The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

I stumbled upon an excellent book while in Barnes and Noble after work on Monday, checking to see if the store had a copy of Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot. Instead, I found The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain written and illustrated by Peter Sis. Essentially, it is the memoir of a man who was born in Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the Cold War and grew up under the thumb of the Soviet Union.

The book begins with an introduction from the author, which is a condensed history lesson of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union:

The Soviet Union and the Western nations managed their territories in very different ways. The Western Bloc countries were all independent democracies, while the Eastern Bloc was tightly controlled by the Soviet Union. But not everyone in the Eastern Bloc countries wanted to live under totalitarian dictatorships, and many people began leaving for the West. To prevent a mass exodus, the Soviet Union fortified the borders around much of Eastern Europe and eventually built a wall that cut the city of Berlin in half. And so Europe was divided - symbolically, ideologically, and physically - by what Winston Churchill, the British statesman, called an Iron Curtain.
...
I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side - the Communist side - of the Iron Curtain.

I wouldn't pick Sis's style of art for decorating, but his simple line drawings work beautifully in telling his story. Most of the illustrations are black on white, with red accent - flags and stars, mostly; the color you do see comes from the depictions of the work of the young Peter - he's drawn as long as he can remember... He tells his story through the pictures, like a storyboard or a comic book. Words are used sparingly with the illustrations, but he is able to make his point:

1948. The Soviets take control of Czechoslovakia and close the borders.
The People's Militia enforces the new order.
Communist symbols and monuments appear everywhere.
The Czech government takes its order from Moscow.
The display of red flags on state holidays - COMPULSORY. People who don't comply are punished.

You see the word "COMPULSORY" many times, along with the list of things that are mandated by the state that the people MUST do. I think it will be very eye-opening for an American child who has only known freedom.

Telephones are bugged.
Display of Western flags - PROHIBITED.
Only the official art, Socialist Realism, is permitted.
Certain books and films are banned. Art and culture are censored.
Western radio is banned (and jammed).
Letters are opened and censored.
Informers are rewarded for snooping.
There are shortages of almost everything. People stand in long lines.

"This was the time of brainwashing." That is the caption of an illustration which includes Lenin, the Kremlin, Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev.

Sis also includes excerpts from his journals, from 1954 through 1977. Family members are declared enemies of the state. Children are encouraged to inform on their parents. He's in a rock band with friends. He wants to have long hair, but that brings the suspicion of the government and his father makes him cut it. Someone he knows is beaten to death by police. His professor is relieved of his teaching position - he is considered progressive. He also tells of a hijacking on June 8, 1972 in which the young hijackers shoot the pilot. He tells of censors looking for hidden messages in his artwork - is the wind sock blowing in the proper direction (from the east)?

You see color when he tells of things from the West that somehow find their way behind the Iron Curtain: a yellow submarine and a walrus, rock musicians and records and films... That all ends on August 21, 1968 when the Soviets invade, along with their client states of Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary and Poland. "The Czech progressive government is sent to Moscow for 'reeducation'."

"He was painting dreams... and then nightmares. The dreams could be kept to himself, but the drawings could be used against him. He stopped drawing and was left with only his dreams."

He draws the fortified border, people trying to escape, and sometimes the soldiers are trying to stop them. My favorite illustration follows those images - a young man on a bicycle with his drawings, then the next page shows the young man, still on his bike, flying through the air with his drawings as wings, escaping from the pursuing police, and finally leaving a dark land labeled with "stupidity", "suspicion", "terror", "fear", "envy", "injustice", "corruption" and"lies" into bright one labeled with "truth", "justice", "hope", "inspiration", "integrity", "freedom", "joy", "liberty", "dreams", "wisdom", "dignity", "respect", "love", "morality", "happiness", "benevolence", "virtue", "spirit", "equality", "honor", "knowledge", "pride", "trust" and "art".

In the Afterword, he concludes "Now when my American family goes to visit my Czech famliy in the colorful city of Prague, it is hard to convince them it was ever a dark place full of fear, suspicion, and lies. I find it difficult to explain my childhood; it's hard to put it into words, and since I have always drawn everything, I have tried to draw my life - before America - for them. Any resemblance to the story in this book is intentional."

I cannot more highly recommend this book. Although this book is recommended for children from 8 to 12 years old, you could use this book for older children, too, especially in a teaching setting - I even asked my dad if he taught The Cold War in his World History class at a local high school. It is the first book that I am aware of that broaches the subject of the evils of Communism that is designed for a young audience, and for that alone, it is an important work.

