Sir Duck

The new Sir Duck

2008-12-28T08:11:00.004-06:00

http://post218.blogspot.com

Copy writed pictures

2007-04-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

ALL PICTURES IN SIR DUCK AND SIR DUCK TOO BLOG SITES ARE COPY WRITTEN AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF ME, SIR DUCK

New site

2006-11-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

Pictures I took in Afghanistan except the ones I'm in on this site:
Click on this: http://sirducktoo.blogspot.com

Canadian Heros

2006-10-16T16:02:00.000-05:00

Cpl E. G. Hjalmarson & Sir Duck

At Sir Duck's hooch (tent)

at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan

Cpl Hjalmarson is the author of

the two poems below

Cpl Hjalmarson in the hills of
Afghanistan

Will be posting pictures of this unit - PPCLI - from Canada while in Afghanistan

THIS SITE IS ALSO DEDICATED TO THE CANADIANS THAT HAVE GAVE THEIR ALL FOR ALL TO REMAIN FREE

WILL NOT BE ABLE TO POST ALL THE NAMES AND/OR PICTURES JUST THESE FEW AT THIS TIME

If there is anyone you would like to post a name and/or picture

on this site I would be glad too

let me know by posting on the comments below

KIA - Aug 3rd, 06

Kandahar, Afghanistan

Left to right

Sergeant Ingram-Cpl Reid-Cpl Keller-Pvt Dallair

Princes Patricia Canadian Light Infantry

This is the first poem written and was sent to me by my bud and friend Cpl E. G. Hjalmarson who is with the 1 PPCLI (Princes Patricia Canadian Light Infantry) in Afghanistan, on his flight back to Canadia for R&R. The next one is what he wrote when he returned back to Agfhanistan.

ON MY FLIGHT FROM FRANKFURT GERMANY TO CALGARY AB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC, TIRED AND HAZY THROUGHTS FLOATED THROUGH MY MIND. I WAS REMEBERING ALL THE KIAS AND WOUNDED COMRADES ALL. THE VERSES OF THE POEM FLOATED THROUGH MY MIND AND I MUST PASS IT ON.

COMRADES
I look around and saw them
At their faces "O" so clear
I looked around and saw them
As we moved across the field

They moved with pride and valor
Their objective was quite clear
Not a moments hesitation
Not the slightest sign of fear

"O" what a band of brothers
We have gathered at this place
And it matters not their cap badge
Their religion or their race

The goal was clear and common
As we marched towards the guns
The objective will be taken
And the battle will be won

I looked around and saw them
And their faces weren't so clear
I looked around and saw them
At our numbers growing fewer

Their faces fade in memory
But their names are etched in stone
And the list is ever growing
As the missions carry on

But we the old survivors
The ones that made it home
Will not forget the faces
Or the names upon the stone

Cpl E. G. Hjalmarson
1 PPCLI

The second poem written by Cpl E. G. Hjalmarson 1 PPCLI. It is also posted on http://stupidrandomthoughts.blogspot.com IT SAYS IT ALL

Fields of Stone:

In a peaceful glades and shady glens
In fields that never end
The stark straight lines of chalk white lime
These cold and chiseled signs

Where once the sounds of battle raged
And gallant deeds were done
Where lives were lost to pay the cost
Of countless honors won

Where sacrificed and selfess deeds
Were done without a thought
Of bleeding souls or dreams untold
Of loved ones left behind

Now laid to rest in measured rows
Beneath the blooded soil
Where pipes lament and tears are shed
Upon these fields of stone

Cpl E. G. Hjalmarson is currently serving in Afghanistan
1 PPCLI (Princes Patricia Canadian Light Infantry

Pvt Robert Costell

Capt Goddard
Pvt Costell is the second from the right in the group picture, I am in the middle. I used to drink coffee at the coffee place by the air field and sometimes Capt Goddard would be there with her troops drinking coffee outside the shop and I would always say howdie and they would get a kick out of my Texas accent which I always told them they talk funny too.

