No Fake Turkey Here....

I've talked before about some of the interesting people I've met and worked with through my association with author Joe Galloway and because I keep his Vietnam digital image files for distribution to different veterans, media and scholarly organizations. Thought you'd like to see a request I'm working on now.....perhaps one of the most important uses of Joe's photos that I've handled.

"My name is MAJ Gabriella Pasek. I am assigned as the Executive Officer of the 27th Main Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division currently deployed to Taji, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

I am writing to you today to request your assistance. My unit has very recently been tasked to put together a living history display for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We have started putting together several vignettes and historical scenes starting with the 1st Thanksgiving and then moving into "The Evolution of the Cavalry through History." For this latter piece, we will be depicting a Civil War scene (horse cav), Vietnam scene (air cav), and modern conflict with a static display of one of our M1114s and gun crew in full battle rattle.

As part of our living history, we are creating backdrops to set the mood for our stages. I found Mr. Galloway's photograph "Resupply at LZ X-ray" on your website and it would be the perfect backdrop for our Air Cav display - it is particularly suitable for us, as mine is the primary logistics support unit for the division.

Because the photograph has been copyrighted, we are requesting your gallery's and Mr. Galloway's permission to have this photograph enlarged by the Kellog Brown & Root Sign Shop onto an 8' X 12' metal display sign to be hung on a frame behind our soldiers (in period uniform) and stage scene, complete with sandbagged fighting position and ammunition crates......

If needed, I would be more than happy to send you a photograph of our display once it is set up to show you that we have done justice and honor to the soldiers that served before us in "The Cav."

This holiday display will be seen by the over 6000 soldiers serving here on Camp Cooke in Taji, Iraq as well as several dignitaries and senior officers that have committed to attending our Thanksgiving meal - and will be an immense morale boost for everyone in addition to reminding everyone of the Division's illustrious beginnings.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Request a response as early as possible to facilitate our backdrop construction prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Respectfully,

MAJ Gabriella Pasek"

We are, of course, honored to be able to help the 1st Cav in Iraq.