You’re too kind.
Summers were hot. Often 115-120F in the summer, reflected heat from city pavement, humidity from the rivers and canals.
Sixty to 80 pounds of armor, kit, weapons, and ammo.
Iraqis loved rumors! One of them was that our vests contained miniature air conditioners. That was the only way they could fathom or explain US troops patrolling on foot in the mid-day heat.
The first time I heard that one, I had just come into an enclosed space to meet with some pro-US Iraqis. It was very hot. I had already sweat through my t-shirt, uniform top, and into my vest. One of them mentioned that it was a good thing we had those air conditioners, otherwise we’d be passing out.
Challenge accepted.
I doffed my vest and kit and put it on the Iraqi. I said, there is no air conditioning. Their mouth hung open. Between the weight, the heat, and the fact the vest was dripping with sweat, they were gobsmacked.
After that, word spread through the neighborhood that the A/C rumor was a lie. The Americans were just THAT TOUGH!! Hoo-Wah!
I did the same thing a couple more times in the following weeks.
We gained a lot of Wasta that day. ‘Face’, ‘influence’, ‘respect’.
Hahahahaha! That is absolutely hilarious! I’ll bet you wished they had little air conditioners in your vests, though...
That said, I am amazed at the way the human body adapts.
The Shackleton Expedition was trapped in Antarctica for a full year, and those guys became so acclimated to cold weather, that when it reached 25 degrees Fahrenheit above zero, they simply couldn’t sleep because it was too warm for them!