American Sniper - Boekje Pienter

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The next thing I knew, the Bradley started moving again. That was
one tough vehicle. Back at the base, the commander kind of shrugged
it off.
“Didn’t even knock the tracks off,” he said. He almost sounded
disappointed.
It’s a cliché, but it’s true: you form tight friendships in war. And then
suddenly circumstances change. I became close friends with two guys
in the Guard unit, real good friends; I trusted them with my life.
Today I couldn’t tell you their names if my life depended on it.
And I’m not even sure that I can describe them in a way that would
show you why they were special.
Me and the boys from Arkansas seemed to get along real well together,
maybe because we were all just country boys.
Well, they were hillbillies. You’ve got your regular redneck like
me, then you got your hillbilly who’s a whole sight different animal.
ONWARD
The elections came and went.
The media back in the States made a big thing of the Iraqi government
elections, but it was a nonevent for me. I wasn’t even out that
day; I caught it on TV.
I never really believed the Iraqis would turn the country into a
truly functioning democracy, but I thought at one point that there was
a chance. I don’t know that I believe that now. It’s a pretty corrupt
place.