I have been busy the last few months and have to post this in honoring our Canadian brothers and sisters. Even though my bud Jaf (http://stupidrandomthoughts.blogspot.com) has posted and honorerd them on his site and I needed to post them on my site also. Pvt Robert Costell was killed in action in Afghanistan a few days after I left Afghanistan for R&R and Captain Goddard was killed a few weeks later and is the first woman in the Canadian Military killed in Action. There has been other Canadians that have gave the ultimate since and these two are more personnal to me. I still honor the ones that have gone before and after them. This is my tribute to them all. Jaf will sometimess still be posting stuff I send him.

Thanks to all of you for supporting not only our soldiers but also the troops from other countries, especially Canadia that have given their lives so we all can have freedom.
Sir Duck

Memorial in Afghanistan

2006-03-20T17:50:00.000-06:00

This building is called the TLS (Talibans Last Stand) it is where the Taliban made their last stand against the US military and no prisoners where taken and this monument was erected for the sacrifices of all men and women in the coalition forces that gave their lives or wounded against terrorism and for all the people of that lost their lives in 9-11. I am standing by it. I will not post any pictures of anyone or any locations of buildings, the picture you see of me has my face blocked out. I have a lot of pictures without people in them and they will be posted. This is for securtiy reasons. I will be posting pictures for a while and my buddy Jaf might be posting pictures on his site. Will let you know. I will be posting more pictures for a few days. As a person on the ground in Afghanistan, myself and the people around me thank all of you for your support and prayers.

Sir Duck

Desert in Afgahanistan

2006-03-20T12:35:00.000-06:00

Desert in Afghanistan not to far from Kandahar. The black dots in the center are some sort of house's people live in and the dots on the right center of the picture are camels. This river runs all the way to the Northern part of Afghanistan.

Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan

2006-03-18T08:44:00.000-06:00

This is Kandahar air field Afghanistan. The town of Kandahar, Afghanistan is to the left of the picture. For security reasons cannot give details and locations of certain buildings.

Afghanistan

2006-03-16T15:51:00.000-06:00

Valley in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Afghanistan

2006-03-16T05:55:00.000-06:00

This is what the country looks like

Back Later

2005-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

I am going to busy for awhile, check back in about a week and hope you all enjoyed the pic.

In the mean time go to

http://stupidrandomthoughts.blogspot.com for good info

'Sir Duck'

Out Here

Captured arms

2005-11-07T09:46:00.000-06:00

This pic was sent to me by a friend of mine

SFC Martinez under the yellow 1 and his bunch, Iraqi Nat'l Guards on both ends and his men inbetween. An Iraqi told them where this stuff was, located in the house behind the walls, top and below pics.

More of the muntions and the bad guys that lived there. They are being arrested, photographed and questioned by the Iraqi Nat'l Guard (ING), then shot (joke).

SFC Martinez had a feeling about this vehicle and had it searched. Bomb making stuff, RPG's, bullets, and other killing stuff was in the trunk.

Believe it or not this soldier returned back to his unit in Baghdad, Iraq awhile later. You can see the wall behind him through the hole. I don't think his mother has seen this picture, so I am not going to mention his name. This is the only bad picture I will show. This guy could have gone home but decided to stay in Iraq.

Iraq

2005-11-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

These two pictures are the typical signs on hummers, beginning and the end of a convoy. Some are bigger and colorful but they all mean the same, do not pass this convoy or come along side, you will be shot. In our convoys we had Hummers run point to stop traffic before the main body. Each convoy is different depending on who and what is running in it and this is what dictates the security.

The sign below didn't to need to remind every body they are leaving a so called safe area.

The above picture is part of the most dangerous highway in the world. From this bridge is about 3 1/2 to 4 hours to Baghdad. Some of these underpasses their is a military present, like a check point to see what and who is driving on this highway and you had not better be a single vechile on it. This first time I traveled this highway and when we came to one of these overpasses the driver did a zig zag before going under it and I asked him why he did that. He said the bad guys would lay on top of the bridge and when we passed under it to the other side they would drop a hand grenade on the vechile. Iraqi Taxi cab with the orange or red fenders. Some how these guys and their taxis are immune to IED's, hummmmmmm

These Iraqi workers just got a raise to 65 cents an hour. The American overseeing these workers, called a labor foreman, is making $8,000 a month tax free. I stand by this: if the Iraqis was paid the minimum wage that is paid in the USA they would be more likely kill the ones that are threating and killing them. I all ways tell the Iraqis they need to do this, kill Ali Baba and they would leave them alone.

