So, it was a long time coming. But finally I have some photos of a few of our activities in Iraq that I can share.
This July 4th I had the great privilege of attending a naturalization ceremony for folks who have served in the military in Iraq for their requisite time and as a result are eligible to become citizens of the U.S. I traveled with 2 colleagues from work, and we had to get there by helo - so that led to some pretty cool photos.
In this album you will see one of the aforementioned palaces of Saddam Hussein. This one is called "Al Faw" and in commemorates a victory at the town of Al Faw during the Iran-Iraq war. In fact many of the palaces around this country commemorate one battle or another. Al Faw is surrounded by water features on a massive scale, and I believe it is where Hussein kept his exotic water fowl and game. On the inside it was brash and gaudy. Like the massive chair, it was just all so over the top.
The ceremony itself was ... moving. Candidates from 23 countries who've been serving in Iraq were honored for their contributions, and the values of the U.S.: diversity, democracy, freedom, were all lifted up in a particularly concrete context. We all got a little teary. One 4th of July I will surely not forget!
3 comments:
That sounds like an incredible experience, and I loved seeing the photos! I can't believe you were wearing a scarf. Isn't it like 500 degrees? :)
Ummm yes. As I look at the photos I realize that I do look bundled up. Really it was just an accessory. Inside the palace the a/c is pretty strong, so I was comfortable. In fact, one of the things we laughed/thought about from that day was when a female US Forces officer walked by and told me she liked the scarf. We could tell that she was kinda sad that she didn't get to wear pretty pink things like that....
Heh. Stay warm then, Molly girl! It's boiling here now, but nothing like what you're experiencing. Miss you as always...
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