Singing "Til The Last Shots Fired" While Smoking a Brisket

Hey ya'll, I'm still swimming in the sweet water of Trace's recent successes, humming that beautiful tune "Til The Last Shot's Fired", while I research authentic Texas brisket recipes. I've smoked some succulent brisket before, but this one is as special as they get and deserves a little more – something.

I got a call yesterday – we are throwing a going away party for James – will you bring a brisket and whatever else you want to cook. Shoot, I would cook Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner all rolled into one for James. He is a United States Marine heading toward his eighth or ninth tour of duty – this time in Afghanistan (he’s been there before). The caller was someone who ate dinner with him last week and heard him say “I haven’t had good Texas brisket in 14 years”.

First, let me say, I have not neglected James. I cooked breakfast (brunch) for him last Sunday with everything you can imagine on the menu, including sausage gravy and biscuits and green camo Easter baskets at each place setting. But, there is no higher honor than to do something for a soldier fighting for my freedom and yours.

The last time he was in Iraq, his girlfriend dumped him, while he was a war!!!!. (he later married that girl) .   I heard he and his buddies had no pillows. So I sewed a camouflage pillowcase and embroidered his name in gold thread on it, squished all the air out of the pillow and taped them tightly together with a note that said, “when you lay your head on this pillow at night, know that there are people who love and care about you beyond what you can imagine”. He left the pillow behind in the Iragi barracks, but the pillowcase is still in his traveling bag.

So what do I do now? I cook the most authentic Texas brisket I can muster. And I will send him a 6-pack of new socks every week. I told him I would never survive if he didn’t let me be in charge of sending him something. It’s the one thing he would agree to. When my brother-in-law was in the first Iraq, his biggest complaint was dirty socks. So I mailed him a 6-pack of new ones every week so he had clean socks when he got up to go out on patrol in that hot, horrible desert. James will have clean socks too; in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Wow, does that thought scare me. So this weekend he will have “authentic” Texas brisket – the smoker is ready- and a hug. The only thing that keeps me from going crazy at the thought is knowing that if I was a man, I would be where James is.  But I'm not, so I will make sure he has an authentic Texas brisket before he leaves.

I love all that Trace does for our troops, the USO tours, the song benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project – so much more than I could do in a lifetime.  Help Trace support our soldiers by downloading "Til The Last Shots Fired" on ITunes.

And, say a prayer for peace.