Life is an adventure, so live it to the fullest.
WOW! The last 36 hours have been something! First let me start with the book. As most know, and have seen the entry, Free Press Publishing sends out a catalog to the book stores so they can order the books they and to put in their store for the next season. Well, night before last, I received 3 copies of the catalog from my editors office. This is sooooo cool! I know I have been working on this book for several months now. Terry and I have been emailing each other almost daily as well write each chapter. Liz and I have emailed about the cover design and what pictures to include. We all have been working very hard on the book. But I have to say, it all didn’t seem real to me. I mean, we all do things in our lives that we think would make a good book or movie topic, but nothing ever happens to it. Then to have several someone’s actually tell you that you should write a book about something you did, that you see as just part of your life and who you are….. WELL, that is totally cool. As each step of this book has been taken, I have become more and more aware of the fact that this is really happening….. it isn’t a dream! But the other day……..well, that really brought it all home for me. When I got those catalogs and opened to the paged marked, and saw the catalog entry with my name on it……….. I was speechless! Now most of ya know, my being speechless is not something that happens very often, but I was, for a few seconds. When the guys in the office saw that I had quite talking in mid-sentence, of course they all wanted to know what it was that I had gotten. I smiled and turned the book around and showed them the page. As much as they have heard about the book and have known that I was doing it, I think they felt as I did about it. Holding this in my hands, made it real for not only me, but for them as well. Some of these guys are new friends and some I have known since I worked for KBR. You would have thought that it was happening to them. I got hugs, hand shakes and a lot of teasing! I was told I have to make sure they ALL get autographed copies! I think I am going to get writers cramp very quick when this thing finally does come out! Anyway, after I made it home, I took the catalog out and really looked at it. There is my name, in print, with a picture of what the cover is going to look like. “WOW! This is so cool! This is really happening!” was my thought. It still blows my mind!
Free Press, June 2006
Cindy in Iraq: A Civilian’s Year in the War Zone
It’s one of the least covered stories in the Iraqi war. Now, the writer of the popular “Cindy in Iraq” blog narrates her harrowing experiences during a year driving trucks as a civilian contractor for Halliburton.
Cindy Morgan was on the front lines of Iraq––not enlisted in the military, but in a job just as dangerous: as a convoy commander leading groups of fifteen to thirty trucks through perilous territory. Having promised her three sons that she would always tell them the truth about what she was experiencing, she started her blog “Cindy in Iraq” as a way to stay in touch with family and friends back home. “Cindy in Iraq” soon became a valuable resource for families of contractors, and those thinking about becoming contractors, as well as a telling story of the disturbing realities facing brave civilian workers.
Here, we see Cindy’s story in full detail—how, after thirteen years’ experience as a truck driver in the U.S., as well as orientation by Halliburton, she still was shocked by what she faced. Unarmed, with virtually no training, one of the only female truck drivers, she became a moving target for insurgents, constantly at risk of being ambushed, shot at, kidnapped, or executed.
Cindy’s journey in Iraq also became a voyage of self-discovery. Having left an abusive husband, she went to Iraq because she was “tired of surviving her life and not living it.” She went to Iraq to find out “who I am and what I am made of here….Honor, integrity, pride and humanity can all be discovered.” As Cindy relays her experiences, both she and the reader are transformed.
Cynthia I. Morgan drove a big rig across the U.S. for thirteen years before venturing into Iraq in 2003, where she was a civilian convoy commander in charge of up to thirty trucks delivering supplies to American bases throughout the war-torn country. After seven months back in the U.S., she returned to Iraq. She lives, usually, in Tennessee.
September 2006
Free Press
Biography and Autobiography
6 x 9, 256 pages
8 pages of black-and-white photographs
Carton quantity: 20
EAN: 978074328640452500
0-7432-8640-5
$25.00 hardcover
$34.50 in Canada
First off, I want to say that my son, Kenny, is ok and I talked to him this afternoon. He is pissed, as well as I am, but he is fine. Now let me tell you the story of my last few days and how cruel some folks can be.
A couple of days ago, about 0200 in the morning, I talked to my son in an YM. He told me that he was going out on his extended patrol. I know what that means and where it is. That afternoon, as I was pulling into the yard after doing a local mission, my phone rang. The call went like this…..
