Washington D.C.  -  I have never seen so much sand in my life as on my recent trip to Iraq. 

I am used to admiring the green crops in the fields, seeing clothes on the line, and knowing the warmth of a friendly sun.  The only dust that rises in Southern Missouri is when you turn your truck on to a dirt road.

But in Baghdad, the sand is everywhere.  It gets in your clothes, blows into your hair and eyes, and covers everything around you (including your food) in a gritty layer.  The heat is oppressive, and the sun is an enemy to be feared.

For our troops, the sand and sun are the least of their worries.  They live in constant danger.  While we guard against the threat of terrorism in America, they live with a daily threat.  They sleep five thousand miles from home and just yards from their enemies.  They don’t even know if they are outnumbered. 

Thanksgiving will be a difficult holiday for troops and their families back home.  Our men and women in uniform will stop from their work in Iraq – but not for long – to observe the holiday.  They will then resume caring for the sick, building bridges and electrical infrastructure, and securing deliveries of food and goods.  They will not rest long before they go back on patrol, leave to fly a surveillance mission, or return to creating irrigation systems.

We are used to sharing food as we recount the blessings in our lives.  Our troops have carried this tradition to remote lands, and they are sharing the same lesson as they fellowship with the Iraqi people.

Though it is difficult to see any good under the circumstances our troops face in Iraq, we must remember the true meaning of the holiday and be mindful of its origins. 
 In December of 1620, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock – they endured a hard winter and lost nearly half of their number.  The winter would have been even more devastating if not for the help of Native Americans who provided food, supplies, knowledge and skills to help the Pilgrims. 

The harvest of 1621 was bountiful, and together the Pilgrims and the Native Americans celebrated with a three-day feast.  The colony would grow and prosper, and the feast of Thanksgiving has been an important American holiday ever since.

Now, in 2003, the roles are reversed.  The Iraqi people are challenged by the unrest that follows the last gasp of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime.  Just like the Pilgrims, they are in a new setting.  They lack food and supplies, and they need aid and expertise to build the institutions that will make their society strong. 

We are sharing a feast once again.

We know the terrain of democracy well.  We are used to freedom, and the high price that must be paid to preserve it.  Freedom did not come easily to us in America, either.  We fought for it, and we worked hard to build our nation.

The Iraqi people are unfamiliar with freedom, but I know they will work hard for it. 
 Hospitals, schools, libraries, a justice system, and democratic government are the hallmarks of our nation and the foundation of our quality of life.  Similar systems must be built in Iraq to stabilize the country. 

Our soldiers are focused on getting the Iraqi people through the rough winter that lay ahead of them.  America’s goal is the democracy that will emerge from these difficult times.

The whole world will be safer for our troops’ dedication to this mission.  They will need the resolute strength of the Pilgrims combined with the know-how of the Native Americans to overcome this challenge – but they have them, and they will.

So as our troops are missing home, and we are missing them, remember the noble mission that has taken them halfway across the world, to the sands of Iraq.  Except, instead of thinking about the sand covering our brave soldiers’ Thanksgiving table, let it be fellowship. 

Our prayers and remembrances do our soldiers good.  They are truly a blessing to the overwhelming majority of Iraqis who want and need our help.  God bless them this Thanksgiving, and God bless America.