hard on fuel
From : hemi dude
Q: i have a 2003 1500 quad cab with the 5.7 lite hemi. it has been the worst truck i have ever had on fuel. i get if im lucky about 12 miles per gallon i wont buy another dodge after this one. the hemi is a joke i mean i can see using alot of gas if it hadpower but i dont see any diffrence between the hemi or the standard v8 thats your fault. shoulda did your research before buying and shoulda gone 600 ft lb diesel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .
Replies:
From : bdk
i read the subject and thought this post was about some new viagra substitute. .
From : roy
kar klean wrote answering the questions possed 3.9l v6 no it didnt idle bad when i boughtit. i have tried twice with gas and fuel cleaners idles rough when it starts and i am sitting. when you put a load on the engine such as backing up or turning wheel. it has stalled several times. hi i have developed a rough idle on my truck. just purchased it used. it has 88000 miles on it. have tried the obvious so far air filter etc. also a stalling problem when a load is applied. any suggestions fuel additives fuel filter thank you my 01 ram did this just before the battery went dead. have yours tested. bob .
From : roy
the pcm boosts line pressure in tow since line pressure is up it takes more governor pressure to move the shift valves so shifts are firmer and delayed a bit converter should lock in od or in 3rd if od is cancelled in tow mode g today was the first day that i towed heavy with my 05 big horn i definately bought the right truck!. when i switched into tow/haul mode it stayed in drive a little longer but it still shifted into overdrive. is this normal or is tow/haul just a setting to keep the torque converter unlocked or something thanks -- nathan w. collier http//inlinediesel.com http//7slotgrille.com http//utilityoffroad.com .
From : nosey
what about the 04.5 in 04.5 and 04 as well i believe they simply renamed o/d off to tow/haul pretty much what i thought. what would it take to make an 04.5 perform like the 05 a controller swap a flash it took them damn-near forever but im fairly certain the 05s can accept an ecm flash to allow approved warranty-covered use of an exhaust brake. that might be something you want to look into if you plan on pulling heavy through the mountains. what do those typically sell for initially i really wanted an exhaust brake but since playing with my prodigy im confident in its efficient and effective braking. if its not ridiculous id probably add an exhaust brake but if its ridiculous ill rely on my prodigy. -- nathan w. collier http//inlinediesel.com http//7slotgrille.com http//utilityoffroad.com .
From : gary r kohler
i checked the abs fuse visual and it doesnt appear to be blown. i dont want to go buy a meter if i dont have to. swap it with a known good fuse of the same rating. .
From : bdk
@webtv.net says... well it looks like geekboy doesnt now what he is taking about and doesnt know much about trucks in general. he uses big words that he must have read in a dodge owners magazine and now all of the sudden he thinks hes a mechanical genious. i have owned trucks from the big 3 dodge ford and chevy.... my opinion the chevy trucks are the best all around yes i admit that the styling is getting a littledated but i still think they have the other two beat. ford i have nothing aginst but my opinion if you are gonna buy a big truck look a like just buy the f-250 and have it over with i like the new ford body style better than the last feminine looking 1997 to 2004 trucks. but thats not saying much. but as far as fuel economy goes the bulky ford is nick n tuck with the dodge. chevy= better performance fuel economy and bang for your buck in my opinion. i have a hemi and its claim of 345 hp....is a joke.....i bet if you put it on a dyno it wouldnt hit 150 hp. poor fuel economy with sucky performance.. i think the dodge designers need to go back to school. html body bgcolor=blacktext=white p align=center embed img src=http//www.angelfire.com/rock/cooper/skyline.gif /body /html well my supposedly weak hemi stomps all over my last truck a 295 hp sierra z71 ext cab with 3.73 gears. the ram weighs about 400 pounds more and beats it by at least .25 seconds in a drag race. launching it is very difficult as the rear bounces around or it smokes the hell out of the tires. the gm trucks have the trans and computer set up so that wheelspin is pretty difficult. just punch it and go.. its much stronger than the gm 5.3 and they arent bad. i would take a 5.3 over the 5.9 dodge any day and i owned three vehicles with them. you must not have driven an f150 yet now thats on the weak side. most hemis dyno at about 260-275 at the rear wheels and that means 345 hp is about right. if the hemi had the nissan titans trans set up you would be amazed.. the only real thing i liked more on the sierra was the gas mileage and thats still not a big deal.. bdk .
