Logo

War Journals: Amazing Week

Mar 31, 2003  •  Post A Comment

I wish I had something clever to say. But right now, I am sticking to the basics. Nouns and verbs. I’m delirious. I haven’t slept in four days. Haven’t showered in eight. I’ve been eating candy bars and crackers for two weeks. I’ve been so scared I would have normally had to change my underwear three times by now-but I’ve only got two extra pair. And I couldn’t be more exhilarated.
Amazing.
The war started a week ago tonight. In broadcasting terms-strictly in that narrow, limited sense-it’s as pure an experience as I’m ever likely to have. We’ve got three guys-myself, cameraman Mario de Carvalho and technician Geof Thorpe-Willett-a humvee with a satellite dish, two cases of water and several boxes of MREs. We drive. We see. We shoot pictures. We pull over. Seven minutes later (that’s right-these guys can get a dish up and establish a signal in the middle of the Iraqi desert in seven minutes!) we are broadcasting the biggest story in the world.
Amazing.
I wish I had more of my brain right now. I’d love to be more articulate about the past week. But it’s all a blur. Maybe it will slow down in time for next week and I can be a bit more enlightening. But I’ve got another script to file, and the Army unit I’m embedded with may be moving again in a few hours. I’d be deep asleep right now if I weren’t mainlining the thrill of reporting this story with the kind of immediacy technology now provides.
Amazing.