I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Posted by Bruce Miller
Christmas Day, 2007

As those of you who read this blog know, P. J. Whiteway was able to come home this Christmas. Tomorrow, Dec 26, he flies back to Iraq. As we celebrated last night at our traditional Miller/Whiteway Christmas Eve dinner, I couldn’t get this carol out of my head.

Christmas Bells
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

Then from each black, accursed mouth,
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearthstones of a continent,
And made forlorn the households born
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

And in despair I bowed my head.
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
“God is not dead nor doth He sleep.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day—
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

It's good to remember that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this poem on Christmas Day, 1863 at the height of the Civil War--a war that Longfellow heartily opposed, as poets in all times are apt to do. Verses three and four aren’t often heard today, but they certainly provide the lyric with context.

And the war itself was not the only sorrow on Longfellow’s mind. His dear wife of 18 years had died 30 months earlier when her dress had caught fire and he had been unable to smother the flames. Their oldest son, Charles, was a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac and suffered life-threatening wounds only 18 days before Henry heard and immortalized those Christmas bells.

And yet, despite his personal and our national grief, Longfellow managed to follow verse five with verses six and seven.

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

May all of us hear … may all of us be that “voice.” May all our thoughts and hopes and songs combine to create that “chant sublime,” finally bringing peace back to our broken world.

Merry Christmas. And may God bless us every one!

--Bruce Miller

Home for the Holidays - Then Back to Iraq

Posted by Phil Whiteway
Home for the Holidays, our annual benefit cabaret for the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund, begins tonight. I can't wait. At every performance of last year's wonderful show, our emcee (some crazy guy named Bruce Miller) dedicated the song "I'll be Home for Christmas," sung by Cathy Motley-Fitch, to my son PJ and the men and women of the Virginia National Guard. He noted that Peej was shipping out for Iraq in March and would likely be spending Christmas 2007 on the desert sands with Uncle Sam. That's what we all thought at the time.

Wonder of wonders, it has not come to pass!

PJ is flying home for a two-week leave sometime today, tomorrow or the day after, and he'll be with us at least through Christmas Eve--maybe even Christmas Day--before flying back to his service in Iraq. Each soldier gets a couple weeks R & R during the year. PJ put in for December, and it's looking like he'll get his wish. After returning to his base, he'll have three more months, we think, until he comes back home to the U S of A for good in mid- to late-March.

At least that's the plan. The US troops play their cards pretty close to their armored vests. But we're told that most National Guard units have been deployed only for 12 months rather than 18.

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping PJ and his fellow soldiers in your prayers. We hope you'll keep it up. We're certainly grateful to have him home for the holidays, and he's pretty psyched too.

At the top of this post is what I like to think of as his "Christmas Card," posted on his MySpace or FaceBook--I can't remember which one. The caption reads:

"Just visiting the neighbors and hanging out with the kids!"

To which we add the first line of that familiar church school carol:

"Let their be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

--Phil Whiteway

"Stuart Little" Delivers Presents from Iraq

Posted by Bruce Miller

From the It’s a Small World After All Dept. …

Sgt P. J. Whiteway IV, Barksdale and Theatre IV’s envoy to Iraq (through the Virginia National Guard), was discussing “folks back home” with a friend and fellow guardsman, Sgt Ernest Woods, earlier this week. Sgt Woods happened to mention that his son and wife were looking forward to an upcoming school field trip to Richmond to see Stuart Little.

Bells of recognition rang in P. J.’s head, and he told his buddy that the son and wife must be going to Theatre IV. P. J. knows these things because, although he may look like a soldier today [that's Peej 2007 in the photo to the left], it wasn't long ago that he played a Munchkin on the Empire stage. After P. J. 'fessed up to his TIV connections, the two military men came up with the seed of a plan.

Sgt Woods missed his son Jacob a lot. Was there any way that P. J.’s contacts at Theatre IV could obtain and deliver a small present to Sgt Woods’ son as a surprise gift from his dad in Iraq? (The photo to the right was taken by Mike Morones for the Free Lance-Star at the most recent deployment of the Virginia National Guard.)

