Just to clear up some confusion with some readers of yesterday’s camo post (“forested vales of eastern Afghanistan.– lost ma (sic) right here..”).
OK, so, maybe the word “vales” wasn’t technically right since Afghanistan might not have limestone cliffs. But according to the definition online: “a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river”…and forested? Well, I’ve seen several in my travels there.
I don’t do this that often, but I just thought I had to use my bully pulpit this time to answer my detractors. Let the picture do the talking…
(Photo cutline: Soldiers navigate across a creek during a dismounted patrol in the Nerkh Valley, Afghanistan, June 4, 2009.)
– Christian
Are you angry at us now?
Don’t worry. They’re probably pretty sure of their facts that Canada is covered in snow 7x24x365 as well.
PS> There was nothing wrong with the use of “vales”. People didn’t know what limestone was particularly when that word was invented.
My Merriam-Webster has dale, vale & valley as synonyms. Woe is optional.
…aaaaa.…I love you guys.…
Dear Mom,
Summer camp is great. I’m kind of embarrassed that I cried when you dropped me off here. We get to shoot people and blow stuff up! Eric had the tip of his finger bit off by some kind of fish, though. The food stinks, but the guys are really cool and they told us we’re gonna get to ride in a helicopter tomorrow! Please send me more underwear since I lost a pair. We get to carry rifles and shoot stuff that moves. Mr. Devons said before we leave we can fly a model airplane that blows stuff up! (Don’t worry about me; I’m careful when we blow stuff up.)
Love,
Timmy
P.S. That’s me in the front (you know that) and behind me is butch (he’s a year older and a real jerk). Behind him is Eric (before his finger got bitten) and behind Eric is Dan who’s one of the counselors (that’s why he has a black shirt on). The last guy is Christian. He’s a lot older than the rest of us. I think he’s peeing in this picture. Gotta go. We’re having a campfire at the lake where Eric got his finger bit off.
As I viewed the picture of the troops crossing the stream I thoguht of the movie “North West Passage,” where Spencer Tracy and the first American Ranger’s crossed a river by interlocking their arms together as they crossed the raging river. Then I remembered in WWII where you had to cross a river carrying a hundred pound LOAD and a 100 foot WOOD PLANK. At least you boys had a bridge engineered by the finest of Afghani corps of engineers in a thousand years of Jihad and smoking Black Afghani can produce for your Hooka !
hmmm..
1: Ahghanistan and Germany are the only countries until now where all forests are human planted.
2: this Valley looks like ordinary farm land in central asians mountains. where the farmers plant trees for firewood and schrubery for wild beries.
Maybe the shrubbery was planted by the Knights Who Say Nih.
To hmmmmmmm;
The Republic of Korea, AKA, South Korea, had to replant its forests as well after decades of occupation by the Japanese and the end of the Korean War. They even had a holiday to celebrate it they called Arbor Day.
To the comment of using vale? I can just think of the line in Band of Brothers. “Don’t worry, we’re in a dell.” ” A dell?” “You mean where gnomes and wood nymphs play?“
Perhaps instead just use the term Valley. I would have for land nav.
Olive Drab is not the best camo either. The israeli environment is such that the fight is either in densely populated urban sprawl or in open desert areas. Olive Drab is good for ease of production and low cost.
Any good turkey hunter will tell you that camo helps you blend in when you’re perfectly still, but amplifies any of your movements. I don’t think any “pattern” will ever compensate for this downside of camo.
There I was, sitting by the ****ing lake minding my own ***ing bidness when a ***ing fish jumped up and bit me in the ***finger. Now I aint got no ***ing finger and I need a ***ing bambalance.