David Hardt's Report

Sorry this is so late...here's David Hardt's report from Baghdad where he serves with the Fort Lewis Strykers.

I get home from work, and I am tired. I take off my smelly battle dress uniform and toss it in the laundry basket like I do virtually every night. During the evening, my wife decides for the first time in years to get a head start on the laundry — before it reaches the roof. I take a shower and get ready for the night. Two or so hours later, I sit down on the couch and start watching television. As I flip through the channels, I come across MTV, where some rapper is wearing a diamond cross and flaunting a wad full of $100 bills. Suddenly, it hit me. “Oh s@#%, I left a hundred bucks in the right pocket of my uniform.” I scurry to the laundry room where there is silence. “Hmmm, maybe she didn’t start it.” I take a better look, and sure enough, the empty basket is lying by the side of the drier. “Oh good.” I look in the washer — nothing. I bend down and open the drier door. I notice that it is rather hot. “This is not looking good,” I mumble. My wife happens to be standing at the door and hears me. “What are you doing? You don’t do laundry.” I answer quickly. “Nothing, just trying to help you a little.” She smiles and says, “Good, can you fold them when you get them out?” I give a fake loving smile and respond quietly, “OK, I can do that.” As she closes the door, I go right back into panic mode. I find my BDU top and pull it out. “Oh please don’t be in pieces.” I reach in and pull it out, and my hundred dollars is now 300 pieces. Now, that was a story about losing a lousy 100 bucks. Imagine losing a 3.3 million dollar machine in the blink of an eye. It happened, and here’s the true detailed story:

Click here to see the entire report.

Comments

[Jerit VanAuker, Jr.]

Thanks again Sgt for keeping us up to date! We are very thankful that all are safe. Take Care!

[Lynn Jones]

David,

You dont know me yet. I am your Aunt Lois's eldest daughter Lynn. I guess that makes us cousins huh. Hi

I just read the artical that you posted yesterday. Wow. We are all glad that you are all ok. I know that you are trained to do all that you are doing but to get back in there the next day takes alot. Thanks so much for caring about us here at home to fight for us.

I just wanted you to know that at the beginning of one particualar article you wrote that you didn't know if anyone would read this type of article. I for one am very glad that you Took The Chance. When you were talking about the children it tugged at my heart. When you spoke of the terrified lady that you helped move, that brought a tear to my eyes.

With us being here we dont get the chance to hear or see anything but what comes across the news. I knew in my heart that there were alot of innocents there but till you meantioned them those of us here forget that they are just that. Innocent.

Thank you so much for taking the time to remind us that there are innocents there and for taking that little bit of time fromyour day to just walk down the street holding the little girls hand.

For some reason I felt that the people there did not want our guys there. You made me see that some still need that hand to hold there. I do wish that all our guys could be home safe and sound, but its nice to know that the little ones and the people that are just plain scared have OUR guys there watching over them to the best of this great countries abillities.

Thank you my cousin and please send a big thank you from me to your friends. Keep up the good work and we hope that you will be home safe and sound soon.

We will be praying for you now till the day that you come home for good.

Thanks for being there for us all.

Lynn

[bostongrandma]

David, I am the mother of a soldier serving in the 5/20. This past week has been extremely nailbiting for all of us. Everyone is in my prayers. Be Safe/Strong and Focused. Soon you will all be home.
God Bless

[Lois Husted]

david and all check the blog everyday for news and the pictures and watch for u to come online it is worrisom when we hear of things on the news and then i see u pop on line i am relived please take care and god be with one and all . i am trying to get more people on to the blog so they can really hear and see what you are all dooing overthere for us god bless you all lois

[Rev. Scott Johnson]

David,
My name is Rev. Scott Johnson and I am a friend of Julian Chivington, a Stryker, and his family. His father Doug recently sent me a blog that you had written, that Julian picked up and sent to his dad. It was one that included Psalm 121.
I am a pastor and hold that scripture dear to my heart as well. I don't know if you know some of the background to that Psalm, but here's a couple of things that pertain to it that might interest you and cause you to cherish it even more.
It is often called the "Pilgrim's Psalm" or the "Psalm of Ascents." The reason is that when Jews came from the north and eastern parts of Israel to go to the feasts and festivals in Jerusalem, their journey would take them to the key city of Jericho alongside the Jordan River, east of Jerusalem.
Now the amazing thing is that Jericho is less than 20 miles from Jerusalem as the crow flies, but Jericho is almost 3500 feet below Jerusalem in elevation!
I've been on the road that connects the two, and it is extemely steep, winding, twisting, and in biblical times, very dangerous because of how the terrain made it a great hide out for thieves and bandits.
Thus, before the pilgrims took off from Jericho to "ascend" to Jerusalem, they would recite this Psalm, lifting up their eyes unto the hills that they would have to travel through in order to get to the sacred mount in Jerusalem where the Temple stood. They would lift up their eyes unto the hills and reaffirm that their help, their protection, and their safety did not rest in the hands of humans but in the hands of Almighty God who was the Maker of the hills, the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. They reaffirmed their faith that God would not allow their feet to slip along what was then a very slippery and treacherous road because of the sandy nature of the soil and loose rocks. They trusted that the Lord God would not fall asleep on His watchfulness over their pilgrimage. And they believed, in the oppressive heat in that region of the world, that God would be their shade and shelter...physically as well as spiritually.
So David, my enouragement is to keep that Psalm handy as you pilgrim out each day into a land that is very dangerous, treacherous, slippery, and filled with concealed bandits and thieves. Like the Israelites as they rounded each bend, they did not know what they would run into, but they knew that God Almighty would be with them. When you feel the heat and the oppression, be reminded that the Lord is your shade.
And that part about being protected from the moon by night in the Psalm....even then people beleived that the moon had an effect on people's minds. So this psalm testifies that God even protects us from the things that would cause us to to "crazy" was we walk this pilgrim pathway...isn't that nice to know?
And the word "watch"? It has a military root as well...keeping watch as a soldier on duty who never falls asleep on his watch.
David, we pray for you soldiers, your families, the wounded and the deceased every Sunday in our worship services. We pray for peace, for your protection, and for the world leaders to come to terms and secure peace so that you can all come home. Please know and pass on to others, that they are loved, prayed over, appreciated, and honored. We do thank-you, we really do thank you and all those in the military an their families.
Over here, we too lift up our eyes unto the hills, and above the hills to heaven itself, to place you before the Father's throne in prayer. Remember that King David, who wrote so many of the psalms, was also a soldier....God uses soldiers for His glory and blesses them on their missions, never forget that, please.
It you ever get a chance to meet Col. John Murray in the Green Zone, introduce yourself as he is a member of the church I serve back here in the states and give him a hug for us.
God's blessing to you all.
Feel free to write any time at rscott@dbscorp.net
Scott