The last communication

Two days before he was killed, Pete called me.

I was working in San Francisco.

"Hey, bud, how is downtown Baghdad?"

"It's really pretty safe, Dad. We've calmed things down alot."

Little did any of us realize the plot that was underway.

Whoever had received the cache of Iranian weapons and buried them in the soccer stadium was not happy to have seem them discovered and blown up the week before.

Someone was watching when 2nd Stryker Cavalry soldiers found the weapons. Someone was watching when the weapons were destroyed.

I don't know who it was. Due to security issues, I don't know if the military knows who it was. They can't tell me.

The best indications are that it was a Shiite militia. Most likely, the Mahdi Army controlled by Moqtada al-Sadr.

al-Sadr is a famous and respected name amongst Shiites in Iraq. They family also has close ties to Iran. Moqtada al-Sadr has taken exile in Iran several times since the war started.

Whoever it was wanted to payback 2nd Stryker Cavalry. Wanted to send a message not to mess with their stuff.

So as Pete and I talked, some bastards were planning to kill someone. They didn't know who. They just intended to send a message that they didn't appreciate their goodies being taken away.

Later in the day, I received my last email.

While Pete's death was being plotted, he was plotting asking Missy to marry him.

I had found a ring per his specs, gotten his approval, and bought it for him.

He wanted me to know he had a plan to pay me back.


Pete Burks Mon, Nov 13, 2007 at 8:18 AM
To: Alan Burks
sounds good. by the way, i sent all the checks that i will need to pay you back for the ring. have you gotten those yet? it ended up being 25 checks worth $216 each. please let me know when you get them.

thanks, and i love you,

pete