JROTC Needs Help [Bumped]

Updated 5/21/08, 8:18pm

The fundraising effort, per CJ, now stands at $1207, so we've got $2293 left to go.

Updated 5/18/08, 10:54pm

CJ updates to let us know that the fundraiser still stands $2828 short of the $3500 goal - it hasn't changed since May 12 - and I'd really like to see us make the goal. Plugging the 4 cross-stitch pieces I donated: I think they would be nice (as a finished, framed piece) as a gift for Hail & Farewells, promotions, retirements, or as a memorial (like I did with mine, for my grandfather). I will include (upon request, at no additional cost) the custom mat so it can be framed with a photo (mat fits a standard 8x10 frame).

Also, welcome BlackFive readers, and Thanks, Uncle Jimbo, for the link.

A while back, I had talked with CJ over at A Soldier's Perspective about doing a fundraiser with him like I had done previously with Any Soldier, Inc. last fall. He agreed, and now he's come up with a worthy cause to benefit from my work (and a few things he's offering up). So, here's the deal, from CJ:

When I moved here, I realized that I was going to miss going to Walter Reed. The opportunities to do something special for troops beyond the few I'm directly responsible for. So, I thought that I would do something special for those that may one day become troops and volunteer with JROTC program at the local high school.

This is the first year that the program has existed and they need help. Through other donations and fundraising they've been able to take the kids to various competitions. In their first year they have won two first place trophies in physical fitness, but they really need help with drill and ceremony (marching and movement). Since this is the first year, there aren't any experienced cadets that can train them. Unfortunately, most of the Soldiers (like me) who consider themselves subject matter experts on D&C aren't able to be at the school during classes to teach them.

The JROTC instructor, retired Chief Warrant Officer Hobbs, would like to send two returning Juniors to a Drill and Ceremony Camp this summer. The problem? The camp will cost $3500 to send them both (not each). I'm thinking that we have enough support here through direct donations as well as enough people with blogs elsewhere that we can put a substantial dent in that need.

CJ is offering up a copy of Luke Stricklin's debut CD "American By God's Amazing Grace", "Charlie Wilson's War" on DVD (starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts), a signed copy of his "cheesy, official Army First Sergeant Photo that all my [CJ's] offices are required to hang in their hallways (limited edition 1 of 1!)" and a thank you (chances of winning are 1:1). Also an ASP reader has donated a copy of Michael Yon's Moment of Truth in Iraq (while I'll loan my copy out - Daddy has it now - I'm not sure I could part with my signed copy permanently...)

I have contributed 4 cross-stitch pieces, one for each of the four services, which will be customized with the name, rank and unit (or conflict/operation) as requested by the raffle winner(s). Here's a sample of what a completely finished product will look like (note - the raffled items will not come framed, but I might be able to include the custom mat, since I was able to get more of them for a good price):


That's my grandfather. He served in the Navy as a fighter pilot in WWII.

The four pieces up for raffle:





So, if you are interested in helping out some young JROTC cadets at Columbia High School in Huntsville, AL, contribute to this raffle. Tickets are $1 per chance of winning (odds determined by the number of tickets sold) any given item. You'll need to specify which item(s) you are buying tickets for. If there is any (or enough, I should say) interest, a custom cross-stitch for the Coast Guard might be made available (I have a pattern, but have not made one yet): if you are interested, let me know. Until CJ is able to fix the problem with his missing PayPal link on this sidebar, you can go to the PayPal site to send money, using his dj_chcknhawk -at- yahoo.com email address. The drawing for winnings will be June 15th.

Faithful Elephants

I subbed the other day for a special education teacher, which means I was in a classroom, but not specifically doing instruction - sometimes, you are just "supporting" one or more students. Anyhow, I was in the classroom for the social studies portion of the day, which was also the end of the day. I had spoken to the teacher about a book she might be interested in (these were 5th graders, and they are reading a fiction book about WWII/the Holocaust) called The Big Lie Big Lie: A True Story. She showed me a couple of picture book titles, one of which she wanted to read to the class before the end of the day.

