Pre-Deployment Parade and BBQ

Pre-Deployment Parade and BBQ
January 17th 2008

Belinda’s Farewell Ceremony and troops BBQ at the base. I was able to finally put faces to so many of the names I heard Belinda speak about over the past year she had been training. It was an honor to meet her closest friends.

I wanted to photograph Belinda and the hundreds of soldiers present, particularly during the national anthem, and found myself next to an elderly veteran on a second story platform overlooking the gym ...found myself very furtive in taking the photograph as I didn’t want the veteran to feel disrespected that I was snapping pictures during such a moment. I wish I had taken a picture of this old veteran as well, looking at him, knowing he was easily in his 80’s...watching his stooped spine stiffen during the National anthem, his trembling salute as he looked down upon the sea of young men and women in uniform...

Another fellow soldier going on this tour, Elton Adams, wrote and performed a song...it is beautiful... absolutely beautiful. The links are posted here, two links are from the actual performance at the pre-deployment BBQ, one is a music video that was compiled by a fellow soldier going on this same tour .... Please check out one of the video links below, well worth listening to- and pass it on!

Till next time,
Julie




The music video version with past and current photographs of Afghanistan ( and a picture of Belinda that appeared in the Edmonton Sun newspaper).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCA0med-zXI&feature=related

I asked Elton to send me the lyrics, thank you Elton ... the lyrics are as follows:

What A Soldier Left Behind

The General say's dig in deep
theres hell coming from the sky
Just one thought to remember
how your family's doing tonight

Johnny say's he loves her
as he closes his eye's
Sara cries for her mother
on the field where she lye's

Chorus
They did it for the nation
so we don't have to hide
so on this cold and lonely evening
you don't have to cry

Waiting by the telephone
their's a scared and worried wife
He said he'd be home soon
just before he kissed his children goodbye

A quiet knock at the front door
and tears came to her eyes
So sad to lose another
her little girl will be in her dreams tonight

Chorus

Before you say goodnight to your loved one's
please keep in mind
The bed you tuck them in is the bed
a soldier left behind

Chorus X2

You don't have to cry X2
We don't have to hide

Belinda's Overseas Blog

This is the first entry to Belinda's overseas blog. Conditions being what they are over there, with very limited communication, Belinda decided a blog would be a great place for her to touch base with all her family and friends whether through her own journaling and photographs, or calls/emails that I will share here. Every soldier wants to touch base with all of their family and friends but on the rare occasion she can get to a computer, there would not be enough time to check 50+ emails in her inbox with fellow soldiers lined up behind her waiting for their turn too... so this is everyone's blog...please feel free to share here. One central location for everyone and allowing Belinda a chance to connect with everyone she cares about when her time and resources are so limited.