HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY!

Happy Easter! Well, it's the day that the Son of God, Jesus, was resurrected! As you can see the staff at our chow hall, chose to erect a life-size replica of Him to celebrate the Holy Day. We were all trying to guess what the statue was made of. Since we weren't allow to touch it, and it looked like butter, we hence forth called it, 'Butter Jesus'. What is more amusing is the idea that the chow hall workers ,most of whom are likely Muslim, probably thought that most of the Christian Americans would love to have a statue of Jesus in the chow hall.

There's been other interesting events this week, including a lecture by one of the docs (LTC Burns) from the Minnesota National Guard who runs the Battalion Aide Station or 'BAS' on the physiological effects of crucifixion. The pictures show a young Marine who was challenged at the end of the lecture to hang for as long as he could on the nails in the cross. He was able to last for 5 long minutes, but he was pretty sore. Interestingly, the most frequent cause of death from crucifixion was asphyxiation. He also told us that prior to crucifixion it was customary to be severely whipped with a whip laced with iron shards and pieces of animal bone much like what was seen in the movie, 'Passion of the Christ'. The only ones not whipped prior to crucifixion were women and children. It's a little bitter sweet that I'm so close to many of the Biblical sites here in the Holy land, but I'm confined to this base for my entire time here.

This week, we also got the chance to visit the BAS I mentioned above, that's run by Minnesota Army National Guard. They are all pretty nice guys. Unfortunately, many of them have been here at TQ for 18 months. They were suppose to go home back in March, but their tour was extended until July 2007. One Master Sergeant told us the last time he was home was July 2005! We all empathize with those guys, because they are here much longer that we are and they don't receive the same benefits as we do on active duty. One of the pictures is me at a little coffee shop they run called the 'Ground Hog Grind'. Their motto is, "If you didn't like today, don't worry tomorrow will be exactly the same!"

The pictures above show 'Butter Jesus'

Me and my new surgical cap.

Me and the Ground Hog Grind Sign

A picture hung at the BAS of the Minn Nat'l Guard Unit and their response to Sen. John Kerry's botched joke about being stuck in Iraq if you don't do well in school.

Another picture at the BAS of Chuck Norris. Amazingly, he is wildly popular with Marines and other Armed Forces personnel. He's been here many times and they just made him a Honorary Marine.

The young 'crucified' Marine and LTC Burns

Light Armored Vehicle

Picture of my 'Wall of Fame'

Some of the gang at Easter Dinner