From : mac davis
@webtv.net says... i got a 3.92 axel ratio and 20 inchers. i dont really care for the big bulky things either but when the dodges have the 17 inch wheels the look like they are too small for the truck and it makes the truck look all clumsy. too me a dodge with 17 inch wheels looks like shaq oniel with a size 5 1/2 shoe. html body bgcolor=blacktext=white p align=center embed img src=http//www.angelfire.com/rock/cooper/skyline.gif /body /html you just need to put some decent sized tires on those 17s and it looks just fine. i think 90% of the 20s made look kinda sissified. there are some great looking ones out there but they cost a lot and the ones that are fairly within reason price wise are heavy as hell. one set i saw on a local truck went for a base they had all kinds of finish options price of only $995 each... they were forged so they were much lighter than the cast ones like the stockers. bdk .
From : badger
the spacer increases the phlenum effect under the tb which can improve throttle responce and power some true. in theory. and the theory is that you want to also stir the mixture up more more turbulance or swirl to increase atomization of fuel mixture for better power and burn. wrong. you dont want turbulance in the intake manifold. you do want a swirl effect in the cylinder . fuel injection occurs just above the valve so smooth laminar airflow is an advantage in the manifold. -- max give a man a match and he is warm for a short while. light him on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life. max dodge wrote no they are not the same thing. the tb or throttle body controls the amount of air entering the intake manifold. yup. a tb spacer fits between the throttle body and the manifold with the idea of smoothing out the airflow perhaps but more likely its to add length to the intake tract in an effort to get more low end torque. not that it always works thta way. smoothing air flow by adding a second mating point seems a bit odd. better idea is to use something that will produce laminar air flow which could be added with the spacer but usually is not. into the intake for better fuel atomization and allowing more air to get into the cylinders. atomization perhaps yes. more air into the cylinders nope. as you just said the tb regulates that not the spacer. ultimately the spacer is a debatable add on but a cheap experiment. the spacer increases the phlenum effect under the tb which can improve throttle responce and power some and the theory is that you want to also stir the mixture up more more turbulance or swirl to increase atomization of fuel mixture for better power and burn. -- posted using the http//www.autoforumz.com interface at authors request articles individually checked for conformance to usenet standards topic url http//www.autoforumz.com/dodge-tb-tb-spacer-ftopict128035.html visit topic url to contact author reg. reqd. report abuse http//www.autoforumz.com/eform.phpp=624631 .
From : miles
hemi dude wrote i got a 3.92 axel ratio and 20 inchers. i dont really care for the big bulky things either but when the dodges have the 17 inch wheels the look like they are too small for the truck and it makes the truck look all clumsy. too me a dodge with 17 inch wheels looks like shaq oniel with a size 5 1/2 shoe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ please turn off the html when posting. thanks clay .
From : trey
hemi dude wrote i got a 3.92 axel ratio and 20 inchers. i dont really care for the big bulky things either but when the dodges have the 17 inch wheels the look like they are too small for the truck and it makes the truck look all clumsy. too me a dodge with 17 inch wheels looks like shaq oniel with a size 5 1/2 shoe. bigger tires not bigger wheels are whats needed in my opinion. 20 wheels on rams makes them look like pimp rides. i dont know why people want to ride on such little rubber. .
From : hemi dude
hemi dude wrote well it looks like geekboy doesnt now what he is taking about and doesnt know much about trucks in general. he uses big words that he must have read in a dodge owners magazine and now all of the sudden he thinks hes a mechanical genious. i have owned trucks from the big 3 dodge ford and chevy.... my opinion the chevy trucks are the best all around yes i admit that the styling is getting a littledated but i still think they have the other two beat. ford i have nothing aginst but my opinion if you are gonna buy a big truck look a like just buy the f-250 and have it over with i like the new ford body style better than the last feminine looking 1997 to 2004 trucks. but thats not saying much. but as far as fuel economy goes the bulky ford is nick n tuck with the dodge. chevy= better performance fuel economy and bang for your buck in my opinion. i have a hemi and its claim of 345 hp....is a joke.....i bet if you put it on a dyno it wouldnt hit 150 hp. poor fuel economy with sucky performance.. i think the dodge designers need to go back to school. i have a 2001 ram 5.9l and a 2004 durango hemi 5.7l. the durango will run circles around my ram. when i pull my 5000lb trailer again the difference is night and day. the hemi is far stronger than the 5.9l. it depends on what people compare it to. its not a ctd. .