After a couple of inter-continental phone calls and emails, it all came to pass. Yesterday morning, as the bus from Central Elementary in Palmyra, Virginia pulled up to the Empire to unload, Jennings Whiteway (P. J.’s sister and Theatre IV’s Events, Access and Food Services Manager) was on hand to identify covertly the targeted mother and son.

Before the show began, Andy Boothby took the stage. After the familiar theatre manners speech, he continued:

“We’re especially happy this morning to welcome two new members to the Theatre IV family, only they don’t know it yet. Will Amanda and Jacob Woods please stand?”

With looks of surprise on their faces, they both arose.

“One of our longstanding family members here at Theatre IV, Sgt P. J. Whiteway IV, is serving with the Virginia National Guard in Iraq. We’re proud of him, and think about him every day. We were pleased and surprised earlier this week to hear from Sgt Whiteway, and learn that one of his best pals in Iraq was thinking about Amanda and Jacob Woods, and their upcoming field trip to see Stuart Little right here at Theatre IV.

Jacob’s father, and Amanda’s husband, is Sgt Ernest Woods, also with the Virginia National Guard. After he learned that his friend and fellow soldier in Iraq was part of the Theatre IV family, Sgt Woods asked if he could work with Theatre IV to send a special gift to his son and wife, to let them know that he was thinking about them and missing them every day.

So Amanda and Jacob, we’re honored to pass on to you this small present from your husband and dad, who asked also that we tell you that he can’t wait for the day when he’ll be home with you again.”

Jennings Whiteway then delivered a gift bag (Theatre IV t-shirt, etc) to the startled mom and son, and everyone in the audience applauded. The applause was for Amanda and Jacob Woods, I’m sure, but also for the tens of thousands of men and women who represent our nation abroad and the tens of thousands more who wait for them back home.

The lights went down, and Stuart Little and company began their joy-filled message of family and friends and growing up. The message seemed to resonate with the children in the audience even more than usual. And as Stuart rode off in his toy car into the sunset, all of us said a silent prayer for the safe and speedy reunion of all families now separated by the troubles of our world.

--Bruce Miller

Disney Dad Fights Global Warming in Iraq

Well, this is our 100th blog entry, and who would think that the 100th post on a theatre blog would once again take us to Iraq. But, as we all know, every person in the United States is connected with this war, including actors and other theatre artists. In case we needed more evidence of this, here’s the latest about Joe Amadee, father of Dave Amadee who plays leading man Troy in our production of Disney’s High School Musical. Dave is now a civilian, but he is nonetheless working for the Army in Iraq. The following is excerpted from Blackanthem Military News, Kuwait.

“Joe Amadee (pictured above and to the left) is not the kind of man you would expect to change the United States military. Amadee is a former Army officer, but at 52, he more resembles a biology professor than a general. He carries with him a loaded briefcase, not a charged M16 rifle. His concern is not with the newest tank model, but how much mileage that tank can get out of a gallon of gasoline.

On May 23, Amadee arrived in Kuwait from Fort Belvoir, Va., to run some experiments in several American military compounds in country. Amadee is the Army’s point man on reducing use of energy from fossil fuels, and he arrived with a mandate to reduce petrofuel dependence in the Army by 40 percent. He came with ideas that test the bounds of imagination.

One idea uses cooking grease from the dining facility, using a portable distillery, to convert the oil into biodiesel. The efficiency of the conversion process – a common criticism of ethanol made from corn – will make about 100 gallons of biofuel with 100 gallons of cooking oil, using just one gallon of jet fuel to power the process. The potential for clean power generation cooking oil could be enormous. One Camp Arifjan dining facility, Amadee learned, uses 180 gallons of cooking oil a week.

The REF team’s arrival came amidst a renewed effort by the Army’s Environmental Health Safety Program in Kuwait to clean up the Army’s environmental footprint in the country. Air conditioning was a particular concern. The Army wants to reduce the need for air conditioning, which would cut down on the need for energy, which would cut down on the need for fuel, which would reduce the need for convoys, which would save lives.

The need for greater energy efficiency was evident to Amadee during an earlier visit to an American compound in Djibouti, where he found that 10,000 gallons of diesel were being used every day. Of that sum, only 1,000 went into vehicles – the rest went into generators, primarily to air condition un-insolated tents. 'Air conditioning the desert,' Amadee jested.