Is this Ms. Morgan?……
Yes it is…….
I was told to call you, because no one else will. Your son has been hurt…………….
How bad? Where is he? Is it life treating? ……..
It is not life treating and he is not being sent to Germany……………….
OK, then how bad is it?………
Ma’am, I can’t tell you any more than that. I am not supposed to be making this call and could get into trouble for it………..
Ok, tell me what you can. How do I find out more?………..
Ma’am, that is all I can tell you. You will get a call in a few days.
Then he hung up.
Since then, I have been going nuts. I talked to several military and they said they would see what they could find, but to be leery of calls like that, that are not official. It could be a hoax. I can’t imagine anyone playing that kind of hoax on someone, but I didn’t tell the family back home of this. I didn’t want to worry them, just in case it was. So the last few days have been total hell for me. I have talk to the Red Cross, their computers were down. I talked to military Chaplin, he said it would take him a few days to get me some information, but he would try. I talked to every military person I came across it see if they knew how I could confirm that my son was hurt. I even had one LT check the causality list for me. I have cried, I have screamed, and I have just plain gone out of my mind the last few days. I could not get any information at all. It is going to take time was the best I could get from anyone.
Then today, I walked into my room after my local and clear my screensaver and see Kenny signed on in Yahoo Messenger. I about fell out. I couldn’t get to my computer and type fast enough. I told him what I was told and he assured me that he is fine. Nothing has happened to him. He is going to inform his C.O. and he says that they will try to find out who made the call. I have been sitting here making calls for the last hour to let everyone over here know that he is ok. All my friends here have been such a great support and are relieved to hear that Kenny is ok. I just don’t know what to do with my anger now. I hope I never find out who did this because they will wish they had never known my name. How can someone be so cruel?
Anyway, through all this I have found that this has happened before and not just with soldiers and their families, but also civilian contractors. So please, everyone, if you get a call like this, make sure they identify themselves and get as much info on them as well. There are some very sick people out there. I don’t want anyone to go through what I have the last few days. I am going to go have a good cry now and thank God that my son is ok.
I just thought I would let everyone know that I got the papers yesterday through FedEx for the book deal. I signed them and will be sending them back through FedEx today. There will be a press release coming out as soon as they are received back in the states and everyone has their copies. I will send ya’ll a copy of the press release when it comes out. Terry Golway is my co-writer and we are hard at work on it. I have done lots of writing over the last two weeks. Sometimes it is very hard to do. The first chapter is going to be about why I came to Iraq and my thoughts on the flight over. The next chapter or two will be a history of my life from childhood till the day I stepped on the plane and flew to Houston. That is what we are working on now. At times, that can be very emotionally draining. As with all of us, not all of our past holds the best of memories. For the first time I had to sit and write out what happened the day my now, ex-husband nearly killed me 2 1/2 years ago. Whereas, that has been most difficult, it has also been a bit healing. I have cried and I have laughed in all that I have written so far. I will keep ya’ll posted on the books progress.
I just thought I would let everyone know that I am here in Kuwait, safe and sound. It was an interesting trip. I forget sometimes that there are people in the states that are grateful that civilians contractors are here. I was sitting in the terminal in Nashville, talking to a friend. I guess this lady over heard my conversation, because, when she got up to leave, she interrupted me and said that she just had to tell me thank you. I said for what, she said,” For doing what you do. We have several guys over there and I am glad to hear that there is someone like you there doing what you do and that it means as much to you as it sounds like it does. It is great to know that there are good people making sure that our guys are taken care of. God bless you.” As you can imagine, I was a bit embarrassed. I said thank you and that there was no need for her to thank me. She insisted that she did and gave me a hug with tears in her eyes. She stopped for a min. and told me that she has 2 grandsons over here. I wished her and her grandsons my best and she left. Several other people in the smoking area over heard the lady and I talking and had to ask what it was that I did. I told them that I was just a truck driver in Kuwait and Iraq. I was bringing ice to the troops. That of course got another conversation going. I was asked many questions. I wont go into all that was said, but let me say that I believe that there are a few more people in the US that have a better understanding of what is going on over there and why.