From : hemi dude
--webtv-mail-1596-1830 content-type text/plain; charset=us-ascii content-transfer-encoding 7bit uhh...common sense here bud. any truck will spin the tires on a wet road. it doesnt take a dragster of a truck to do that! --webtv-mail-1596-1830 content-description signature content-disposition inline content-type text/html; charset=us-ascii content-transfer-encoding 7bit html body bgcolor=blacktext=white p align=center embed img src=http//www.angelfire.com/rock/cooper/skyline.gif /body /html --webtv-mail-1596-1830-- .
From : newrvguy
why such a big deal with the 610 ft lbs it seems the only people who brag up the hemi are people who have the hemi and those who brag up the diesel are those who have the diesel. now i was at that crossroad last month. my choice was for a 2500 but what would i choose for the fuel here were my pros and cons for the purchase choice diesel pros; 1. better gas mileage 2. higher torque than the hemi 3. better for highway use cons; 1. diesel not much cheaper 2. $7000 more cdn for truck 3. higher maintenance cost 4. seemed sluggish for in town driving and not a good stop and go vehicle hemi pros; 1. higher horsepower than diesel 2. better for in town use 3. felt more attraction to the hemi seemed like a more exciting option. 4. cost was $6000 cdn less for truck 5. power wagon was only available in hemi 6. cheaper maint cost cons; 1. gas cost more 2. worse gas mileage 3. less torque 4. not as good as diesel as a highway runner result i chose the power wagon with the hemi. i did like the diesel but the price and the fact that i wanted the freedom of stop and go driving as well as highway driving. i also wanted the pulling power which i could have got with the diesel but the pw has plenty. i also wanted the fun of being able to haul ass right off the line. i realize that the diesel can be driven in town and the hemi is just fine on the highway but it has been my experience that gas hi-perf vehicles really show their stuff off the line and diesels really show their stuf on the hwy. this post was just to show my opinion in the course of my purchase i was faced with a chevy diesel for cheap... i almost did it... but after thinking about it for the night and then realizing i drive my truck about 2300-2500 miles a year. i figured it had very little benefit for me.. if i pulled a trailer all the time then yeah i would go for it. i just dont have a need for such a big truck even the 1500 is too big for my likeing.. i just dont want to park the beast or navigate la traffic ether. however... a 4l diesel in the old dak body now that is something i would like to get! .
From : mac davis
on wed 06 jul 2005 203147 -0700 miles nospam@noemail.com wrote i read the subject and thought this post was about some new viagra substitute. it might be about the new liquid viagra miles... now you can pour yourself a stiff one... mac please remove splinters before emailing .
From : roy
on thu 7 jul 2005 072158 -0600 nathan w. collier montanajeeper@aol.com wrote late-model 05 engines had their torque rating bumped to 610ft.lbs. makes me just wanna grunt. - maybe you need more fiber nate.. rofl mac please remove splinters before emailing .
From : coasty
the truck stops better than it ever did with them enabled. perhaps the 4 wheel abs works well going by toms claims but the rear wheel abs does not appear to be well designed at least not on my 97. absolutely... rwal was a completely crappy system i have it in my 95 as well... when it detected imminent lock-up it opened a dump valve that bled all or most pressure from the rear system which also allowed some bleed-through of the front pressure since the two are not completely isolated systems which caused you to maintain traction and steering whilst you rammed into the object in front of you. on the 3rd gens the abs system can vary the amount of pressure delivered to the rear system pretty much infinitely variable not the all or nothing of the old rwal systems and keeps the rears on the verge of lockup. for the most part you never feel this occurring - it just happens automatically. as the fronts begin to lock up thats when the abs pump kicks in and you do feel a little pedal pulsation but still not as severe as the 2nd gen trucks with the 4w abs. ive tried on several occasions in both dry and wet conditions to lock my brakes up. i was only partly successful in the wet conditions and completely unsuccessful in the dry... the wheels wont bind up. the truck however decelerates quickly enough
From : trey
that i became very intimate with the steering wheel its really impressive to feel an 8000lb. truck stop that quickly. . 222 302681 gshze.1895143$6l.1671303@pd7tw2no i got my new 2005 pw a few weeks ago. at first the gas mileage scared the shit out of me 11.8 mpg then i took it out loaded with the family in it and got 15.8 mpg hwy and 12.6 in town. not bad considering my 2003 1500 5.9 v8 gets 15.9 mpg hwy and 10.3 in town. i also towed with the pw 27 ft trailer 5500 lbs and got 10.1 mpg. these numbers are low but higher than i expected with this massive truck. .