The book in question was Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People and War by Yukio Tsuchiya, translated by Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes and illustrated by Ted Lewin ("recommended" for children aged 9 to 12). It is the story of the elephants at the zoo in Tokyo during World War II. You see, Japan is being bombed. The Japanese army worries about what would happen if the zoo were to be bombed and the large and dangerous animals were to escape from their cages. The order was given to kill all the animals that were deemed to be a danger if they were to get loose. First, they killed the lions and tigers. Eventually, it was time to kill the three elephants. They tried to feed them bad (or poisoned) potatoes along with their normal potatoes. However, the elephants would only eat the good ones. Then, they tried to inject them with poison, but the needles would break without penetrating the elephants' tough hide. It was decided that the only option left was to stop feeding the elephants and let them starve to death. First, one elephant was starved and died. Then, the remaining two were starved together. Their trainers couldn't bear to see them as they got thinner and weaker. The elephants would still do tricks in order to be rewarded with food. One day, one of the trainers relented. Against orders, he gave the elephants food and water. Everyone else pretended not to notice. But, that was the only time they were given food or water. The zookeepers kept hoping the war would end before the elephants died. However, that did not happen. The three elephants that lived in the Tokyo zoo during the Allied bombing of Japan are now buried at the zoo.

I could see where this story was going long before the end. I have no reason to doubt the basic truth behind the story: because of fears for the safety of the population should dangerous animals escape from the zoo, it was determined by the Japanese military the animals should be destroyed. The zookeepers reluctantly followed those orders, and animals died untimely deaths.

When she was finished reading the story, she talked about the "author's purpose" in writing the book, and read from the blurb on the book jacket. The author's intent was to show how war affects more than just the humans who fight them, and to encourage anti-war sentiment. She also mentioned that someone else would is perfectly able to write another book that is "pro-war". Oh, how I hate that term, as it is a grossly inaccurate descriptor for someone who is "anti-anti-war". I'll give her credit for voicing the fact that we have free speech, and that there is more than just the "anti-war" position. But, I was not comfortable at all with the fact that the only book she shared that afternoon was blantantly anti-war, and did not really explain the WHY of the bombing of Japan, or the goals of the Allied campaigns against both Japan and Germany at that point in history. The students may be reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (set in 1943 German-occupied Denmark), but they haven't actually studied World War II in social studies yet - they haven't quite finished with the Civil War... I don't know this teacher's political affiliation, but I think I can make a fairly good guess. However, I can only think that one of the other books she had, Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot - a story of the Berlin Airlift [5/15/08: this story, more or less - I didn't realize it's been almost 60 years...] by Margot Theis Raven (who also wrote America's White Table), will maybe provide a balance to Faithful Elephants, even if it is delayed...

The one-sidedness of the presentation wasn't my only problem. I am a lover of animals - I have dogs and a cat, and have had others in the past - but I can completely understand the perspective of those who were charged with protecting the civilian population in Tokyo during the war. Destroying the animals was an understandable solution to a potentially deadly problem - moving the animals out of Tokyo had also been considered, but discarded as the potential problem wouldn't go away during transport, or to whatever destination they may have decided upon. What I have a problem with is the manner in which the elephants were killed. Starving any creature, human or not, is an incredibly cruel way to kill them. As one of the students in the class noted to me, they could have always shot the elephants, which would have been much more quick and painless than weeks without food or water. If one wanted to share this book with students, it should only be presented to older students, and be paired with a book that offers balance, depicting some positive things that have resulted from armed conflict. Unfortunately, I am unaware of specific picture book titles that would "fit" with this WWII-era story: war is not typically the subject of picture books.

"Forrest Gump" getting out of the Army

Thought it was kinda cool that the boy who played the "young Forrest Gump" actually grew up to join the Army. Now, Michael Conner Humphreys' enlistment is up, and he will play Eddie Livingston, one of the original "Pathfinders" of the 504th Parachute Regiment in World War II in a movie of the same name. Read the whole story here.

A few things out of San Antonio

I got a call from my mom on the way home from work this afternoon. She said she had good news and bad news: which did I want first? I said the bad news. "Karam's is closing." "NOOOoooo!!!" The good news? There will be Karam's tamales & chili for dinner tonight (my parents went to San Antonio today for the funeral of my dad's elderly cousin [by marriage]). I think a trip to SA is in order in the next month (before they close their doors, after about 66 years in business) for Karam's dine-in, along with a bunch of tamales to go (they freeze really well).

The other news out of San Antonio is also good/bad. I had heard on the radio recently (I like to listen to WOAI out of San Antonio for Rush & Hannity) that Our Lady of the Lake University, in appreciation of our military, was offering tuition assistance to qualifying personnel. I'd been too busy with other things to write up a post about it. In checking their website this evening, it's a "Military Scholarship Program" that will cover the difference between the government tuition assistance of up to $250 per semester hour (I assume this is the GI Bill?) and OLLU's rate of $628 per semester hour, so a military member can go to school (for either a Bachelor's or Master's degree) for free (not counting books & fees). The scholarship of $378 per hour is also open to military spouses. Our Lady of the Lake University should be applauded for their generosity to our military and their spouses.