Then, while walking to the only place inside the terminal in Detroit that I could smoke, I met another lady. She saw the shirt I had on. It said, Operation Iraqi Freedom, on it. She was full of questions. It amazes me the looks I get from people when they find out that I am here and what I do and that I came voluntarily. I am not a hero, I am just one person doing a job that needs to be done. But they give me this look of aw that embarrasses me. Our soldiers are the hero’s and they are the ones that deserve the looks of aw.
Anyway, I just wanted to let ya’ll know I am here. Now, I will be leaving out on a convoy in the morning. I am being moved to Anaconda. The internet is not like it is here in Kuwait and so if ya’ll don’t hear from me for a week or 2, please, don’t get worried. Not only could it be that I am out on a mission, the internet in Anaconda is having lots of problems and sometimes is down for several days at a time. I have to get off here now. Everyone take care and I will email again when I can. Those of you that belong to the 2 other groups that I am a member of, please post this for me. I have used up my time online for now and am not sure I will be able to get back on before I leave out. Thanks so much for everyone’s support while I was home and while we are all here.
I thought I would let everyone know that I have been cleared by my doctor and by the KBR doctor. Travel called today and I will be flying out on Saturday afternoon. I am really excited about getting back over there and getting back to work. I have been told that they are moving all the reefer drivers, but a few, to Anaconda. So I expect to be moving north as soon as I get there. I will let ya’ll know how that goes. It should be interesting. I want to thank all that have given me support while I have been home with my knee. You are great, keep up the good work.
I just got back from the doctor and I have good news. He says that it looks like I just have a very bad contusion. He wasn’t even going to do the MRI at first, but said that since they sent me home for that and they were paying for it that he would have it done. He said that he will look at the cartilage in the MRI since he can’t see that in an x-ray. I will have that done tomorrow and should know something then. He said that he would see me on Friday, unless he found something in the MRI. The doctor said he feels that in about 10 days I should be good as new. He knows that I can’t go back till I can be released to full duty status, so it looks like I am going to be here for at the least 10 days. I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. I am very excited about their not being much wrong and being able to get back to work soon.
I just talked to the doctor and after a few more days off my knee, I will be released to come back to work. He says that I can plan to go back to Kuwait on June 1st. I am already working on getting in contact with Houston and getting everything set up for my return. The MRI didn’t show anything being wrong except a really bad contusion. There are no breaks or tears. This is such good news.
Therefore, I am going to spend this weekend at my dad’s in piece and quiet while he is at a bike rally and then my boys are coming to see me on Tuesday. I am going to take it easy and stay off the knee as much as possible and get all healed up so I can get right back into it when I hit the ground in Kuwait. I will keep everyone up to date on how things are going and when I will return back to work.
I am coming home. It is not by my choice. My knee is what I am being sent home for. I saw a doctor today at the International Clinic. He seems to think that I may have a small teat in the knee. He wants me to have a MRI to check it out. I still have a bit of fluid on the knee and am having a burning sensation in it after I use the leg for a bit, not to mention that it feels like it is half out of place at times. They won’t let me do an MRI here in Kuwait. They say that I have to come home for it. The medic’s are holding onto my paperwork until tomorrow morning to give me some time to get all my things squared away and to say bye to several of my friends. I will probably be home within the next few days. I will be going to my Dad’s in Sparta, Tn. I am not sure at this time what all is going to take place. I won’t know until tomorrow,when they turn in my paperwork, and I talk to HR about it. So asking me questions at this time won’t be any good. I just don’t know right now. I will let everyone know what, where and when as soon as I know myself. I am sure that this will only be a temporary thing. I will be coming back to finish what I have started here.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I have arrived here at my dad in Tn. My flight was a quiet one. I changed planes in Amsterdam and then again in Detroit to get to Nashville. The leg from Amsterdam to Detroit was a bumpy ride. They didn’t give me much time between flights, so I had a fun time getting my self through each change. I almost missed the flight in Detroit coming to Nashville. My knee didn’t weather the trip to well, but is ok. All that sitting and all was a bit much on it.
I have already made an appointment with a doctor for tomorrow afternoon to get started on this knee. They know that I want to get this over and done with so I can get back to Kuwait. As soon as I get some info on my knee, I will share it with ya’ll.
I have made contact with several of my friends and all are glad to hear that I am back safe and sound. It was good to talk to them. I hope to see my boys this weekend. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends and family that I can while I am here.
