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Sunday, June 5, 2005
Reflecting on smaller Coca-Colas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Forward Operating Base St. Michael, Iraq — Soldiers with the 48th Brigade Combat Team seldom discuss the reasons for the war they’re fighting in Iraq.
It’s fairly pointless since they’re already here and their chances for a safe return depend largely on their ability to focus on the specific military tasks at hand - not abstract geo-political debates.
But in a rare moment of reflection, Sgt. Tim Hass shared his theory on the nature of Arab rage against the West.
“It’s all about Coca-Cola,” said Hass, 33, who was drinking from a red soft-drink can at the time.
“You see,” he continued, “the Coke cans are smaller here. They’re about 10 ounces each instead of 12 ounces like we get back home. Hajjis are smart. They’ve probably figured out that they’ve been getting shorted two ounces on every can for all these years. I’d be mad, too.”
The soft-drink cans here typically hold 330 milliliters, about 40 fewer than 12 U.S. ounces. The cans are noticeably shorter, and they have the kind of detachable pull tabs that have been banned in the United States since the 1970s.
Pvt. Dustin Taylor, 19, of Morganton, N.C., an M-1A1 Abrams tank driver for 1st Battalion, 108th Armor Regiment, seemed fascinated by the tabs themselves.
“They look like little exclamation points,” said the sandy-haired soldier born in the mid-1980s. “I’ve never seen them before. They’re pretty cool.”
Note: Last week’s directive not to refer to Arabs as Hajjis has had no impact, except perhaps, to increase its usage.
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