As I sit here waiting for the Arctic chill to hit, and make me doubt the existence of global warming, I can think back to how hot it was in Vietnam. The heat was like a blanket wrapping around you, one you could not throw off. It was as if we were constantly on the verge of suffocation. I often wondered if we walked into an ambush, would we be alert enough to spot it, or in some cases even care.
When the cold arrives here, I will be able to throw another log on the fire and put on an additional layer of clothes, but with heat, there is no way to cool down. The dense foliage in Vietnam held it in, and even splashing through a swamp or fording a stream offered no relief as the water was close to body temperature.
In watching our troops in Iraq, confined to the ovens that the armored vehicles can become, with sleeves rolled down, helmets and body armor, I wonder how they can even move. If you have never suffered heat exhaustion, I do not recommend you try it. The headaches are excruciating.
I recently asked the son of a friend who has been deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan how they manage to function in that environment. His response was,"We drink a lot of water, and we have all been trained to administer IV's."
My heart is always with our young men and women who are over there. To be sure, the First Cavalry Division is among them. When one considers that many of our troops are on multiple tours, one has to admire their courage, even if one doesn't agree with the war.
So, to those over there, "Keep your heads down and stay safe."