Unfortunately, OLLU, founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence, is in the news today for something entirely different. Last night, there was a 4 alarm fire in the old main administration building. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the Main Building was heavily damaged. The San Antonio Fire Department is investigating the cause of the blaze. Some are wondering, however, if this fire is connected to a recent bomb threat on campus. Regardless of the cause of the fire, it is sad to hear of the damage done to the historic main building. Listening to WOAI on the way home this afternoon, I learned that this building, not surprisingly, was appointed with lots of wood, and had a beautiful architectural style not seen in modern buildings. While the university is initially concentrating on getting students back to class (classes were cancelled today - about 110 students have been displaced because of the fire). There has also been a fund created for the rebuilding effort. Anyone who wishes to contribute may do so by credit card or by check (Make payable to OLLU. Mail to: OLLU Development Office, 411 SW 24th Street, San Antonio,TX 78207), or, if you are somewhere with a Frost Bank, they (Frost) have "set up account no. 01-0494593 for those who wish to donate to the “Our Lady of the Lake University Rebuilding Fund.”"

Sources:

OLLU update
WOAI: Investigation Begins Into Our Lady of the Lake Fire
CBS 11: Building at 'Our Lady of the Lake' Campus Burns

Fox News: Ex-Gitmo Detainee Believed Responsible for Homicide Bombing In Iraq

Saw this story last night:

Three years ago, Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi, a Kuwaiti soldier who deserted to fight in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban, sat in a detention cell at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while lawyers argued whether he was an "enemy combatant."

Last week, a Dubai-based television channel reported that al-Ajmi was killed carrying out a homicide bombing in Mosul, Iraq.

This is a prime example of why Camp Delta needs to stay open and why these people should be treated as the unlawful combatants that they are instead of pretending they are ordinary criminals who should be given access to American courts. As has been proven yet again, the people being held at Camp Delta cannot be rehabilitated - we let some of them out, and they return to the battlefield. Following the Geneva Conventions, we have every right to summarily execute them on the field of battle. But, we don't do that; yes, we incarcerate them (so they can't kill our soldiers or innocent civilians), but they have "3 hots and a cot", access to some of the best medical care available, and lawyers to represent them in military tribunals. Those who call for "closing Gitmo" need to do a serious reality check.

Dell Diamond to host concert benefiting service members and their families (updated)

Update 5/7/08:

I found out today that the concert has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Since the proceeds (meaning profits) of this endeavor were to go to Operation Homefront, and there weren't going to be any proceeds, I guess it was decided to cancel the event completely instead of putting on the "benefit" concert at a loss... I'm disappointed the concert wasn't able to go on and do a lot of good for our military and their families.

When I got home from work this evening, since I couldn't pick up the radio station carrying tonight's Express game, I went to the website to at least get the score (they won over Memphis tonight, 7-5). One of the headline stories caught my eye: "PlayforFreedom.com Concert Series" and "Mark Chesnutt Headlines May 10 Concert". From the Express story:

Charity Concerts is proud to announce a new concert series beginning May 10, 2008, with a “kick off” concert at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. This event will be followed by nine other concerts across the nation. These fundraising concerts will directly benefit active and reserve military troops and their families, veterans, wounded warriors and the families of our fallen heroes.

The headlining act for the May 10, 2008 show is Texas Favorite, Mark Chesnutt. He is joined by Micky and the Motorcars, Jarrod Birmingham, Tommy Alverson, Haley Scarnato, The Pear Ratz, Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros, and Sgt. Tony Hill & Whitehorse, all jammed into an eight-hour show. Also added to the Round Rock show are two up and coming country artists, Britni Hoover and Curtis Grimes. The national tour kicks off in July with many country music superstars.

Partnering with Charity Concerts in this endeavor is Budweiser/Brown Distributing, which salutes those who proudly serve and invites you to support the cause by attending this event. All tickets are General Admission; $39 for premium infield and $29 for seated.

You can buy tickets here. However, if you can afford to be more generous than simply buying a ticket or two to attend, they are still open to someone stepping up to help sponsor the event:

Sponsorship packages are also available and offer great exposure to businesses, with proceeds going to military families in Texas, specifically Williamson, Travis and surrounding counties.
...
To be a part of this great benefit series, join as a sponsor, volunteer, or just send kind words of inspiration, please contact the Austin manager of Charity Concert Events LLC, Kelly Sue Nedrow at kelly@charityconcertevents.com or (512) 673-7514.

