Nature of war

October 7, 2002

My therapist told me I should carry a journal around. Why, these blank pages will not give advice, or calm me down this is pointless. I am supposed to write whatever comes to mind. There is only one thing on my mind. That would be Iraq it is my third tour and I am not even sure if I am serving my country any more. The things I have seen will never leave my memory.

October 19, 2002

I do not know if I am meant to write in this thing daily, it has been over a week sense I first wrote in it. This week I saw my squad hit with an IED all I can say is why? Why me there was good men in there and I’m the one that lived? IT IS NOT FAIR, IT IS JUST NOT! I ask god why I’m the one that lived, there was no response….

November 22, 2002

It has been a month sense my last journal entire. Recovery was hard; I looked back at my first entire. I said I was not sure if I was serving my country anymore and, the answer is I am not. I am serving the men and women who have died for their country making sure their name does not die in vain. That is my purpose and I will not fail.

February 12, 2003

Each day is getting easier to live with knowing my squad’s death will always be with me. I am back in Iraq, now I have squad that I am responsible of. None of them is experienced they are all scared to be over here. I know what it; I still remember my first time over here. There is one soldier though by the name of Henry Adams he is private; he has potential an amazing solider. I hope this kid goes far

June 6th 1990 Tornado in Limon

May 26^th 1990

            Today is the day… this absolutely beautiful day in Limon, Colorado is the day that marks the end of one, but the beginning of another.  Today is the day that I graduate from high school!!!  I can’t express in words how extremely excited I am to be out of silly high school and start college at NJC in the fall of 1990.  My plans are to become a registered nurse, and the absolute best one at that!  Well, it is 6:30 a.m. I have to be at the school at 9:30 a.m. and you know how girls are when they get ready for important events so I better stop writing and go get ready to get my diploma that I have worked oh so hard for!

June 2^nd 1990

           Hey there!  Sorry it has been awhile, graduation time is a busy time!  On the plus side it was perfect!  I wouldn’t have had it any other way.  Anyhow, this whole week the weather has been so beautiful, I’ve been out tanning, walking, driving around with friends, going to the park to play a little volleyball.  I’ve been doing all kinds of fun things you can do when you don’t have to spend your whole day in a classroom doing homework.  Today is the first day since graduation that it has rained!  I personally do not like the rain very much.  It’s just not as much fun to enjoy yourself outside when you are soaked from the rain with all your heavy wet clothes.  Oh well, looks like today will be mostly spent inside with my wonderful family.

June 4^th 1990

            Yet again we have us another rainy day!  Today it seems to be much worse than the past few days.  I have been listening to the news lately, there are so many tornados coming out of this storm!  I sure hope there is not going to be one here.  There has never, for all my 18 years of living, been a tornado here.  Well, there have been some outside of Limon, but none that have ever affected anyone or damaged anything.  I say the likelihood of us getting hit by a tornado is pretty slim… close to zero! Ah, I suppose there is no need to worry… I hope. See ya until next time!

June 6^th 1990

            Slim… close to zero?  I could never be more wrong.  As I sat in the basement hearing those sirens I couldn’t help but think of what life is going to be like once this tornado takes everything I have… my house, my family, my friends, my town, my world as I know it.  I hear this F3 tornado ripping through town… tearing everything to nothing, changing a town full of happiness and energy into… a life sucking black hole.  As I hear the shreds of metal, the shingles of my neighbor’s home, the branches from the tree’s from my very own front yard pounding into my house above me, I think to myself, how am I going to survive without my house, my family, my friends, my town… my world?  How am I going to function?  Do we have to just start over completely?.... The metal, the shingles, and the branches come to rest, the wind stops completely… we sit there numb to any emotions.  At that moment I experienced the loudest silence.

Welcome

Welcome to 21st century diary-writing or journaling! Your task is to take on the character of someone who was present at, and observed some major event in history, be it political, a natural disaster, historical, etc. You may research your chosen event to be sure that your information is accurate and your voice typifies the era. Create 4 diary entries of no fewer than 4 sentences each. Post them to Mrs. Markle's English Class blog. Print a hard copy and turn it in with the rubric you have received. Your blog posts and your hard copy are due Thursday, March 8, 2012.