From : mac davis
thx bg. . 222 302677 dajldf$621$1@.xmission.com ahhh - the ol hidden snap ring trick! thanks for the help. bg yup. you are missing the small metal plate under the trans mount that hides the bigass snap ring that holds the shaft onto the rear bearing. youll need a big phillips and a set of snap ring pliers. -- max give a man a match and he is warm for a short while. light him on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life. i want to replace the rear transmission bushing and seals on a 1992 b250 van 3 speed automatic. although this van has only about 60 thousand miles on it the rear bushing where the spline exits the tranny was replaced once before. the dealer did it the first time and im doing it this time. there is about an 8th of an inch of lateral play in the shaft and this seems to causes the drive line to vibrate at 55 mph. the rear of the transmission case will back off from the tranny about a quarter inch and doesnt want to go any farther. i assumed it would just slide off. before i get the really big crowbar is there something im missing that prevents it from sliding off the speed sensor and all external hardware is out. thx bg. .
From : mac davis
those rear wheel anti-lock brakes are a worthless pos. i disabled mine and the truck stops better than it ever did with them enabled. perhaps the 4 wheel abs works well going by toms claims but the rear wheel abs does not appear to be well designed at least not on my 97. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving on wed 06 jul 2005 214744 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote my uneducated guess is that the truck was built with front disk rear drums because it works well.. after 75k miles weve been through a few sets of pads and still dont need rear shoes or drums so my guess is that the front disks stop the beast the rear drums keep the rear end from locking up and coming around.. *g* no - thats because the shitty self-adjusters dont work worth a crap on most drum brakes so within a few thousand miles the rear shoes have worn enough that youre not getting much action from them - relying more on your front brakes to do the job. an unused brake pad/shoe can last an eternity mine are adjusted pretty often tom... the guy across the street is a wheel and tire guy and takes it in several times a year for checkups.. lifetime alignment etc. id be afraid not to keep them adjusted with the rear-wheels-only abs.. and if it was such a good setup then one needs to wonder why virtually all vehicles now have 4-wheel disc brakes again medium and heavy-duty vehicles notwithstanding. this is mostly the reason why i used to go through front brake pads on my 95 3500/v10 at about 20000 mile intervals rear drums yet my 03 3500/isb is coming up on 50k with plenty of meat still left on the front and rear pads. oh yeah - it stops a hell of a lot better too. some of that is due to the larger brake components larger rotors bigger pads twin-piston calipers but a lot of it is due to proper proportional braking from the rear discs and a fully electronic abs system that performs threshold braking on the rear doesnt hurt matters either ive never liked the way our ram stops but otoh i drove the 01 dakota for 2 years before we got the ram and that sucker stops really well... when were towing the ram stops as well or better than the dak though.. gotta love the trailer brakes and prodigy.. mac please remove splinters before emailing .
From : roy
of those features have an asterisk next to them and the footnote says some features are not available for all vehicles. on my truck the hypertech tuner does not allow changing the shift points or adjusting the speedometer for non-stock tires. in short buy any one of them that meets your requirements. its the quickest and best improvement you can make. -- ..bob 1997 hd fxdwg - turbocharged! 2001 dodge dakota qc 5.9/4x4/3.92 1966 mustang coupe - daily driver 1966 ffr cobra - ongoing project .
From : nathan w collier
thanks for proving my point once again. you and maxi are sooooo easy. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving lol with these childish header changes who is the one who is jumping -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving ok net nanny. perhaps you should learn how to follow a thread and you would know what he was talking about. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving attribution at-trib-bu-shun 1 the act of including the post to which you are replying so that people have some idea wtf youre talking about 2 a skill you need to master no thanks necessary.................. ts ok...how am i suposed to do that d . 222 302668 bpkdndyat7s0p1dfrvn-ua@comcast.com jay jaysmith@insightbb.com stated which i then commented on below if you want your ram to scream click here http//www.kennebell.net/index.htm most of the stuff there is ford with some chevy. .
