JimSpiri ”THE LAST LAP #5”

The latest journey called, "The Last Lap" - IRAQ, 2015

July 13, 2015 My son Jesse would have turned 36 today. It was a hard, hard day for me but I pressed on. I was awakened by my hosts youngest brother, Nektal. He told me there was a gathering of the young warriors who defended Dholoyia against ISIS. July 13, 2014 is a day no one in this community will ever forget. It is the day the battle begun. We left immediately at 4 am. The sun was barely coming up. It would be another scorcher of a day. But in the morning it is quiet and cool, relatively speaking. The streets were empty and the shops were all quiet. Many things are left out in the open. Stealing is just not a big problem here. I thought back to if things were left out in the open on the streets of Albuquerque, where life is “civilized” so to speak. I know nothing would be left in the morning. Is a matter of fact, I have been reading on the internet news stations out of Albuquerque what horrific things have been going on in the town. It is mind boggling. Society has fallen to some new lows in Albuquerque. The gathering began as a convoy of sorts of little pick ups and cars jammed with folks all waving their arms and shouting things. A stopping point came right at the place where the exact front line was for seven months. The area was divided into two sections. One that had ISIS the other that had the citizens of Dholoyia as defenders. This line never moved for the duration of the battle. Is a matter of fact, the home I am at right now was completely under the control of ISIS occupation at that time. Today's gathering had mostly the young people that were warriors along with some of the oldest ones that were defenders as well. It is the first anniversary of this battle. The community would come together and remember the stand that was taken and that here, in Dholoyia, ISIS was pushed back and defeated. It is also a day that the entire town is somber and grieving. They may not show it as much as we in the west do, but hurt is hurt. Pain is pain. Suffering is suffering all around the globe. By now the entire village knows that this American is here who is listening to them. When they saw me here this morning at the gathering, they all greeted me with honor. It is now becoming apparent that few outside of Dholoyia hear about things that transpired in the defeat of ISIS. A real red line in the sand was drawn here and defending their life was something that became real, not empty words. My friend Abdullah, who lost his right arm in the battle, began reading a strong statement. Everyone listened. There was no loudspeaker or fancy sound equipment. Rather there were silent folks listening as Abdullah held his device in his left hand and read from it in a resounding voice that got louder and louder as the story he was telling came forth. I had my video camera on him the entire time. Although I did not understand a word he was saying, I heard and comprehended what was meant. This is a place where unbelievable suffering took place for the past twelve years. Sorrow and tragedy ran rampant all over the place. Yet, although the cause and blame is obvious, the need to move forward is more important. There is no animosity towards the invaders. Especially now. Of course, there is a history of atrocities yet there is more of an urgency to safeguard the community from new and more horrific threats. But, no one outside is seemingly listening. I wondered why I was coming here for my final journey. For the past several days, I have begun to sense the reason. As is always the case, I have once again arrived at a place on the planet that has a story to tell and an urgency about it. But also as always, no one is listening. I have tried desperately to explain to media outlets in my local region that where I am and what I am doing is something that no other person in my profession would ever consider doing. One of the local news stations back home contacted via social media to let me know that the story is just not important. I was startled. I’m in a place on the globe that is arguably considered one of the most dangerous places to be at a time when the global concern for this group called, ISIS, is the main topic of conversation and worry. And they are in relative close proximity to my current location. I even had a conversation with a radio station in Albuquerque that treated me like dung because they couldn’t understand what does it matter where I am or what I am doing. All this did was to give me more strength to do what I can while I’m here. I would assume that it is more important to the big media outlets back home whether or not we should call Bruce Jenner, Caitlan or not. That obviously sells more advertising space than how a small town in Iraq stood up against ISIS. It is an upside down world for sure. Ten miles from where I am at this moment, the four F 16 jets my government sold to the Iraqi government arrived after four years of promise. They arrived at the base I used to know as Camp Anaconda. I was wondering how the Iraqi government paid for them because here in Dholoyia the local Iraqi police who happen to be Sunni, have not gotten paid for the past two months. Anyway, I worked at this same base where the jets arrived today, for two years in 2004-2006. I am trying to get over there for a visit but the problem is the Shia Militias have certain so called, check points. These folks make everything hard for the folks I’m currently among. They, the militias also seem to have the Americans being held by the short and curlys these days. All of these militias are backed by Iran. It is a very complicated mess at the moment and as some have mentioned, it is about to get a whole lot more messy. This is what happens when bobbling idiots like Paul Bremmer make completely horrendous decisions based on political agendas rather than sanity. It is hard to get passed that. Everywhere I go, people tell me in very serious and educated discussions that the former “invaders” must come back and help clean up the dung hill. In my own thinking, I just cannot see that four F 16 fighter jets and a relatively small number of “trainers” for the Iraqi Army is going to amount to anything more than a dog and pony show. What the politicians are doing back home is not really telling the story of what is going on. However, head of the armed services committee, Sen. John McCain, has been rather vocal about this situation and may be among the very few that actually might have a handle on things. But that in itself is another story. What is for sure from my vantage point exactly is that every single person here thinks McCain does have it right, at least for the moment. Arming the militias is a slippery slope. No one back home understands that the Shia militias are the same folks that are hell bent on never letting the Sunni areas have anything again. Also what is not known back home is Iran has actually been handed Iraq on a golden platter. Not silver. No one else knows that the only people not being supplied weapons are the only ones that are standing up against ISIS. It ends up begging the question as always, “what really is going on here and why”. I do not have that answer, yet. But, I have some clues. I’m really not looking for answers any more these days. I prefer solutions. What I learned however in my experience as a contractor in war zones in these types of situations is that if you have a solution, you all of a sudden become ostracized rapidly. That matches my current experience as to when I try to tell others in the big media what’s going on from my ground level position. Oh well, such is life as always. But one thing I am for sure about is this….a lot is going to happen soon and it has already begun to take place. Those in control will not want too much told. Very little of what is not being told has anything to do with OPSEC. Most of it will have to do with how dirty and messy things really get when war happens. As they say at my daughter’s ranch, “this ain’t my first rodeo”. But I can tell the audience this is for sure my last rodeo and having said that, I figure I have a few things to say as I ride this bull full of shit a long eight seconds.

The gathering began at 4:00 AM on the 13th of July.

The procession later relocated to the cemetery. Here one of those wounded in battle continues in the walk.

One of the fighters grieves for his good friend who was killed in the battle for Dholoyia.

The faces of the warriors who defeated ISIS.

All age groups attended the memorial commemorating the beginning of the battle for Dholoyia.

Ali (L) and Ahmed (R), two very brave fighters at the cemetery. Both fought valiantly during the battle for Dholoyia defeating ISIS.

Here, Majad, the father of my good friend Hechmet, is seen on the day of commemorating the beginning of the battle for Dholoyia. He is 70-years old. He fought on the front lines with the young men.

Young men who fought to save Dholoyia from ISIS.

Ettaba (L) stands at the gravesite of a good friend killed in battle whose name was Yousef.

A hard day for warriors.

The faces today of those who defended Dholoyia from ISIS.

This is Haider, age 23. He is the son of General Abdullah. This young man lost a leg in the battle and now walks with a prosthetic.