Topic: One of my proudest moments as a writer: troops in Baghdad sing MY song!!! 

This song, was ACTUALLY SUNG BY NEWLY-ARRIVED US TROOPS IN BAGHDAD, who got in trouble for it, and got punished for singing it -- by being made to do extra push-ups {I suppose it could have been worse}. The title and first line of the song, comes verbatim from a newspaper headline in the local paper, referring to the 343rd Quartermasters, who refused to drive insufficiently-protected vehicles thru an enemy fire zone {which all Iraq is}, vehicles transporting aircraft fuel oil which was DANGEROUS AND UNUSABLE ANYWAY, as it had been CONTAMINATED by being carried in trucks that had held a DIFFFERENT sort of fuel, and had not been cleaned in between times. The contaminated oil would have been a DANGER to the pilots flying the aircraft it was intended for -- therefore, the "mission" was USELESS, if not worse. Several soldiers in the 343rd Quartermasters refused a DIRECT ORDER to drive the fuel trucks. One of them, being punished for it, wrote home and got their Congressperson involved; and it became a national scandal, as some of you may remember. {All punishments were then lifted; because of the publicity.}

The melody is, Pogo's "Deck the Halls with Boston Charlie" {also known as, "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly"}.

"Troops Refuse To Go On Mission"

      Fa la la la la, la la la la.

It's a Suicide Expedition

      Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our body armor

      Fa la la, la la la, la la la --

Oops, they don't supply us till next summer

      Fa la la la la, la la la la!

---------------------------------------

This is like in "The Caine Mutiny"

      Fa la la la la, la la la la.

The whole Command comes under scrutiny

      Fa la la la la, la la la la.

How're we gonna get out of THIS mess

      Fa la la, la la la, la la la?

Let's bring ALL troops home by Christmas

      Fa la la la la, la la la la!

 [ send green star]