What do you think?

more pics coming

Memorial in Iraq

2005-11-04T12:34:00.000-06:00

Both top and bottom pictures are a memorial service held on Memorial Day 05, for all fallen soldiers past and present. If anyone does not like these soldiers bowing their heads in prayer I sure can pass your name to my Buds in this picture.

There is a reason why I put up these pictures, just read between the lines.

The bad guys try and monitor everything but they are stupid.

This is one of the many canels throughout Iraq. These kids could not go swimming in this canel during Saddam H reign. All the canels in Iraq waters are OK.

THANK YOU

University of Wisconsin students for YOUR support.

and Jeremy & Jenna

Camp Victory North, Baghdad #3

2005-11-02T08:46:00.000-06:00

Px to the right, Defac (mess hall) to the left
Straight ahead is the lake and was 1st Cav HQ now 3rd ID HQ

Picture taken from the hill. Overview of the PX at Camp Victory North, Baghdad, Iraq

a. place where the picture was taken below

b. Defac (mess hall)

c. below c is Burger King

d. Px, both tents

Burger King to our right. Px behind us. I just came out of the desert and ran into these guys I knew from Ft. Hood, TX

Px. the Burger King is to the left

Notice the Burger King is set up in a trailer. You pay for your burger at the little white shed and walked up the stairs to get your burger inside the trailer and then walk through to the other side and down the stairs. The little cabannas is where you eat.

HQ across the lake

Good Night You'll

Thanks for Up-armor

2005-10-28T18:20:00.000-05:00

This Polish army escort in their up-armor truck accompanied us to Baghdad. Notice the steel pans. They were with the Polish Major that was with us, the Major that caused the convoy to stop on the most dangerous highway in the world so he could deliever some papers to a US Camp on the way to Baghdad and he would not have to drive to Baghdad by himself, we were stopped for 30 minutes on that highway waiting for him. We had Hummers at both ends of our convoy with 50's mounted on them. I had no idea why these guys (aboue pic) were running with us except to guard their Major. Because if we got into a gun fight these Polish soldiers probably would get killed, maybe maybe not but I wouldn't want to be in their truck.

If the Hummer below didn't have the armor the soldiers inside would not be here.

The driver of this Hummer said he would like to be the spokesman of the company that up-armored it. A 155mm artillery round IED set off by the bad guys as they passed by it did this damage and all three soldiers inside walked away without a scratch. At least when the troops travel in these up-armor Hummers there is some security not like before or how would you like to travel around Iraq in the Polish army truck, pic above.

more pics coming

Camp Victory North, Baghdad #2

2005-10-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

Misc pics

These are the vechiles the Kiwi's and the South Africans ran around in at Camp Zulu. Sometimes they went to Baghdad in them but mostly back and forth to the ammo dump.

IED hunter-killer

I saw these running ahead of convoys on the highway to and from Baghdad. There were a lot of stuff attached to them to blow the IED's, I guess.

(The Buffalo) IED hunter-killer
The newest and best

One of the trigger devices used to set off IED's

army photo

These two way radios are getting to be the most popular triggers replacing cell phones.

pictures coming

More Toby Keith - Camp Victory - Baghdad

2005-10-26T14:36:00.000-05:00

Toby Keith in red hat

California Girls

Camp Victory North, Baghdad

2005-10-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

Camp Victory North (al-Tahreer) Baghdad, Iraq
From a to b

South of the lake is Victory South

Courtesy of the Texas Guard

Toby Keith concert

Toby Keith in the red hat

One of the fishes in the lake and both rivers, T&E

This guy caught three fishes, knew what two of them were but the third fish had no idea, never saw one like it before.

See the first picture

more pics coming

Camps in Baghdad

2005-10-23T13:14:00.000-05:00

This poster is hanging on the wall with the picture inside at the 1st Cav Headquarters, Ft Hood, Texas

In case you didn't know the movie WE WERE SOLDIERS was about the 2/7 Cav 1st Cav Div and was the first military unit to battle the NVA in Vietnam, around 200 men where KIA in this two day fight.

The following pictures shows some of the soldiers hooches around Baghdad.

Camp Griffin

Part of Camp Black Jack

If your lucky you get to live in one of these, notice the gravel it's every where. It is layed on top of the desert so you can walk and helps keep down the dust.

