Recieved the e-mail below on a list I subscribe to for Public Sector Folklorists. Thought some people might be interested in sending some of those not so good Generations they collected on the way to finding that elusive beautiful Bb.
Cliff
An Irish fiddler from the Olympia commmunity is stationed in Mosul,
Iraqi and has sent several e-mails conveying the joy that music brings to
Iraqi kids. Anyone who would like to send small instruments
(harmonicas, tin whistles, jaw harps, etc.) to these children can do so through
Glenn at the address listed at the end of this excerpt from his latest
e-mail. (Postage to APO AE addresses is relatively cheap.)
Willie
<<Gave away my wooden train whistle and harmonica to a happy Iraqi boy
and girl a couple days ago. Anything musical is a big hit over here.
(The average Iraqi loves music, and finds it quite agreeable that
Americans like music too.) The Kurdish kids north of us, in particular, get
thrilled over a simple stuffed animal, and they’re practically ecstatic
over musical items. If anyone has small toy instruments (or anything at
all) that they’d like to donate to the cause, they can send it all to:
MAJ Glenn Tolle
Task Force Olympia
3/2 SBCT
APO AE 09385>>
My nephew is comming home with the 4ID in March just keeping my fingers crossed until he gets home. I have another nephew being deployed later this year to Iraq.
I had sent at least 5 whistles books and CD so the guys can have something to do in the little down time that they get.
My nephew did have one heart wrenching story though. When they arrived in Iraq they set up a temporary base sounded by wire. Iraqi children would come in and climb the wire and interact with the Troops. It was a great relief to deal with friendly children. He became attached to two in particular an 10 and a 15 year old who seemed to seek him out when they were around.
On night on raids they were breaking doors down and charging into houses. A shot was fired from inside one of the houses as they broke in and he fired back.
Later when things had settled down he went to see how the Iraq he had shot was doing. He found himself staring into the dead eyes of the 15 year old that had befriended him. He ran outside and thru up.
He felt the boy was trying to protect his family.
God Wizzer, that’s awful. You have to say, Iraq is America’s Northern Ireland in the making. Why on earth did we go there? Iraqi terrorist bombs in NY, LA, etc is the next step
I’ve sent 40 whistles to two different individuals in Iraq, plus another 20 to an orphanage in Kiev, Ukraine. I’ll send 20 to this gentleman in Iraq. These are key of C whistles made from the leftover Waltons C/Mellow D whistleheads and Feadog C tubes that remain after I make tweaked Mellow Dogs. They are nice whistles, good traditional sound, not temperamental at all. I don’t sell these whistles; they’re strictly for charity. If you know of other places I could send them where they could give some joy, I would appreciate hearing about them.
That would make more sense. Or just ‘send whistles’. I always think offering help to other parts of the world looks more well meant if it doesn’t involve offloading our cast-offs.
I am sure though in this case it was more a slip of the pen than anything else.
I think this is great, and I am going to send my cheap whistle. It would be nice to help in any way I can. I may not support our government’s actions, but I support the people who are put in harms way! …and the people we are killing for no reason for that matter…
