31 March, Snellville, GA 12:26 PM EST

It's great to be home!

After the last message we hastily packed our bags and made a mad dash for the flight line. It seems that the Major and Colonel were able to pull some strings. Or, perhaps a grateful audience member decided to help us out. In either case, we had our own private plane again, this time a brand new J series C130.

This new plan afforded us some extra time in Kuwait , where we were greeted by our old friends, Broadie and Contee. Colonel Saunders was with us, but Major Tootle said goodbye in Iraq and was headed back to his home base in Fallujah. We enjoyed the evening together, repacked our gear and went out for a burger at Frosty's, Camp Doha 's recreation center. 

Our flight to Frankfurt left around 2:00am yesterday, and I think everyone was able to manage some sleep in route. Once in Frankfurt , we enjoyed our layover in the Delta Crown Room, exchanging laughs and stories from the incredible experience we had shared. We have dramatically deepened our friendships, and I know these guys will always be a part of my life. 

Final stats:

25 Days

18 Stage shows

Numerous informal performances

20 Flights (6 commercial aircraft, 6 military C-130s, 8 helicopters)

Countless laughs

We parted ways, John and Spence headed back to Washington , DC and Todd and I to Atlanta . After another ten hour flight, we landed at Hartsfield International. After clearing customs, I was greeted by my wife, Sheilia, and son, Eddie, who dropped his “Welcome Home Dad” sign to plant a hug that nearly knocked me over. What a fantastic reception! The homecoming got even better when we reached our house and saw my two year old daughter, Maggie. She ran up to me, arms as wide as her smile, and the days we spent apart melted away.

In my absence, my wife has had our house completely painted, landscaped the yard, and remodeled my closet! Maybe I should leave more often. Speaking of which...

I'm off again in forty five minutes. Tomorrow morning I speak in Billings , Montana . Saturday, I have an engagement in Houston . I'll be home after that for more than a week, and you had better believe I will be spending most of that time with my family.

The theme of this whole experience has been "Off Balance On Purpose." It certainly has lived up to that description. I've been off balance every step of the way with little sleep, hectic travel, shaved head, personal body armor, and non-stop learning and excitement. But the purpose has been so worthwhile. I have developed a newfound respect and appreciation for the men and women of our armed forces. I understand firsthand how they live, what they deal with on a daily basis and how HUGE the effort to fight terrorism truly is. It is a battle fought on many fronts, and we have had the privilege to experience what few civilians ever will see or do. I am incredibly blessed.

I want to thank my family, friends, clients and collegues for the support, encouragement and prayers throughout the journey. I want to thank, especially my wife, Sheilia, for letting me "go for it!" I want to also thank Mike Thurmon for the fantastic job he did maintaining this website. And thanks to you for coming along with me. I can't tell you how much your emails meant to me - encouraging and validating our efforts. This truly became a shared experience, through the miracle of modern technology, and it was delightful to describe what we were doing and share some images along the way.

Check back soon, as I will be adding a lot of content, stories, and photos to give this more take away value for all of us. And you better believe I'll be talking about it in all my future speaking engagements.

God bless you all, bless our troops at home and overseas. Never underestimate the power of laughter or the impact one person can make on the lives of others. Keep looking up, and keep living off balance on purpose.

The homeward journey began in Iraq aboard this J Series C130 (L). Saying goodbye to Lt. Col. Eddy Saunders at the Kuwait City airport (R).

29 March, Al Asad, Iraq1520 (3:20 pm)

After the last update, we set out on a tour of this impressive base, meeting talented and dedicated individuals along the way. We met with the fire department to discuss the use of juggling torches in the show and got the green light. Among the other highlights, we saw more disabled aircraft, as well as ancient ruins with historic Biblical significance. According to legend, this area was one of the places Abraham stopped to rest as he was traveling to and from Ur. The Oasis still stands, but the inviting water is now extremely toxic. We were sternly warned against touching it.

Our last performance, as I have previously mentioned, took place in a grand theater. What a fitting way to end the trip, playing to a full house on a big stage with the full complement of quality sound and lighting. We pulled out all the stops and the show lasted two full hours. Afterward, as has been our tradition, we visited with the crowd for awhile, taking photos, signing postcards, and sharing stories from both home and abroad. I met several other people from the Atlanta area, which was enjoyable. We also saw Corp. Pat Steffa, one of the dog handlers we had met during the K-9 demonstration in Fallujah.

After packing up the gear, we retired to our "cans," or sleeping quarters, and the four of us, along with Maj. Tootle and Col. Saunders, enjoyed a victory cigar to celebrate the completion of our mission.

This morning, we went to breakfast than a quick workout.

Wait a minute! I've just been alerted that we have to leave immediately, as a brand new Marine C130 is available. Looks like we can get back to Kuwait earlier than expected if we hurry!