From looking at the PlayForFreedom.com website, the proceeds from this concert series will go to Operation Homefront. I'll be checking my schedule to see if there is any way I can help.

One thing I will say: this concert is on a Saturday afternoon. There will not be any real shade either in the seats ($29) or on the field ($39) when it starts at 1pm. WEAR SUNSCREEN! I was out there on April 13 for a 2:05 game and got sunburned sitting on the left field berm, even though it wasn't all that hot. Also, from the ticket purchase site: NO CHAIRS OR SEATS ON THE FIELD. I'm sure that is not only saying there will not be chairs set up, but that you ARE NOT allowed to bring chairs out there. There is brand new turf on the entire field (the first time the turf has been replaced since the inaugural season in 2000), and the Express won't want it messed up. I'm going to guess that blankets are more than welcome, though. Even if it has been rainy prior to the concert, the field shouldn't be too bad: there is a very expensive drainage system under the field - the Express never had to cancel a game because of rain until last summer, and that was an usually wet one. 5/4/08 - I was able to get a little bit more information from someone who works out at the ballpark. The stage will be erected out at second base, and the infield will be covered and there will be folding chairs.

I will offer this bit of advice, though: since this is an 8-hour concert, if you go, and get the $29 tickets to have a seat, find a spot anywhere from section 119 (directly behind home plate) on down the third base line to in front of the "Hot Corner Grill" concession stand: these sections get the shade first. Just some helpful hints from someone who is at the ballpark a lot ;-)

Merlin's Miracle

I received an email earlier today from Haole Wahine about Marine Sergeant Merlin German. He was serving in Iraq in February 2005 when he was burned over 97% of his body when he did not have time to warn the driver of the Humvee of the IED he had spotted. He had been standing in the gun turret and was blown out of the Humvee. Doctors in Landstuhl said he would not survive. Somehow, he beat the odds, and became "The Miracle Man" to the staff at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Merlin passed away unexpectedly on April 11th while recovering from his most recent surgery.

Merlin seems to have touched many people with his spirit and courage. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

Prior to his death, Merlin had decided he wanted to help children who were burn victims and their families. He wanted to call the foundation "Merlins' Miracles". Merlin's family has asked that , in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Merlin's Miracles. The website is still under construction, but donations can be made either through the PayPal "Donate" button on the main page, or by mail to:

Merlin's Miracles
4319 Medical Dr., Ste 131 - 352
San Antonio, TX 78229-3325

Sources:

Merlin's Miracles
San Antonio Express-News: Cary Clack: Marine had class galore (4/14/08)
San Antonio Express-News: BAMC's 'Miracle Man' didn't let injuries hurt his spirit (4/16/08)
San Antonio Express-News video report: Wounded warrior memorial

Update 5/3/08, 3:44am:

For all of you visiting this site because you saw Merlin's story on the news (CNN? I've not watched TV for a few days...), thank you for taking an interest in Merlin's story. I did not know him, but I think my life would have been richer for it if I had. If you feel so moved, and are able, please consider making a donation to Merlin's Miracles to help make Merlin's dream of helping child burn victims come true. As noted above, his family had asked for those donations in lieu of flowers at the time of his funeral.

Baghdad Angler's Club & School of Fly Fishing

From UK Times reporter Deborah Haynes:

Standing by a blown up bridge with Blackhawk helicopters buzzing overhead, the American soldier casts his fishing line into the lake surrounding a former palace of Saddam Hussein just outside Baghdad and waits for something to bite.

Warrant Officer Leslie “Scott” Henry is part of a unique group of fishermen and women that meets every Sunday and on odd days of the week to take a break from the toils of war with their rod and an array of bait.

“It’s a chance to relax and get away from everything else that’s going on out here,” said the 45-year-old, who deals with aviation safety for US military aircraft in Iraq when he is not trying to hook an asp or a bass.

“You’ve got to stay ahead of the fish. You’ve got to be innovative,” Warrant Officer Henry told The Times as he tried out a new form of bait – strips of scrunched up bacon from the canteen, stuffed with cream cheese.

Situated on a sprawling military base next to Baghdad airport, the al-Faw Palace is one of several grand, marble buildings ringed by man-made lakes that have been occupied by American troops since the invasion five years ago.

