March 17, 2003

Whereas blessed St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, the Allied Coalition forces are poised to drive the snakes out of Baghdad!
St. Patrick's Marked in Kuwaiti Desert

An American general stood in for Britain's royal family Monday and presented shamrocks to the Irish Guards, celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the Kuwaiti desert while gearing up for war in Iraq.

Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, an Irish-American commanding the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, took time out from overseeing the buildup to spend an hour with the British unit.

The shamrock ceremony is a tradition for the Irish Guards, one of the red-coated regiments that are known to millions of tourists who visit Buckingham Palace every year.

A member of the royal family - most often the Queen Mother Elizabeth, before her death last year - presents the troops with shamrocks to adorn their hats on St. Patrick's Day. The ceremony is customarily followed by liberal amounts of Guinness and whiskey.

"It's always a big morale boost for the boys, no matter where they are, in the jungle or desert,'' said Color Sgt. Tommy Cassidy, 37, of Belfast. "Usually, there's some liquid refreshment, but not this year, owing to future operations.''

May the luck of the Irish be with you all, from this Irish-Italian-American!
I'd like to see you have that booze-up later to celebrate our Victory...and hopefully, it won't be far away.
This is for all of my readers today near and far: