Man can endure many hardships, but life without coffee ain’t one of ‘em. It’s not just inconvenient; it’s not just unpleasant. It’s criminal – damn criminal — especially when you’re in Iraq. And especially when it’s freezing inside and out. Yet that’s part of life for U.S. Marines in Heet (also spelled Hit), a city of 60,000 in Anbar Province, not far from Ramadi. No coffee, no tea, no heat, and only occasional, very limited power. As troops of Charley Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines tell it, the Army unit that previously occupied the headquarters building in the city didn’t advise the Marines taking their place that a good working generator was needed. The Marines claim they asked many times in emails before deploying here in September, but never got an answer. Now a little inter-service rivalry and friction is normal. But this is downright mean. It was in the low 40s last night, maybe even colder. A hot coffee after coming into the camp following an hour-and-a-half foot patrol would have been great. But no luck. A cold Gatorade had to do. The same situation in the morning. I’m not amused: Poor Marines; poor me. I need my eight pots daily. Now don’t get me wrong. There is a wee bit of electrical power from a small, inadequate generator. But it’s mainly to juice the command center, where a coffee maker sits on a shelf collecting dust. For some damnable reason, it blows a fuse when turned on and downs the necessary computers and surveillance systems the Marines need. Or so they say. Some folks in other companies think it’s just plain macho cussedness on the part of company officers. The Marines of Charley Company, after all, are a notoriously feisty bunch. It goes back to World War II and the battle for Guadalcanal. After repelling a heavy Japanese attack, the Marines of Charley Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, hoisted a special flag they made as an act of defiance: a skull and crossbones drawn in black on a white background. With their unit designation in numbers, was the inscription: Suicide Charley. That flag is still replicated and flown today.
So, no coffee, whether by circumstance or design. No lighting in the halls, no lighting in my room in an old school house with sandbagged windows and no heat. But I’ll make do – dammit. If the base cook can whip up his meals using just a flashlight for illumination, I guess I can get by … just … kinda, sorta … grudgingly.
Starbucks, where are you?
Ah, Rick. I wish I could send you my Tassimo, but I’m sure that would blow a fuse, too! I hope you get some coffee soon. In the meantime I’ll drink some for you.
Comment by Tammy — December 3, 2007 @ 9:45 pm