The Punisher's Ball (Michael Yon)

Michael Yon ^ | 11-17-2005 | Michael Yon

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After a hard year of fighting and nation-building in northern Iraq, the Deuce Four has finally and completely returned home to the United States, where they threw a party to mark the occasion. Distinguished guests flew in to attend what was officially called the Redeployment Ball.

I flew from Iraq and stayed in the beautiful home of Command Sergeant Major Robert and Sandy Prosser. A clear stream runs through the Prossers’ backyard, and the salmon would soon be swimming up to spawn, trailed by the Bald Eagles that sometimes perch high in the trees above the stream. When I suggested to CSM Prosser that I might like to try to catch one of the salmon by hand, he said that it could lead to imprisonment or worse. I stayed away from the stream.

Approximately 1,200 guests attended the Ball, including luminaries like Bruce Willis and his brother David. The Deuce Four also welcomed producer Stephen Eads who worked with Bruce on many blockbusters, such as The Sixth Sense and Armageddon, to name a couple of their outstanding film projects. Also in attendance was the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jim MacMillan, who was nearly shot to pieces up in Mosul while with the Deuce Four. Luckily Jim came back with thousands of excellent photos but only one hole in his helmet from an enemy machine gun bullet.

But for this night, the luminaries were satellites orbiting war heroes, including those half-dozen soldiers who, like CSM Prosser, had recently received a Silver Star, and the 181 soldiers awarded Purple Hearts for wounds they received in combat.

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This, as with all of Michael Yon's blogs, is not to be missed. He has a way of telling the story that is just amazing. I feel like I know the troops he is writing about. This, as the teaser above suggests, is about a banquet held for the Deuce Four Brigade after their return from Iraq. This particular story starts a little ways down the main page, but I dont recommend skipping down right to this.

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PING, in case you hadnt read the latest from Michael Yon.

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Michael Yon bump!