This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------6DE8172F2B2C87BCFDCEEF9D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --------------6DE8172F2B2C87BCFDCEEF9D Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Received: from mail19.bellsouth.net (mail19.bellsouth.net [209.215.32.169]) by mail0.bna.bellsouth.net (3.3.5alt/0.75.2) with ESMTP id QAA16168 for <colv@mem.bellsouth.net>; Wed, 18 Oct 2000 16:10:55 -0400 (EDT) Received: from messenger.army.mil (jtfb-emh1.army.pentagon.mil [199.252.50.19]) by mail19.bellsouth.net (3.3.5alt/0.75.2) with ESMTP id QAA08453 for <colv@bellsouth.net>; Wed, 18 Oct 2000 16:16:37 -0400 (EDT) Received: by jtfb-emh1.army.pentagon.mil with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) id <48BLQ63A>; Wed, 18 Oct 2000 14:08:02 -0600 Message-ID: <8D6C91DDC08FD4118284009027D5CACFE025A8@jtfb-emh1.army.pentagon.mil> From: "Geis, Allison L. CPT" <geisa@jtfb-emh1.army.mil> To: "Wood, Michael R. COL" <woodm@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Vargas, Eduardo LTC" <vargase@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Brainerd, John L. LTC" <brainerj@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Mis, Stephen LTC" <miss@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Dopierala, Richard J. MAJ" <dopierar@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Agar, Carl W. MAJ" <agarcw@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Clarke, Kendall J. CPT" <clarkek@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Battiste, Charles H. CPT/4349" <battistc@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Cooper, Jeffrey T. Capt" <cooperj@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Cooper, Raymond D. TSGT" <cooperr@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Godbey, Brian L. CPT" <godbeyb@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Regen, Thomas J. Capt" <regent@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Mattox, Wayne S. CPT" <mattoxw@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Kunstbeck, John P. 1LT" <kunstbej@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Plummer, Robert LTC" <plummerr@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Dash, Christopher MAJ" <dashc@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Hernandez, Rene G. CPT" <hernandr@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Danbeck, Christopher R. 1LT" <danbeckc@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Villarreal, Miguel E. 1LT" <villarrm@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Little, Christopher W. MAJ" <littlec@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Oatmeyer, Sean P. MAJ" <oatmeyes@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Denison, Michael P. 2LT" <denisonm@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Deneff, Wayne S. LTC" <deneffw@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Emlaw, Daniel T. 1LT" <emlawd@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Thoreson, Marc D. CPT" <thoresom@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Hadley, Jonathan A. 1LT" <hadleyj@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Harvey, Steven D. LTC" <harveys@jtfb-emh1.army.mil>, "Davies, Thomas R. CPT" <daviest@jtfb-emh1.army.mil> Cc: nwgeis@currentinc.com, Gerald F Colvin <colv@bellsouth.net>, sehoke@aol.com, cpassanante@home.com, james.young@keesler.af.mil, brou.gautier@pentagon.af.mil Subject: FW: USS COLE Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 14:08:00 -0600 Importance: high X-Priority: 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Unbelievable read. Please pass it on Alli Allison L. Geis, Capt, USAF Deputy Director J4 Soto Cano AB Honduras DSN 449-4441/4141 > Just received this email. It is written by a sailor flying Seahawks off > of the USS Hawes. > Here he describes the conditions on USS COLE: > > "It wasn't until a few days ago though, that we started doing > something that I feel may be the first thing I've seen in my short Naval > career that has truly made a difference. Right now we're supporting the > USS COLE and her crew in Aden. When the attack occurred we were a day > away. Just by luck we happened to be on our way out of the Gulf and > headed towards the Suez and could get here in a relatively short amount > of > time. I know what you all have seen on CNN, because we have seen it too. > I just want you all to know that what you see doesn't even scratch the > surface. I'm not going to get into it for obvious reasons. But I will > tell you that right now there are 250+ sailors just a few miles away > living in hell on Earth. I'm sitting in a nice air conditioned state > room, they're sleeping out on the decks at night. You can't even imagine > the conditions they're living in, and yet they are still fighting 24 > hours > a day to save their ship and free the bodies of those still trapped and > send them home. As bad as it is, they're doing an incredible job. The > very fact that these people are still functioning is beyond my > comprehension. Whatever you imagine as the worst, multiply it by ten and > you might get there. Today I was tasked to photo rig the ship and > surrounding area. It looked so much worse than I had imagined, > unbelievable really, with debris and disarray everywhere, the ship > listing, the hole in her side. I wish I had the power to relay to you > all > what I have seen, but words just won't do it. I do want to tell you the > first thing that jumped out at me - the Stars and Stripes flying. I > can't > tell you how that made me feel...even in this God forsaken hell hole our > flag was more beautiful than words can describe. Then I started to > notice > the mass of activity going on below, scores of people working non-stop in > 90 plus degree weather to save this ship. They're doing it with almost > no > electrical power and they're sleeping (when they can sleep) outside on > the > decks because they can't stand the smell or the heat or the darkness > inside. They only want to eat what we bring them because they're all > scared of eating something brought by the local vendors. Even with all > that, the USS COLE and her crew is sending a message guys, and it's that > even acts of cowardice and hate can do nothing to the spirit and pride of > the United States. I have never been so proud of what I do, or of the > men > and women that I serve with as I was today. There are sixteen confirmed > dead sailors who put it on the line for all of us, and some of them are > still trapped here. Please take a minute to pray for their families and > say a word of thanks for their sacrifice - one made so that we can live > the lives that we do. All of you that serve with me, thank you. All of > you that have loved ones that serve, thank you." > > Please feel free to pass this on to those you think will appreciate it. > > V/R > LT Landry --------------6DE8172F2B2C87BCFDCEEF9D--