Colonel Steve Rotkoff was the Deputy Combined Forces Land Component Commander for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He kept a war journal during his time in Kuwait and Iraq, frequently summarizing events in three-line haikus which were published in Bob Woodward’s Bush at War, Part III, State of Denial.
Anthrax + smallpox
Gas masks, J-Lists at all times
Scary being here
Rumsfeld is a dick
Won’t flow the forces we need
We will be too light
Yikes–SCUD exercise
Mask four hours avoiding work
Sweat pours down my face
This is not a drill…
Mask + chem suit on quickly
Try not to panic
Gordon N.Y.Times
Demonstrates Media Ethics
It’s all about him
Saddam Fedhayeen
Where the hell did they come from?
Everyone missed it
Mental bone tired
Hard to stay not wanted
Can’t rest–men will die
Where is WMD?
What a kick if he has none
Sorry about that
We knew how to fight
Not so, building a NATION
We may lose the PEACE
From Bush At War, Part III State of Denial, Bob Woodward, Simon & Schuster, 2006