Everything old is new again

Stories

This story has apparently been making the rounds in email. I remember hearing a story like this back in the Vietnam era, and there was a similar story from World War Two. For all I know it was told about a Hittite and a Samarian.

A convoy on patrol north of Basra stopped at an all too familiar but unwelcome sight. At the side of the road lay an Iraqi insurgent and an American Marine, both injured. The corpsmen came out of one of the trucks, loaded the men up and took off, watching all the while for enemy fire.

As they were heading back to Basra the Marine came to. One of the corpsmen quickly started asking the standard questions: what's your name, what's your unit, where are you from, what happened. The Marine told his story as best he could through his injuries:

"I was out on patrol when I hear a noise on the other side of the road. I look, and out of the corner of my eye I see a local with a Kalashnikov. We both fire, we both miss and we both dive for cover. I'm down there and I hear this voice say 'Hey, GI?'

"'You speak English?' I say. 'Hey, it's sure a shame about Saddam Hussein, ain't it, that dirty cowardly son-of-a-bitch.'

"Well, the guy on the other side of the road starts calling George Bush a lyin' fake cowboy, and next thing I know we're standing there in the middle of the road shaking hands when we get hit by this truck . . . "