Amadee and his team used tents at Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan to test an insolating foam solution, which they use to cover the exterior, giving the tent the appearance of a winter wonderland. When the foam dries, it solidifies into a protective shell strong enough to walk on. The REF team predicts that the foam shell will reduce energy use by as much as of 85 percent. Amadee will be back later this month to insolate '30 to 40 tents' at one Baghdad compound, he said.

Amadee is also researching ways to increase efficiency of solar power, a process inhibited by the punishing desert sandstorms. The desert heat and sand make the batteries less efficient, something Amadee is looking to fight.

Nobody is taking their time in implementing these changes. As best-selling magazines publish weekly reminders of global warming, Amadee has sensed an Army ready to transform. 'The people here are working feverishly to do this and looking for all the help they can get,' the REF environmental chief said. 'I sense a very great sense of urgency.' "

All of us associated with Barksdale Theatre, Steward School and Disney’s High School Musical send Joe, Dave and the Amadee family our best thoughts and prayers.

--Bruce Miller

Summer on the Sand

Many of you may remember a previous post sent in from our own P. J. Whiteway, who is stationed in Iraq with the Virginia National Guard. Those of us who know and love him like hearing and seeing the latest. For those who fall into that category, here's P. J.'s most recent email to family and friends, including several new photos of life on the blazing sands.

"Here are a handfull of random pictures that I thought everyone might enjoy! I'm still the same old goofy hyperactive P. J. Just letting you guys know this place has not changed me one bit. Miss you all like you wouldn't believe!!!

The first pic is me chilling (well, burning my buns off actually) on a humvee at the weapons clearing barrels right after coming in from a mission. The second is me trying to look like the heat is not bothering me before we put on all of our gear and cram into a humvee to go out on mission. Enough said.

#3 - I'm putting the gunner's harness on to get ready to go out on a reconnisance patrol for the night! I'm usually the TC (truck commander), but sometimes I throw on the harness and give my gunner a break from standing up on his feet in a turret all night.

#4 - This is my truck crew... my gunner PFC Michael and my driver SPC Carpenter.

#5 - The ROBOT---and some of the guys! We always test our equipment before going out on a mission. This fella is becoming our new best friend. When we see things out there in the desert that look like they maybe shouldn't be out there, this is the gadget we send across the sands to check things out. He can flip it over, kick the tires, whatever ... and we don't have to get too close. He's one of our little toys. One day he may be the toy that saves our butt.
#6 - Someone's got to wash all that dirt and mud off the truck. Its a daily task that I just love doing! Kinda like washing dishes at home--well maybe not.

That's it for now. Keep those good thoughts coming. All of us over here hope you guys have a great summer on a different kind of sand. Some with water near by.

P. J. Whiteway"

In Memoriam: Pfc. Jonathan M. Rossi

Posted by Bruce Miller

Our best thoughts and prayers go out to AnnaMarie Rossi, her parents Joan and Dan, and all of the Rossi family, as they mourn the loss of Pfc. Jonathan M. Rossi, 20, who was killed last Sunday in Iraq. Pfc. Rossi was AnnaMarie’s nephew, eldest son of her brother Michael.

Many families are part of the extended Barksdale and Theatre IV family, but few families have more or closer ties to our theatres than the Rossis. We stand with them during their time of loss.
Pfc. Rossi was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He was a Florida native, and joined the Army in Tampa on June 14, 2005.

He was killed in Baghdad when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb and small arms fire. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals.

AnnaMarie writes: “Pray for our family as we struggle through this one. We realize we are not alone, but that does not make the burden any easier to bear.”

A video account concerning Pfc. Rossi can be accessed here

We send the love and prayers of everyone in the Richmond theatre community to all of the Rossi family. Please know that you are in our hearts.

--Bruce Miller

From Over the Rainbow to An Nasiriyah

As Wizard 2007 closes, we are honored to hear from Corporal P.
J. Whiteway IV, who played a Munchkin 17 years ago in Wizard 1990, and is now serving in Iraq with the Virginia National Guard, A Company, 116th BSTB, out of Fredericksburg. P. J. was deployed in March of this year, and will be spending at least a year in service to his country. P. J. is the eldest son of Phil Whiteway, our Managing Director, and the brother of Jennings Whiteway, our Special Events, Access and Food Services Manager. I hope we'll all continue to keep P. J. and all of the men and women in Iraq in our thoughts and prayers.

