Like the Old West
October 1, 2003

I must confess to a love affair ... with the Old West.

John Wayne westerns, Louis L'Amour books, Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates on the TV show Rawhide. Audie Murphy, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers. The guns of Colt, Winchester and Gattling. Lassos, broncos, and the fast-draw. Spurs, chaps, and ten-gallon hats. Critters, dogies and Cayuses. Barn dances, cattle-drives and circuit riding preachers.

How bad do I have this affliction? My wife knows if there's a John Wayne western on TV, do not — I repeat — do not interrupt me for any reason short of a meteor colliding with Earth. Even then, there would probably be time before the collision to catch the end of the movie. Let me put it like this: just before boarding the plane to Africa, I stopped in Barnes & Noble in Tampa, FL. My youngest daughter, Jenny, had purchased a $30 gift certificate for me as a Father's Day gift (bless her!). If I told you how much I actually spent you would understand why my wife does not permit me to enter such establishments.

One of the books I bought that day was, "Cowboy Lingo," by Ramon F. Adams. This is "a dictionary of the slack-jaw words and whangdoodle ways of the American West." An expression from my childhood I'll never forget was from an old cowboy on the 1950s Disney TV series, Spin & Marty. His favorite exclamation was, "Well I'll be a ding-dong diddly squat!"

So this all got me to thinking about my current geographic location here in Djibouti, Africa. "What," you ask, "does Djibouti, Africa have to do with the Old West?" Good question! This may seem a bit of a stretch, but follow along.

I was commenting to our new medical officer this morning on just how much Camp Lemonier has changed even in the two and a half months I've been here. I likened it to watching a new town go up, equating it to the way westward moving pioneers must have settled the frontier lands. We just don't get to see that sort of thing anymore. Our country is well developed now.

Offering a prayer of dedication for the opening of the new PX/BX

When American forces decided to use Djibouti as the new base for counter-terrorism in this region of the world, it was a rough environment with very little to work with. The base had a few single-story buildings from the former French military occupants, but they were in need of major repair due to neglect. The rest was all rocky soil where tents were pitched for living accommodations. I arrived in mid-July to a beehive of base activity. The supervisor of the military exchange system approached me about giving the benediction for the grand opening of the new PX/BX (Post or Base Exchange). This was the first brand new building, containing a small store (like a mini-mart), a tailor shop, a barbershop, a hairdresser and a gift shop all set up like a single-story strip mall.

New "clam shell" gym structure

Since then sidewalks and an outdoor basketball court have been poured. A "clam shell" building has been erected to house the new gym, replacing the three tents that composed the old weight room. The base commanding officer (my boss) has moved into his new office along with his immediate staff, working now in a fully refurbished building.

We're no longer served our chow in hot, steamy tents. The construction of the new cinder-block building was erected right around the tents. Once the walls and ceiling were in place, the tents were collapsed and pulled out through the new doors, revealing a large spacious dining area. Next step is to do the same thing for the kitchen tent.

The roads were nearly all dirt when I arrived. Djibouti only receives about five inches of rainfall annually. We exceeded that by a lot in August alone. The mud that is created is some of the nastiest I've ever experienced. Gravel now covers most of the roads, which will eventually be paved.

New Battle Aid Station with surgical unit under construction

Our medical facilities were minimal, though adequate. Now ground has been broken for a new surgical unit located next to the BAS (Battle Aid Station in Navy parlance, what the Army calls The Medical Center). Now we'll be able to handle all but the most severe medical conditions. My doctor friend said this will be the only time in his medical career when he'll be able to see something like this built from the ground up. He's excited!

Alas and alack, the chapel, where I spend much of my days, was the last of the plywood buildings to be erected before everything was built out of cinder block. It is beautiful with its steeple pointed toward heaven and is the most recognized building on the base. Word has it that it may be moved, or torn down, in order to build a cinder block chapel. Sentimentalist that I am, this would sadden me.

However, I have since learned that there are giants in the land! Well, okay, not real giants like Goliath and his ilk. But they are giants to me! They are called termites. Arrrgh! The African kind has a voracious appetite! My blessed ALL-WOOD chapel is lunch for these fiends!

So, I've had the opportunity to watch a town built from scratch just like the Old West where my relatives ventured forth. One slight difference. I eat three hot squares a day, sleep in air-conditioned tents, work in an air-conditioned office, drink freshly brewed Starbucks coffee every morning, and call home to my wife out west at least once a week.

But other than that, it's just like the Old West!