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July 05, 2005
"Tank Porn!"
As a kid one of my favorite activities was putting together plastic models of tanks. (The Testors fumes were pretty thick for a couple of summers in a row.) As I grew older this turned into an appreciation of all things tracked and heavy. Despite my grandmother's best effort I turned out to be a "treadhead". (It's genetic so the odds are strong Jack has inherited the malformed gene.)
Among tank enthusiasts any pictures of tanks doing what they do, i.e. moving fast, firing their guns, being big and heavy, etc., are jokingly referred to as "Tank Porn". (Only the truly sad get excited over pictures or movies of armored vehicles but that's par for the course.) Don't believe me? Show a tank enthusiast a picture of an World War II German King Tiger and if they exclaim "Ooooh! The Porsche Turret!" you might as well offer them a cigarette.
I discovered Chuck's blog a few weeks ago. He's coarse. He's not politically correct. (You've been warned.) But realize that he's with C Company, 2-34 Armor, The Fighting Aces, and is, as Chuck likes to say, the most pointy end of the spear in Iraq. Chuck has more than once used the term "Tank Porn" when he's posted pictures of his unit and the first time I saw it I almost snorkled my Coke.
What was already an engrossing weekly read turned upside down a couple of weeks ago when Chuck was wounded after an IED, improvised explosive device, went off while he was nearby.
Chuck's now back home at Walter Reed. He's in good shape all things considered and his wife, God love her heart, has been keeping the faithful readers in the loop as to his progress. Her last update included this note from Chuck to himself:
"When falling off a canal river bridge wearing body armor, it is never smart to fall in head first."
What Chuck is making light of is that after the explosive went off he was knocked unconscious when he went into the river. It was only the quick action of his XO that saved his life.
Keep Cpt. Chuck Ziegenfuss and his family in your thoughts in the fuzzy afterglow of the 4th of July. It's the actions of men like him that are giving others the opportunity to create and enjoy a holiday as splendid as our own Independence Day.
Read along here.
Posted by Jim at July 5, 2005 01:01 AM