(Above)These pictures were taken in a light-hearted moment. Dan thought the security detail was

overly cautious. That being noted, the security systems and talented professionals performed

flawlessly and for this, we are truly grateful.

The security was extra tight in Al Asad. We all appreciate the efforts of (L-R) Cpl Eric Kyne, Cpl Daniel Patron, Cpl Steven Williams, and Cpl Colin Martin. (R) Another former Regime aircraft.

March 28, Al Asad, Iraq 09:49

We are all a bit groggy today after yesterday's marathon. As soon as I finished the last update, we headed to church services at the “Soul Train.” One of the locomotives has been converted to a chapel. And Chaplin John Anderson welcomed us warmly and delivered a moving and unique service.

We went to lunch at the DFAC and followed suit with the other Marines who are each required to fill a sand bag with dirt before enjoying their meal. It's an effective way to get the job done and work up an appetite!

The performance at Al Qaim took place on an outdoor temporary stage with the audience of about 250 Marines seated on cots spread out before us. The show went fantastic, and the positioning of the stage between the buildings created wonderful acoustics, particularly during Spence and John's whip routines.

Major Tootle did part of the show with us, exchanging some rehearsed dialogue before throwing Todd and me the 7th club and reaping the accolades.

After we shook hands and signed autographs, we hurried to pack our gear so we could ride the 7 ton truck out to the flight line, past the Hewey and Cobra helicopters. Seeing the Sea Stallions come in during the daytime was very cool- the power, noise and heat they generate is shear sensory overload! As it approached I was on the satellite telephone wishing Sheilia (my wife) and Eddie (my son) a Happy Easter. Our conversation ended just as the chopper drowned out our words. This would be our only daylight helicopter trip in Iraq , breaching the security precaution this one time in order to bring an extra show to another group of Marines.

After an hour or so, we set down at a base called Korean Village , situated sixty miles from the Syrian border. This base is quite remote and “no frills,” but the hospitality and appreciation was second to none. They had been out on missions late the night before and were ready for a break. We set up inside the DFAC building, arranging the benches and clearing enough space for our routines. There was no sound system, which actually made for a more intimate experience.

We were quite punchy from the spent energy of a full day's activity and so with some abandon, we engaged the audience and delivered perhaps our "most fun show" of the entire tour. We each found new moments and ad libbed lines to amuse each other, as well as the crowd.

As soon we were done exchanging thanks with our audience, we received word that our bird, a C46 “Sea Knight” this time, was inbound. Again, we raced to be ready and were swept away into the night, dizzied by the brief, but memorable “touch and go show.”

I have the coolest job in the world!

Another hour in flight and we landed at Al Asad, the site of our final performance of the tour. We landed around 0100 and were met with smiles and top notch security forces led by Captain Derritt, who guided us to drop off our gear at the theater. It is a beautiful venue, last played by Robin Williams and John Elway during their recent USO tour.

Finally, we found our bunk house and dove under the covers. Now refreshed, we are awaiting a bus to take us on a tour of the base. Our last show of this Operation Swashbuckle Tour is scheduled this evening. So, we will have a good bit of the day to rest, regroup, and take care of miscellaneous tasks like laundry and internet.

I am ready to wrap this up with a strong performance tonight and begin the process of heading home to my family. Tomorrow we fly back to Kuwait for a lengthy layover, then take a red eye flight to Frankfurt . The next stop will be then be Atlanta Georgia.

Click Image to enlarge.

(L) Dan and Chaplin John Anderson at the Soul Train. (R) Always a Marine audience favorite - Dan demonstrates handstand pushups.

March 27, Easter Sunday Al Qaim, Iraq , 10:00

Two days since the last report and easily a weeks worth of activity. We have three shows to go- today promising to be our busiest day of the trip with two shows in two different cities, two helicopter rides, Easter church services (one hour from now) and, I'm sure, much more I'm not yet aware of.

At the last update, we were in Fallujah, under the consummate care of Captain Kathy Miller. She did an outstanding job of hosting our team and even arranged some special surprises.

One highlight was meeting the talented team at Fallujah's K-9 Core. Sgt. Romlein hosted the exhibition while handlers and their animals demonstrated the multiple capabilities of the dogs- obedience, attack, guarding of suspects, search and rescue, and explosive ordinance detection(bomb sniffing). But the most exciting part, for sure, was when we all had a chance to try on the padded suit and "catch a dog", playing the part of the bad guy on the other end of the teeth! The adrenaline rush was intense, and even through the padding, the bite was forceful. Let's just say these dogs love their job!

