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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— John McCrae

Andy Dancaster and his interpreter talking to the operator of the Al Shura Water Compact Unit. Gene Sommerville, the Project Engineer, listens in.

When my friends visited awhile back, they gave a much appreciated gift card to a bookstore for the children to use. All members of the Manry family love books and upon receiving a bookstore gift card, we all cheer. (If the bookstore happens to have a coffee shop in it, Dale cheers louder.) I was in Borders with just Josiah and Abby and remembered about the gift card and told them they could pick out a book. After they had chosen, I realized the gift card wasn’t in my purse. They were disappointed, but I promised them we would return with Gabe and Zeke the next week to use the gift card for the books. I went home and put the gift card in my purse and the next week brought all four of them to Borders. We were there for an hour, they each picked out the book they wanted, and I went up to pay. I handed the cashier the books and the gift card. “I can’t take this,” she said. “We don’t accept our competitors gift cards!” I looked at the card and for the first time noticed that it was a gift card to Barnes and Noble.

Last Friday, my Dad became very dizzy and ill. His blood pressure dropped, he broke out into a cold sweat and slept heavily for several hours. These symptoms occurred again on Sunday night but much more severe. His blood pressure spiked and he could not regain his balance, his speech slurred, and the violent vomiting did not relent. He was transported in an ambulance to Mary Washington Hospital where they stabilized him and ran every test. (MRI, MRA, EKG, Doppler, blood, urine, xray, etc) The radiologist saw evidence of several small strokes at the base of the skull. There was no visible damage from the stroke. The Neurologist recommended that my Dad be transferred to the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville for surgery. He was transported there Monday night. My brother Mike flew in from Minnesota and he and my Mom drove down to UVA on Tuesday. They all met with the surgeon who recommended that my Dad undergo basilar arterial angioplasty stint surgery. The blood vessel at the base of my Dad’s skull is partially blocked and causes the minor strokes that he has been having intermittently over the course of the last 10 years. A little over 10 years ago, he was told that there wasn’t anything that could be done about it. The doctors at UVA have been performing this surgery for years and a few years ago, the technology for the balloons and stints advanced to improve the outcome. The Doctor who will be operating on my Dad performs this surgery approximately 5 times a month. At the outset of all this, my Dad just wanted to go home. He has since come to accept that God placed him here, so this problem could finally be diagnosed correctly and surgery could help alleviate it. He will be operated on at 0800 Thursday 8 November. The surgery will take 1 1/2 - 2 hours and he will be in the ICU for several hours afterwards. He will stay in the Hospital overnight and if there are no complications, he may be released back to my house on Friday. As my Mom sat with my Dad throughout the first night in the hospital, she was reading about Lazarus. “This sickness is not onto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4 I do glorify the Lord through this. Our move to Virginia has not only blessed the children and I, it has now blessed my Father. Here in Virginia, my Dad and my Mom found answers and help that they have been seeking for years. The Lord God has also been glorified through my church. I am ever grateful to belong to a terrific body of Christ that truly does “love one another deeply from the heart.” I am also grateful to have Christian neighbors who have been an example of the Proverb, “Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” Proverbs 27:10. So, please pray for my Dad and praise our God who prepares the way, walks beside, and in the midst of trial gives us peace. “”Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

A good pair of sunglasses is essential to survival here in Iraq. Actually, I have found that 2 different pairs of sunglasses are better. I prefer one type for day to day FOB life, while I use a different type for going outside the wire. I have a pair of the Uvex XC that I was issued while preparing for deployment at Ft. Benning, GA. I wear them everyday in and around the FOB. But when I head off the FOB, I switch to the WileyX which I bought at the military clothing sales store at Ft. Belvoir, VA. The WileyX sunglasses have a much tighter, closer fit to the face. They also have more of a goggle-type setup, while the Uvex XCs are a single lens system. So the WileyX pair does a better job of keeping out the blowing sand. Both pairs of sunglasses came with interchangable lenses. In limited visibility, I can put in the clear lenses, so I can still have some eye protection even when it’s dark outside.

Here’s a picture of me wearing my WileyXs while flying in a Blackhawk.

At 1500 on 1 November 2007, I received word that one of my RLTs had been hit by an IED. The devastating results were 1 KIA and 2 WIA. The lead vehicle apparently drove over a pressure detonated IED buried in the road. The blast blew through the bottom of the vehicle directly under the front passenger seat. That is where Andy was sitting. He was the Team Leader for this RLT; a man that I and everyone else that knew him greatly admired. His team had just completed reconnaissance of some of my project sites and was on its way back to the FOB. They were about 10 kilometers south of Mosul when they hit the IED. Smudge, the Assistant Team Leader, took charge immediately, secured the area, and called in the QRF from the supporting US Army unit. After the blast, there was no other attack. Apparently the IED had been left to indiscriminately kill whomever happened by. Andy and the 2 WIAs were evacuated by helicopter to the Combat Support Hospital on FOB Diamondback; their vehicle was completely destroyed by the IED.

At 0300 this morning, I participated in a Ramp Ceremony for Andy along with all of the other security detachment personnel and the leadership from MAO (MAJ Rick Biddle and MSG Curt Kaseman). The attendees formed two lines coming out from the ramp at the back of the waiting C130 Hercules aircraft. At the front of the line, I waited along with a Chaplain and Billy, Andy’s supervisor. When the ambulance pulled up, 4 personnel from the security detachment served as pallbearers and removed Andy’s casket. Those assembled saluted while we led the pallbearers to the ramp of the C130. At the foot of the ramp, the Chaplain said some words. I was so numb at the time that I can’t remember what he said. Then a member of Andy’s team said a few words as well. That was the end of our short ceremony.

Later this afternoon, I sat at my computer to put together a few thoughts for a condolence letter. Andy is survived by his Mother and Father who live in Chesire, UK. As I finished putting my thoughts in an email to send to my boss, the numbness started to wear off. I walked back to my trailer and called Mugs to ask for prayer. I spent some time crying for Andy. Mugs’ words comforted me and allowed me to not be overcome by grief.

This evening at 1830, I conducted a memorial service for Andy. Everyone from MAO attended along with all of Andy’s colleagues from the personal security detachment teams. I started off by reading Ecclesiastes 9:10-12, which says:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
For man also does not know his time; like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

A few people shared thoughts about Andy, then we honored him with a minute of silence. Margaret, the senior USACE engineer in Mosul, closed the service with a prayer.

Andy believed in what we are doing. He cared for the Iraqis and felt strongly about developing personal relationships with the locals. On every project visit he made, Andy would grab his interpreter and talk to the local residents. He knew that these relationships are the key to success. I believe in Andy’s vision. In Ecclesiastes 9, the Preacher goes on to say in verse 18:

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Rest in Peace, Andy Dancaster.