the Unit, but this group ran together, and finished together in every race we put on. Very cool! (3) General Mundt, the base Commanding Officer (Chapter 23), was at the finish line to greet and congratulate every runner. (4) One of my favorite guys, Don Booker. DB was involved in virtually every activity and competition on the base, smiling all the time. But how do you look this good after running ten miles? (5) Sheyra, being congratulated by General Mundt at the awards ceremony.
Nurse Theresa, from Chapter 14, and her "office", the CSH tent. If you've already read about her, you won't be surprised to learn that now, two years later, she's still in Iraq, having volunteered for another deployment. This time, though, she goes out with soldiers on patrol, and because the insurgents are focusing on civilians, she treats many more Iraqis than American soldiers...at significantly more risk to herself.
Our very own Crack Houses. Note the fastidious landscaping. And while living in a house is better than living in a tent, the porta potties tell you something about the plumbing...
ABOVE: Here's the interior of our Hadji Shop. Satellite dishes? Arabian rugs? Leather jackets? Sure. But how could you leave Iraq without one of these belly dancer statues? Or at least, a souvenir from the non-existent Hard Rock Cafe, Iraq.
Two of my favorite people at Speicher. That's Wendy Jennings. (Chapter 12) waving and smiling before a concert in Speicher Stadium.
Lt. Gary Katz, the "Local Boy" from Chapter 11. Good photo, depicting the timeless beauty of the Iraqi landscape.
Heroes at the Gate (Chapter 13), aka, "Checkpoint Six"
Iraqi workers, entering the FOB From Chapter 16, "Labor Day"
Also from Labor Day...Harold Rogers and his crew of Iraqi workers
Lunch time under the stands
What might Bassem's pose suggest?
Randy Webb, Sheik of all Texas. This one-man suicide tank was said to be a leftover from the Iraq-Iran war.
The plane appears to be all that's left of the Iraqi Air Force.
LEFT: In addition to everything I told you about Joe Bray in Chapter 22, it turned out he had a hidden talent, as well-- he's THE Foosball Wizard (not unlike the Pinball Wizard). Here, he's embarrassing not one, but TWO would-be opponents, on his way to the Labor Day FOB Championship.
BELOW: From Chapter 21, It may not have been a Bill Graham Production, but Puddle of Mudd put on a GREAT show, AND...
... we DID have our own "Mosh Pit",
VIP seating
and "G Rated" groupies.
And though a few were carried away by the energy and excitement, it was reassuring to know that no one forgot where we were, or why we were here.
Dining in a tent may not be all that elegant, but it definately beats eating MREs in the middle of the desert with the scorpions (Chapter 6)
One day this part of the FOB was just a piece of flat land, the next, a high class, Shopping Mall quality food court!
...after all, what are we, barbarians? Haircuts for men cost $3, and that included a shoulder, neck, and scalp massage. Take THAT, Supercuts! (Chapter 5)
Don't think we had it too good, though. This is the kind of laundry detergent they gave us. Happily, our clothes came out of the washer smelling better than you might imagine.
I passed this guard position every day on the way to work, and you can bet I said a quiet prayer for these soldiers guys each and every time. If you're an unarmed civilian on a FOB in the middle of a war zone, you LOVE these guys!
Morgan and Rambo, from Chapter 18
And finally, BELOW, the day most soldiers dream of: "Let's line it up, and go home!"