The show that night was in the theater, a multi function building that also hosted Good Friday church services. We had a crowd of about 300 people and another memorable performance. The torch routine set off the smoke alarm, creating a comical moment since the guys from the fire department were in the room and had approved the use of fire. Feeling like I had to try something, I threw a single juggling club up to the twenty-five foot roof and hit the ceiling tile that held the alarm. It lifted up six inches in the air, fell back in place, and went silent. Don't ask me how I did it, but it was effective and pretty darn funny.

That night we were back aboard a CH46 Sea Knight and flew back to Al Taqqadum to refuel, then on to Blue Diamond base in Ramadi. We arrived about 1:30 am, dog tired and ready for rest. The full moon illuminated the desolate base, a bombed out retreat for Saddam and his sons, now a hot spot of insurgent action. We learned that incoming mortar attacks are quite frequent, but that information did not keep us from sleeping. We got a full six hours rest.

The next morning (yesterday) we ventured out to explore. An imposing convoy of LAVs and up armored Humvees stretched across the base, waiting their orders to go on patrol. We talked with a few of the guys in the rear of the convoy for about twenty minutes. One had been injured by an improvised explosive device. They had all been involved in confrontations which, we learned later, take place during patrols about four out of ten times.

The most impressive feature, by far, is the bombed out Palace at the far end of Blue Diamond. This was one where Uday Hussein spent a lot of his time. The once opulent and grand structure looked as if it could collapse at any minute. The damage was from three J-Dam bombs that found their mark shortly after the start of the war in 2003.

The show took place in the back of the Motor Pool, the only facility that would provide the required space and ceiling height to perform our stunts. It turned out to be the perfect venue.

In the midst of such heavy real life drama, it is easy to down-play the importance of what we do. After all, we are just four funny guys who are there to tell some jokes, perform some tricks, and make people laugh. But our efforts are validated at every turn in powerful, humbling ways. After this show, we received the most incredible quote yet from one of our audience members.

"This morning I was in a fire fight. This afternoon for an hour and a half, you let me forget about it. Thanks."

After the show, we received a tour of the bombed out palace and were able to enter it and explore the stabilized portions. It was quite powerful to stand there and soak in the past and present of the situation. What the future holds is in large part up to the brave Marines we performed for that day - I can't imagine a more distinguished audience.

After dinner we caught a couple hours rest before boarding another after lights-out flight to Al Qaim. We arrived after midnight and met Gunnery Sgt. Chris Hayes, a very cool guy who guided us to our sleeping quarters. It was not difficult to crash into unconsciousness.

Al Qaim is the impressive central hub of the Iraqi Rail Road located near the Jordan order. It is not currently in operation, but when we met Colonel Mundy this morning, he told me we would be turning it back over to the Iraqis in full working order, in far better condition than we found it.

Click Image to enlarge.

25 March, 2005 Fallujah, Iraq 07:58

The past thirty six hours have been a blur of activity- sensory rich and thrilling memories that signal this last leg of the journey in Iraq will be an unforgettable capstone of adventure.

Wednesday night we performed at Camp Victory in Kuwait and enjoyed warm and wonderful hospitality. Sgt Ornelas, Cpt. Smith, Cpt. Quatrion, CW4 Hermanson and Col. Smith made us feel at home, giving us fine food at the DFAC, a camp tour, and world class support for our performance.

After finishing the show and doing our “grip and grin” with the audience, we loaded up and headed home to Doha. Waiting in our bunkhouse was Col. Eddie Saunders, a new Point of Contact who will be at our side for the rest of our time here. We grabbed a few hours sleep and Broadie was back to take us to the Kuwait airport.

While airborne in the C130, the Load Master motioned for us to follow him to the flight deck. We obliged, and once we climbed the short staircase into the cockpit, the flight crew erupted into spontaneous applause. They had enjoyed our performance a few days ago at Ali Al Salem and wanted to chat awhile. We quickly donned headsets, and the conversation that followed was a lot of fun.

We returned to our seats for a “combat decent,” or extremely steep dive, into Al Taqqadum. When the rear cargo door of the aircraft opened, wind and sand overtook the compartment because of the local “wind storm.” Next came five Marines who swept in with a similar fashion, unlatched our gear and loaded it into transport vehicles - all in less than two minutes time.

Before we knew it, we were off the plane and on our way to meet our new hosts and explore this former Iraqi air base. First we met Col. Jim McCown, the Chief of Staff at Al Taqqadum (“TQ” for short). And we also met Maj. Ron Tootle, a US Marine and Col. Saunders. Maj. Tootle and I soon made a personal connection - he and I are both from Snellville, GA ! In fact, we were in High School at the same time just a few miles apart from one another! With that local connection a fast friendship took hold.

The base tour included the DFAC (for our first meal of the day), we saw a larger-than-life mural of Saddam Hussein, now disfigured as a result of the overthrown dictatorship. We saw the Iraqi fighters and bombers that are riddled with bullet holes and now only pieces of history. We visited the medical facilities where Spence, John and Todd all had tests to determine blood types (I already knew mine). We also saw beautiful Lake Habbaniyah, once a resort area for the Bathist Party.