May 22, 2007

Dear Barksdale Blog Readers,

Bruce invited me to write a few words from Iraq. He said the Barksdale Buzz, which I keep up with here on base, wants to receive letters from members of the Barksdale/Theatre IV family who are now working in other cities. Well, I guess you can't get much more “other” than here. I'm writing from Camp Cedar II in Taleel, Iraq, just a little ways outside of An Nasiriyah.

Originally I had hand written a letter, but I missed the send out date because I was working. It takes longer to send things out of base than it does to receive them. We can only send out on Monday and Friday, and we receive mail on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

My squad’s schedule and my job assignments are constantly changing. Last month we were tasked out to provide a quick reaction force to anything that might interrupt base security around the perimeter. Basically my squad of 14 was on standby for 24 hours waiting for a call over the radio to go and do something. We were equipped with 3 up-armored (equipped with heavy armor) hummvees, and we would often have to escort another humvee with VIPs to another nearby base (Taleel—Camp Adder). Sometimes we would actually have to go and chase off a herd of animals or Bedouins who lived in the area but were getting too close to the wire.

This month my squad is in charge of maintaining security and running the main entrance of the base. This involves checking IDs of incoming convoy drivers, sending them through an x-ray machine, and often searching the insides of their vehicles and the personnel inside them. These convoys are escorted by other military unit vehicles and they are usually just passing through our base—we are the largest refueling point in southern Iraq. We have upwards of 700-800 vehicles (semi trucks) coming in and often out throughout the course of a day. Sounds exciting, but it really just stirs up a lot of dust. We also have to deal with important local nationals coming to the front gate on foot ( i.e. a sheik of a local tribe who needs to meet with a commander).
The shifts are 12 hours long and are from midnight to noon for 2 days in a row and then we have a 24 hour break. Then the next two days we work noon to midnight and have 48 hours off. We have three squads that rotate on this schedule, thereby covering every hour of the day to allow us to maintain the security at the front entrance. The long hours are sometimes exciting but more often boring. We have to wear all 50 lbs of our body armor any time we are on duty, along with gloves and protective eye wear. And all you guys in Wizard thought the flying monkey and Winkie costumes were hot and sweaty.

I'm sure you can imagine that it gets hot here. How hot?? I measured a temp of 111 the other day in the shade, and it's very dry heat, not like VA—and windy too, so it feels like you’re standing in front of a huge hot blow dryer most of the day.

Time off is a great thing here…though you’re not actually "off" per se. At anytime you can be called on to go help out and fill in the blanks of any one of the many activities that are being completed around the base. Whether its re-dispatching humvees or filling sandbags or moving equipment, there is always something extra to be done at the last minute.

When I actually get a full day off, I spend my time cooling off in the 12 x 12 room that I share with my roommate, or I walk up to the MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center). That’s where we can access the internet and phones, or work out in the gym. The place is usually pretty packed so you have to wait in line to get to a phone or computer.
Thanks to all of you who are remembering me and the rest of the troops and wishing us well. It means a lot to have people back home thinking about you. We all love to keep in touch with folks back home. It’s the best way to keep our minds away from dusty Iraq.

Hope this reaches you all soon and I hope that everyone has a great summer! And if you go to the beach, ride a wave for all of us guys too.

CPL P.J. Whiteway

If you would like to contact CPL Whiteway, you can reach him at:

CPL Whiteway, P.J.
A/116th BSTB
Cedar II

APO AE 09331

P.J.WhitewayIV@gmail.com

Photo captions: The top two photos are P. J. now and then. The photo of the camels was taken by P. J. just outside of his base. In the photo of the six soldiers in P. J.'s unit, P. J. stands to the left. The bottom shot from Wizard 1990 includes Donna Whiteway (P. J.'s mom, who played Glenda), P. J. himself, Jennings Whiteway (P. J.'s sister and fellow Munchkin); and Phil Whiteway III (P. J.'s dad, who played the Tin Man).