Another part of Camp Black Jack

Bad guys hooch, just one of them in Baghdad.

Their hooches are better than the ones myself and others lived in.

more pictures coming

Hurricane in Iraq

2005-10-21T17:52:00.000-05:00

Al-Asad, Iraq
May 05
60+ mph winds

Memorial in Babylon

2005-10-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the coliseum taken when the US military first went into Babylon.

You can see other pictures of it in the other Babylon posts.

I almost forgot to do this.

The last picture is a memorial service on 16 Oct 04 for three soldiers of the 716 MP Battalion killed in Karbala, Iraq

Will explain what the a.b.c. means in another post

Underneath the blue writings is where Saddam H and his guest watch what ever took place in the arena or on stage

716 Military Police Battalion

Memorial on 16 Oct 04

for their three soldiers killed in Karbala, Iraq

Held at the Coliseum

Babylon, Iraq

Boom Booms

2005-10-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

The most dangerous killer

the IED

Blowing up a found IED in place

Air strikes

Hummer meets IED

All inside escaped with minor injuries

Friends of minds just walked away from these Hummers a few seconds before the IED went off. The bad guys just missed the timing. No one was hurt just scared the you know what at of them.

SFC Martinez with a 500 lb bomb. An Iraqi showed them where it was hid. There were 4 of them with an empty hole where one once was. They think the missing one was used to kill Spc Odems. More about him and others when I post a memorial site dedicated to the hero's I knew that gave it all.

Here are a couple of rockets that didn't go off, 57mm. Kind of makes you think when you walk outside of your hooch and see one these sticking in the ground at your front door.

These mortar rounds and the above rockets are one of the ordinances the bad guys use to shoot at us. Mostly they miss but sometimes they hit a target, a duck.

THE LIZARD

This guy is about 3 feet long, they get bigger and mean. Had to find a place to put up its picture and since it remind me of the F-you lizard in Vietnam seemed like a good as place as any with the IED's.

Will be jumping around from Camp Zulu, Babylon, Baghdad, Al-Kut and other places.

Memorial for our hero's coming soon

BAGHDAD #1

2005-10-18T07:46:00.000-05:00

Baghdad below

1st Cav HQ

North of airport

BIAP

The bad guys were shooting at us, top of the picture when we were landing, Apache gun ships took them out and a lot of booms before we got into the terminal below.

BIAP terminal

bottom floor, you can see throught it, is arrivial

2nd floor is departure

One of Saddam's Palace's in Baghdad

This one is by the airport, you can see it in the photo above.

My Buds

HHC C/111th En Bn Texas Nat'l Guard

Baghdad, Iraq by the Palace above

From Irving, Texsas

The rest of C/Co 111th Texas Nat'l Guard

more pictures in and around Baghdad coming

Sunrises and Sunsets in Iraq

2005-10-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

ONE OF THE THINGS I WITNESSED AND EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN IN IRAQ:

The sunrises and the sunsets in Iraq which cannot be described and pictures does not show, can't think of words to say about the beauty of them both. The pictures below are both and the only way you can tell if it is a sunrise or sunset is to be there at that time because they look the same. Especially in the desert, like where Camp Zulu is and the full moon is another story, you could sit outside and read a book under the full moon.

These pictures tells their own stories

more pictures to come

Babylon, Iraq TOUR 4

2005-10-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

A. below A in the bare area is where tent city used to be.

B. below B and front of the walls is where the Polish hospital is located.

In the trailer park there was four rows of about six small house trailers in each row. No one lived in them, just a waste of money.

This is the entrance to the exam room for the Polish hospital in Babylon, Iraq. This Polish soldier is one of the armed guards and we became good friends. I tried to made sure every where I went that people with guns knows who I am so they would not shoot me because I was dressed a little different and carried funny looking weapons.

This is one of the tents I lived in while I was Babylon. The red letters on the right is my cot

The red X is the tent below. Picture taken from the coliseum.

The tent is in the courtyard of the coliseum, above picture. Open the door and turn right and you would see my bunk. I like this location in the tent because if you came inside without knocking you would get a big surprise from me and you would not like it. By the way that is an olive tree in front of the tent.

Will be posting more pictures from all over Iraq in the next few days, from Baghdad to the south of Baghdad.