From : twix
my dodge locking cap did well for many years till i sold the truck and kept the cap-key lol. my compay truck is a ford. gas was getting siphoned off three times a week. i bought a locking cap from ford. didnt need the key to get the cap off but the gas-thieves just climbed up unbder the fender disconnected the hose from the back of the fill tube and siphoned the gas out that way lol. flippin fords... on thu 30 jun 2005 172623 -0700 gene gene@nowhere.com wrote hi bought a 2003 dodge durange god i love this ride and filled the tank but what with the cost of gas today i want to use what i buy! suggestions of who to go to for a gas cap that locks and is not something thrown together in the back of a chinese sweatshop .
From : tom lawrence
and if it was such a good setup then one needs to wonder why virtually all vehicles now have 4-wheel disc brakes again medium and heavy-duty vehicles notwithstanding. because people are too lazy to adjust the drum brakes i know i dont do it often enough. .
From : geekboy
could be worn contacts in distributor cap. i changed mine along with coil and spark plug wires and now it runs sweet as a nut when cold. peter good luck finding the distributor cap on a 4.7l !! p.s. coil on plugs .
From : geekboy
i know that i havent made any posts in quite a long time. the work hours are getting longer to the point where i can only browse the messages here once a week or so. with my new used truck i find im not seeking solutions to problems as often. i recently came back from of an active duty assignment and was able to enjoy the holiday here at home. i wanted to share my thoughts with you especially my brothers and sisters in arms active reserve retired or otherwise. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- oh the stars at night are shining bright. deep in the heart of texas. it was a beautiful evening as nightfall began to settle over my small west texas town. off in the distance claps bangs booms and whistles could be heard sporadically assailing the ears like the spackling of distant cannon fire. the sun had retired beyond the horizon my worlds edge illuminated by a thin band of red that stretched into a pale darkness above. clouds perched on the horizon black watchers which dampened the mood around me. in the true west-texas style of celebrating independence day i grabbed my folding lawn-chair a cooler of beer and my pick-up keys. i drove thirty feet across the parking lot got out and stretched away the labors of such a difficult drive. i had backed my truck up against a picket fence set up the lawn chair in the bed and started the tunes on my stereo. it was time to settle in and watch the ensuing war. sounds like fort bliss must have been a battle between border patrol and illegal border crossers as sad as it is there really is nothing better to do in my town all year. the city doesnt put on a fireworks display so its left to the citizens to entertain themselves. there really is nothing better than watching a bunch of drunken texans trying to blow themselves or each other up with fireworks. my apartment building parking lot backs up against a field about a half mile long and a quarter mile wide. small neighborhoods border each side of the field. when the fireworks get into full swing its like watching a revolutionary war reenactment without all the soldiers charging across the field. considering my location maybe the battle for the alamo would be more appropriate. fireworks go off on each side of the field like volleys aimed at the opposing side. i flip a coin to decide who will be the red forces and who will be blue. during this time i sit down crack open the beers and start to pray. i thank god for our country our freedom and my life here. it really doesnt get much more american than this. i usually leave my heart and mind open to whatever god wants to impress on me while watching this private war of mine. the red forces launched a sweet volley ironically followed up by a small backyard explosion on the blue side. as i watch i think about the sacrifices made by our younger countrymen back in the beginning; a bunch of farmers lawyers and scientists taking up arms against a repressive government thousands of miles away with superior forces here at home. the sacrifices of our patriots are the reason im sitting here watching praying and hoping that this will be a tradition for generations to come. invariably my thoughts prayers were drawn to my brothers and sisters in blue and green serving on a variety of battlefields iraq afghanistan korea and others too numerous to list. they have placed their lives in peril for me. not just for me but for all of my fellow citizens across the expanse of america and our friends and allies around the world. sometimes my seven years of active service doesnt seem enough to have paid for the privilege of being a citizen of this great country and i hope that the work i do as an active reservist now makes up for the debt i feel i still owe to my country and countrymen. i have volunteered for every battle every opportunity that has arisen in ten years of service. in a way i am thankful that i have not been chosen or needed to serve in the front ranks but at the same time i want to be there with my brothers and sisters. i can only think that god has a greater purpose or need for me elsewhere when the time comes. for now the task is left to others. to my fellow servicemen i pray for your successful completion of the mission and a safe return home. perform every task whether great or menial active engagement or in support as if it will be the one to successfully win the war. i know this is hard to do so far from home but despite what many of you hear the real america is pulling for you all. i hear on the that the big-city fireworks displays are going to be the best ever this year. they may be visually impressive much more so than what i get to watch every year but the meaning is lost to me in all the grandeur. i grew up in large cities. those large displays are more entertainment than they are about the meaning of the
From : miles
i see a whole bunch of them at www.autoanything.com. the specific list is here i shortened the url http//tinyurl.com/7sjou not sure if they are worth it or if they are which one to get. has anyone had any experience with these chips any other ways to get some more punch out of a 5.7 hemi in a 2005 dodge quad 1500 with a 3.92 rear thanks ace x-posted to alt.autos.dodge.truck .
