Thought this was pretty cool.

When I was in Baghdad in April of 2003, these Iraqi boys would come to the gate of the compound that we were in and try to sell us food. After a few days of watching everybody else eat it, I bought a bag and it was shish kabobs. We're going to call the meat lamb and there was also had grilled zuccini an tomatoes. It was toppoed off with flat bread and a warm soda of some kind. It was awesome!

My wife bought me "THE BARBECUE BIBLE" for christmas 2002 and I had already read most of the pre-recipe stories and intros. Once I saw the Iraqi recipie that had originated in Detroit, I realized that I had done something pretty cool, I had eaten TRUE Iraqi barbcue. And it was GOOD. Now maybe this was because we hadn't eaten a good meal in thirty days, but it was good anyway.
I just figured I'd share this story with ya'll, baecause I figured some of ya'll might enjoy it. It's hard for my non-grilling minded friends to see the same significance in the story that I see.
Mr Raichlen, I love this site and I love your books. THANKS!

It's us who owe you and guys like you many thanks. You deserve all the BBQ you can get you hands on.

Thanks for everything and the story too boot. Pretty cool.

THANK YOU for your support.

wilhinson, I did my twenty in the service. Sure do appreciate the job ya'll are doin' now!

Thanks Bob-BQN, We're glad to do it.

Somebody has got to carry the torch for men like you who dedicated yourselves to the service of our country for longer than a lot of maraiges last, and longer than some of these war protesters have been alive. It's us who owe you thanks.

I salute you and the other men and women in uniform who allow us the freedom to do what we do, and enjoy our BBQ as we do.

My daughter was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm, and was about 4 miles from where that Army barracks got scudded. She spent her days moving around pallets of supplies. I don't know what happened, but when she was stationed at Kaneohe Bay, her attitude changed, and she couldn't wait to get out of the Corps, and she has always called me 'Captain Patriot' because of my unashamed support for our military and our country.

I was unable to serve in the military for physical reasons, and feel I served in the way I could, by 26 years in police and security work, before being disabled in the line of duty.

Thank you again, and Semper Fi!

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Not to be redundant here but words cannot express the gratuitous respect I have for all the men and woman that have and or still serving in the armed forces--Thank you for making the workd a better place. Even if they do not understand why we are truely there.