Happy July 4th!! Well, by the time any of you blog followers of mine read this, it will be much past July 4th, but I hope you all had a safe and awesome July 4th!

The July 4th celebration here was a lot of fun! We all marched to the field singing cadences, and once we were at the field, we were given free reign! (with limits of course). There was music playing over the loud speakers. Good music, then as I sat there, "Separate Ways (Worlds apart)" by JOURNEY!!!!! came on the radio!! My buddy could not have explained it better when he said I had an orgasm when the song came on. I was air drumming the whole time! Wow! I love music, but especially Journey!!!

To hear Steve Perry's vocals, the rockin' bass line or Ross, the melodic keyboard parts of Cain, the rippin' guitar of Schon, and of course the rockin' drummin' of Steve "machine gun" Smith! Separate Ways is definitely one of my favorite drumming songs. Them fills are killer!!!

I laughed as people went on sugar highs because of pop and candy bars, well some had multiple so they were really wired. Thank goodness caffeine or sugar doesn't affect me that much.

The 282nd Army Band provided music for the event as well. They didn't really come through the PA, so they were hard to hear. As I walked closer with my "battle buddies", I started conducting, completely giving away that I am a music nerd. Could I be more obvious?

The fireworks show was really cool, a lot of fun and pretty colors and shapes. Oh yeah! As they called off the states as they entered the Union. Don't worry, Minnesota and South Dakota, I screamed with all my heart and soul for all of you! Rock on!!

The only way this night could have been better is if a beer was in my right hand and another in my left. Something seems amazing with a beer in each hand. That day will come soon enough! Actually, this night would have been better if I was on the gig with the Army Band. That day will come soon enough as well.

You know, there are a lot of soldiers in BCT here at Fort Jackson. Thousands of them. Unfortunately that made the lines for the port-a-potties a little long - yet in the massive crowd, I saw a good ole Grant Beaman from my unit back in SD.

Today will bring more training and a movie with one of our DS. That should be fun.

I hope all is well back home. Take care!

Peace & love,
Daniel D. Heier

PFC Heier, Daniel D.
D Co. 3rd PLT
3rd Bn, 13th Inf Regt
5385 Jackson Blvd USABCTCoE
Fort Jackson, SC 29207-6110