Posted on 08/23/2003 10:24:46 AM PDT by saquin
KIRKUK-IRAQ—The other day I was introduced to the real people of Iraq for the first time. I traveled north from Tikrit to the city of Kirkuk with members of the 418th Civil Affairs Battalion. They were on a mission to purchase needed items off the economy and I was along for the ride.
As we rolled into town, it looked like any other city in a foreign country that has been devastated by war, famine or years of oppression under a tyrannical leader. People lined the streets and cars pushed their way through bumper-to-bumper traffic. Many shops were open and many were not. Men, women and children alike ambled from shop to street corner, taking time to chat with friends or light an occasional cigarette.
Most folks smiled and waved as we passed, especially the children. Once we stopped, a small crowd gathered to see the American soldiers in all our gear. Our group split, with half staying to guard the vehicles and the other half going into the masses to shop and bolster the economy with good old American greenbacks.
The response was overwhelmingly positive. The first shop we stopped at was an electronics store where the civil affairs soldiers purchased a small television. The shop owner was elated and carried it two blocks to our truck.
We moved on up the street and took a break for lunch. Across the street was a pleasant restaurant where we ordered carryout. While we waited, courteous Iraqi waiters tried their best English on us and served ice water and hot tea. Little things intrigued them like how heavy my Kevlar helmet was or where I lived.
Once our meal was ready we paid and dined on the hood of our trucks. This was the first real meal I had eaten since arriving in Iraq two weeks earlier. Up until then, most soldiers and I had been living on MREs, or Meal-Ready to-Eat. This was quite a treat for us and made me feel almost like a tourist, had it not been for all the army battle-rattle and a loaded M-16 rifle.
Whether we were taking a break or walking down the street, we attracted kids of all ages. Many of the children spoke broken English picked up from soldiers passing through. Often I heard, ‘Hello Mister.’ or ‘How are you?’ One child approached me, looked up and said without taking a breath or waiting for my reply, ‘Hello Mister, good morning, how are you, fine, thank you.’
I’m sure he had no idea what he was saying, but the fact that he was interacting with an American was important to him. Other children would walk next to me and simply touch my hand or smile and wave.
As a photojournalist, I carry a rather expensive digital camera. This was a major attraction with the children and adults alike. It was quite the novelty to take their picture and show it to them.
At one store a large group of women and children asked our translator if I would take their picture. I don’t know why this is such a big deal; it is not a Polaroid® where they get to keep the picture, they can only look at it for a few seconds. Maybe it’s the fact that the camera goes ‘click’ and there is a ‘flash’ of light that gives them satisfaction. Or maybe it’s just that I took time to stop and show interest in their lives.
As I was leaving that group, a mother carrying her young daughter rushed up and wanted their picture taken as well. It’s too easy for me and seemed like such a monumental event for them that I couldn’t say no. So with a ‘click’ and a ‘flash’ and I put a smile on another Iraqi face.
If this is what it takes to make the people of Iraq happy, I will gladly spend the rest of my deployment taking photos of the innocent bystanders of war. Just as I found solace in a small meal after weeks of MREs, they found comfort in a ‘click’ and a ‘flash’ after years of turmoil.
(Staff Sgt. Craig Pickett is a member of the 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, a reserve unit from Indianapolis, Ind. He is currently deployed to South West Asia with the 4th Infantry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.)
FMCDH
What a wonderful thing we did in liberating them from brutality.......it just shines in that woman's face!
There is sadness underneath everything I do these days.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.