From : tom lawrence
i had the same problem on my 2k dak. if the engine is pulsing at all especially under cruise control on the highway it will most likely be your throttle position sensor. its an easy change-out on the throttle body. on tue 05 jul 2005 192314 gmt john smith jones karklean@enter.net wrote hi i have developed a rough idle on my truck. just purchased it used. it has 88000 miles on it. have tried the obvious so far air filter etc. also a stalling problem when a load is applied. any suggestions fuel additives fuel filter thank you .
From : geekboy
i know that i havent made any posts in quite a long time. the work hours are getting longer to the point where i can only browse the messages here once a week or so. with my new used truck i find im not seeking solutions to problems as often. i recently came back from of an active duty assignment and was able to enjoy the holiday here at home. i wanted to share my thoughts with you especially my brothers and sisters in arms active reserve retired or otherwise. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- oh the stars at night are shining bright deep in the heart of texas it was a beautiful evening as nightfall began to settle over my small west texas town. off in the distance claps bangs booms and whistles could be heard sporadically assailing the ears like the spackling of distant cannon fire. the sun had retired beyond the horizon my worlds edge illuminated by a thin band of red that stretched into a pale darkness above. clouds perched on the horizon black watchers which dampened the mood around me. in the true west-texas style of celebrating independence day i grabbed my folding lawn-chair a cooler of beer and my pick-up keys. i drove thirty feet across the parking lot got out and stretched away the labors of such a difficult drive. i had backed my truck up against a picket fence set up the lawn chair in the bed and started the tunes on my stereo. it was time to settle in and watch the ensuing war. as sad as it is there really is nothing better to do in my town all year. the city doesnt put on a fireworks display so its left to the citizens to entertain themselves. there really is nothing better than watching a bunch of drunken texans trying to blow themselves or each other up with fireworks. my apartment building parking lot backs up against a field about a half mile long and a quarter mile wide. small neighborhoods border each side of the field. when the fireworks get into full swing its like watching a revolutionary war reenactment without all the soldiers charging across the field. considering my location maybe the battle for the alamo would be more appropriate. fireworks go off on each side of the field like volleys aimed at the opposing side. i flip a coin to decide who will be the red forces and who will be blue. during this time i sit down crack open the beers and start to pray. i thank god for our country our freedom and my life here. it really doesnt get much more american than this. i usually leave my heart and mind open to whatever god wants to impress on me while watching this private war of mine. the red forces launched a sweet volley ironically followed up by a small backyard explosion on the blue side. as i watch i think about the sacrifices made by our younger countrymen back in the beginning; a bunch of farmers lawyers and scientists taking up arms against a repressive government thousands of miles away with superior forces here at home. the sacrifices of our patriots are the reason im sitting here watching praying and hoping that this will be a tradition for generations to come. invariably my thoughts prayers were drawn to my brothers and sisters in blue and green serving on a variety of battlefields iraq afghanistan korea and others too numerous to list. they have placed their lives in peril for me. not just for me but for all of my fellow citizens across the expanse of america and our friends and allies around the world. sometimes my seven years of active service doesnt seem enough to have paid for the privilege of being a citizen of this great country and i hope that the work i do as an active reservist now makes up for the debt i feel i still owe to my country and countrymen. i have volunteered for every battle every opportunity that has arisen in ten years of service. in a way i am thankful that i have not been chosen or needed to serve in the front ranks but at the same time i want to be there with my brothers and sisters. i can only think that god has a greater purpose or need for me elsewhere when the time comes. for now the task is left to others. to my fellow servicemen i pray for your successful completion of the mission and a safe return home. perform every task whether great or menial active engagement or in support as if it will be the one to successfully win the war. i know this is hard to do so far from home but despite what many of you hear the real america is pulling for you all. i hear on the that the big-city fireworks displays are going to be the best ever this year. they may be visually impressive much more so than what i get to watch every year but the meaning is lost to me in all the grandeur. i grew up in large cities. those large displays are more entertainment than they are about the meaning of the day. frankly i prefer this backyard war. i sit in solitude and ponder what happened almost 230 years