In the past few months, I've placed our coin into the hands of two deserving young men bound for Iraq-
both are firefighters who have volunteered with Mike (Lumpy2) for the last dozen years or so-
(a total of five of our local men are there on contract)

Doug is doing fine, (due back home in March) and only hears a little small-arms fire from time to time, off in the distance, not far from the Kuwaiti border.

John was here on mid-tour R&R, and returned to the sandlot on 12/15...he's in a huge installation near Baghdad, and aside for a few mortars and rockets (nothing too close, until last Friday, 12/23) was thinking " a piece of cake" ...

somehow he thought the coin was a loaner....I had to straighten him out on that...

an excerpt from one of his emails to Mike:

> Hey, Dude. Ask your dad if that coin I'm borrowing is a good luck piece. I think
> it is.
>
> December 23, 1:30p (my time) a rocket hit the trailer across from me. I was at
> my computer @20-25 ft away when it blew up. Loud as f***, sh*tload of glass- but
> luckily, no injuries. Shrapnel tore my neighbor's room all up, I only had 7
> pieces go through mine.
>
> He'll be happy to hear I had the coin in my pocket at the time, and it will stay
> with me till I give it back (especially after that!).

I couldn't resist telling him to "keep it in his pants"...

In a later message, when he knew the coin is his for good, again thanking "us", he mentioned his sphincter and all it prevented...but I'll leave that alone...

Happy New Year !
Lump