I have been told that it is in no way regarded as being something sexual but it is a gesture of an outward expression. We were at the station getting ready to leave when two guys involved in a heavy conversation walked passed our truck holding hands. Both men were in their mid-twenties. It immediately caught the eyes of me and my teammates.

Men holding hands is nothing new to me because seeing two homosexual men walking down the street holding hands is something that I’ve seen before. Their society is based on respect of one another. I’m not sure if they are sincere in their efforts, but I can tell that they respect me because when I come I try to absorb some of their customs. I even learned one of their line dances that I saw the men doing one day.

They were playing their version of hip hop music and some of the Iraqi soldiers got out of their trucks and began dancing. I was up in the gunner hatch watching. They could tell by the look on my face that I wanted to join in.

The dance looked almost like those Jewish circle dances.

When I return to Charlotte I will hope to show you all, because one thing about me is I can remember choreography easily.

For more information on Sgt.Roy and his bulldogs, click here (www.sgtroy.com).