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of fish live in these expanses of water, inspiring several soldiers to drop their guns and pick up a rod.

They formed the Baghdad Angler’s Club and School of Fly Fishing, which has its own Web site – www.baghdadflyfishing.com – displaying shots of men and at least one woman posing with fish of various sizes and shapes.

Last February, the group even helped to organise a tournament, dubbed Operation: Catch Fish, which attracted some 300 anglers. Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Carter grabbed top honours, reeling in a 14-pound carp.

"It's a great feeling," the amateur fisherman, who had competed in smaller contests back in the United States, said at the time. "I can't win one back home, but now I can say I came to Iraq and won a fishing tournament."

It's a good story about how our troops find ways to relax a bit so far from home. Go read the rest.

Express to honor America's Armed Forces

Tomorrow night marks the 2008 home opener for the Round Rock Express. I've been listening to the road games online when I can (better "reception" than the actual local station), and I'd caught bits about something being live from Iraq for that game. Well, I just stopped by the Express website and found this:

“What better way to welcome America’s game back to Round Rock than to honor America’s Armed Forces,” said Round Rock president Jay Miller. “We’re proud to host current and former soldiers and their families alongside the best fans in baseball.”

Gates for Friday’s game open at 5:30 p.m. and a procession of more than 1,500 military personnel and families from Ft. Hood’s 4th Infantry Division will ring the inside of the field before both the Express and the [New Orleans] Zephyrs are introduced.

Major General Jeffery Hammond, Commander of the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division in Baghdad will then address the crowd live from his post in Iraq before the Ft. Hood Honor Guard presents the colors on field and the Ft. Hood Band plays the National Anthem live from Iraq.

"Round Rock Express and the local community have my heartfelt appreciation for their generous support of our Soldiers and their Families," said Major General Hammond. "It makes our jobs easier here in Iraq knowing the community supports their Soldiers and loved ones."

A special honorary first pitch will then take place, paying homage to the soldiers overseas.

“The start of baseball season is always a great time of year and this is a great way for us to give back,” said Round Rock founder C.E.O. Reid Ryan. “For all that the 4th Infantry Division and all of the Armed Forces do for us, this is a small way for us and for fans to say thank you.”

I'm so very glad I'm going to get to be there. If you're in the area, come on out to take part.

Update 4/12/08:

Last night was pretty cool. They had the entire right field berm reserved for the soldiers and their families, with the edge along the concourse planted with little American flags. The soldiers and their families were given the opportunity to go down onto the field (well, along the warning track, since the grounds crew was still getting the field ready for the game). About 6:30 or so, they started up the live feed from Baghdad. MG Hammond appeared on the screen with some soldiers (who turned out to be members of the band) behind him, with an American flag mounted behind them. Hammond was even wearing an Express home jersey, complete with the dark blue long-sleeve UnderArmour underneath (the jerseys are sleeveless). He gave a nice speech about the hard work our soldiers are doing over there, and also thanked Ryan-Sanders Baseball (including Nolan Ryan, CEO Reid Ryan and others in management) as well as Mayor Maxwell of Round Rock for all the support they give to the troops. There were a couple of times the audio cut out, and once both audio & video went out, but what can you really expect for something like this. The ceremonial First Pitch was thrown out by the son of a deployed soldier: he threw to home plate after his dad came on the video board and proclaimed "Play ball!". The Presentation of the Colors was done by a contingent of Fort Hood soldiers and the band played the National Anthem, accompanied by a soldier singing it. Once the pre-game ceremonies were concluded, everyone left the playing field. Before the game actually started, but after the Express starters were announced and on the field, there was a memorial first pitch, which is thrown from the pitcher to the catcher, then to the third baseman, shortstop, second baseman, first baseman, then on to the right fielder, center fielder, and finally to the left fielder who threw the ball up out of the field of play. From where I was, I couldn't tell if the cleared the Home Run Porch (the only elevated "regular" [e.g. - not a suite] seating which sits above the Express Clubhouse) or not - someone up in those sections may have been able to catch it. [4-13-08: I was able to confirm last night that Reggie Abercrombie did, in fact, throw the ball over the Home Run Porch. From field level, I'm guessing it's at least 40 feet up, never mind the distance on it, too.] Then, the game started. I'm pleased to say the Express won, after the game had remained scoreless until the top of the ninth, with a final score of 2-1. During the game, there was a family walking by on the concourse and one of the soldiers who was in uniform walked by the other way. The little boy, probably 3 or 4 years old, pointed out to his daddy "Look, a soldier!". How cute is that?