We performed in the same building where we ate meals. In fact, the base had to close dinner early to transform the space into our showroom. Just thirty minutes before show time, Ithought we would never be ready in time for our scheduled start. But with efficiency and teamwork like I've never witnessed, Marines struck all the tables, set up theatrical seating, constructed a stage of wooden blocks and aircraft pallets and hung our banner. Meanwhile, we set up the sound system and props. We started the show as scheduled, on time, as promised.

Just minutes after the show started, a Sergeant approached us and asked to make an announcement. He called for all medical personnel to leave the show at once and report to the surgical unit. He also called for “O” blood donors to follow. We found out later that an insurgent car bomb had found it's target- the Iraqi National Guard.

There were 18 casualties. Although we never did learn the severity of the injuries, the incident was a harsh reminder of the reality of our circumstances and the importance of our mission.

The show, like all others that preceded it, was warmly received. Afterward, we raced to pack up our equipment and return to the airfield, where a “Sea Knight” helicopter landed to take us to Fallujah. We are only flying at night with lights off and night vision goggles in order to minimize the target we present to the enemy. When taking off, the sand and rock combined with the rotors and created “sparks” of electricity which were extremely cool to see.

What a day! By the time we were in our new quarters, it was after midnight. We rested well and awoke refreshed to take in the next chapter of this exciting story. To be continued…

Click Image to enlarge.

(L)Maj. Ronald Tootle of Snellville, GA and Dan have a quite moment. (R) Hosts at Camp Victory, Kuwait

March 23, Camp Doha, Kuwait 09:45

I'm here at the MWR(Moral, Welfare and Recreation) office as John is teaching Contee, Brody and the rest of the gang the fine art of "whip cracking." It's all laughs, and I have to smile at the way these silly skills of ours help make memorable connections and new friends wherever we go.

Thanks to Bovey for allowing the generous use of his personal computer to send the photos you've been seeing! Thanks to Sgt. Massey for your hospitality at Camp Navistar. Thanks to Contee and Chuck for the expert assistance and transportation to yesterday's show. Brody and Larry will take us to Camp Victory tonight for our final show in Kuwait.

Last night at Navistar was another new experience and fantastic performance opportunity. The Camp is about an hour from here, literally on the Iraq border. Several factors made this show unique: First, it was an outdoor performance on the plywood basketball court, with the 500 or so audience members seated in chairs, bleachers and picnic tables. The beautiful, cloudless night, perfect temperature, and brilliant moon made for a relaxed and comfortable mood. High floodlights were positioned to illuminate the space. Tents surrounded us, and the bare bones venue made me feel like I was in an episode of M.A.S.H.

Secondly, about 300 soldiers at Camp Navistar are enjoying their final week before heading home. Most have been here for thirteen months and, needless to say, are anxiously anticipating their homecomings. This only added to the excitement and presented an interesting twist. They will be home before we will!

We spent even more time than usual hanging out with the crowd and enjoying conversations, photo opportunities and stories. I thought I might convey how special these connections are by sharing two specific stories that made huge impressions on the group. Regretfully, I never did get the names of these individuals. But, I feel like we are all old friends.

As we were setting up, a sizeable gentleman approached us, displaying tattoos on both arms and a huge smile. "Hack and Slash," he exclaimed. "I saw you guys at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. You performed right before the Zucchini Brothers!"

"You mean you saw this guy?" asked John as he pointed to Todd, half of the comedy juggling team the soldier had mentioned.

You could see the joy sweep over the man's face as he found a familiar element so far from home. He felt like he was part of the act, sat right up front, and even had us sign one of the show posters so that he could show it to his wife when he returned home, six months from now. After the show we continued to talk until we had to leave. As the subject of children came up, he shared with me a personal and somewhat painful exchange he had with his four year old son. The boy told him on the phone, "Daddy, if you will just come home I promise I'll be good." Unable to grasp the reasons why his father was gone so long, the boy could only assume it was his behavior.

"I cried for two days," he told me. "It is so hard being away. Some days and weeks drag on forever."

Another gentleman told us he was married only twenty five days before he was deployed. "Every day is the same out here. Me and the guys joke it is like the movie Groundhog Day- one day that repeats over and over. Thank you for bringing us something fun and different. What a great change of pace. I was laughing so hard I couldn't see!"

As we drove back toward Doha, watching the oil fires burn on the horizon and the scattered beams of light from other camps across the desert, we exchanged favorite moments from the experience and congratulations of another mission accomplished.

Interesting Factoid: We learned that since January there has been more movement of American troops and equipment since World War II (including Vietnam and Korea).

Click image to enlarge.

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