Don't forget--your AR test points and/or book report activities are due by March 8 as well.

War Over in Iraq

My therapist told me I should carry a journal around. why, these blank pages won't give advice, or calm me down this is pointless. im supposed to write whatever comes to mind. there is only one thing on my mind. that would be Iraq it is my third tour and im not even sure if im serving my country any more. the things i have seen will never leave my memory.

I don't know if I'm meant to write in this thing daily, it has been over a week sense i first wrote in it.

chicago union stockyard fire

Chicago Union Stockyard fire of 1910
The fire started in warehouse 7 on December 22 4:09 am at the Nelson Morris Company on the 4300 block of South Loomis Street. Just a half an hour later there was at least thirty or more fire trucks there fighting the enormous blaze. We are told that an ammonia pipe exploded causing the fire and collapse of the building.
The blaze still engulfs the whole building the stockyard workers and the now forty fire trucks are working as fast as they can to get the fire controlled. This is turning into a hard task because the gases are still leaking into the building feeding the fire. They are trying to find the emergency shut off valves but are suspected to be under part of the fallen building.
Finally at 6:37 am on December 23 the fire was finally extinguished with the help of fifty plus fire trucks and seven hook and ladder trucks. The valves were never found but they decided to shut the gas off to the whole city. Which in turn quit feeding the fire and they were able to put out the fire.
The estimated total damage is expected to be over 2 million dollars. There 27 expected deaths due to the fire being caused by explosions and the crumbling of the building.

Austin

Early 1861,
For a great while now the states have been dividing over slavery. They have been choosing sides and wanting to keep slavery or get rid of it. Today President Lincoln asked me to command the union army. Although I wanted to accept his offer I didn’t. I declined it because my home is in Virginia.
April 1861,
Today Virginia officially declared its succession from the Union. I followed my home state because I thought it was my job to support my state. I became a senior military advisor to President Jefferson Davis for the Confederacy Army. I am one of the best military commanders known. I am known for my tactics that I display in war.
1862-1863
We have been battling the Union army off and on for two years now. We had The Battle of Fredericksburg which we had won by being entrenched and standing our ground against the Union assaults. We also had The Battle of Chancellorsville where we were out numbered 2 to 1. I divided my army up to attack which lead to another confederate victory.
1863-1865
The Battle of the Wilderness there was no actual victory for either side. Both armies suffered heavy casualties. The Battle of Cold Harbor was a victory that came with ease. We were fortified up and the Union army kept coming at us with a frontal attack, which kept failing. The Seven Days Battles were a series of battles over o span of seven days which we had lost 20,000 soldiers. We ended our resistance when I surrendered to Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.

9/11

Andy Padilla
English 12
3-3-11
9/11

It’s September tenth and about five in the afternoon here in New York. I’m just at my house enjoying my day off by relaxing and watching some college football on T.V. I wake up the next morning to go to work; my job isn’t your everyday fast food place. I work in the World Trade Center, and I love every bit of it. Well anyways I wake up and get ready for work and when I was on my way I had this feeling in my stomach that something just wasn’t right.
I get to work and as I’m walking through the office on the 34th floor I hear over the intercom that some airplanes were flying very fast towards the towers and everybody around me hopped up and ran to the windows to look. Sure as heck there was a huge airplane barreling straight towards the tower. Everyone started pacing and panicking running for the elevators and stairs but right as we all got to the stairwell the plane hit in a trembling explosion. I remember seeing people jumping through windows to try to get away from the flames and falling metal. I was in the stairwell running and running at as fast as pace as my body would let me go.
I was one of the very few people that made it to the bottom. I ran out the front door of the twin towers in shock and covered in debris. I hoped that all my friends made it out too but there was literally no way to tell until probably the next day. I was surrounded by police and firemen right as I ran out the door, I was also asked if I needed to be hauled to the hospital by ambulance and if I were hurt. I Answered back and said no sir I’m fine but then I looked down and noticed about three lacerations on my right leg. They were probably at least all an inch deep and about four inches long.
I quickly answered again and said yes take me in. I remember being in the Ambulance and still being able to hear the Towers falling and people screaming. The City of new York looked like it had just been through a world war again.