November eleventh is Veterans Day.  We have our very own veteran right here at North County High School.  It is none other than our principal Mr. Crabtree.  He served our country nobly in the Army.

            Mr. Crabtree joined in high school in 1983.  He was seventeen.  They helped him through college, and he even got to travel to different countries with summer camps.  He went to places such as Germany, Italy, and France.

            Mr. Crabtree went to training at Fort Dix for seven months, and was later sent to FOB (forward operating base) Speicher.  Speicher was named after the first soldier lost in Desert Storm.  It was in Tikrit, which was the birth place of Saddam Hussein.  While there, he was in charge of up to one hundred and thirty men who had to transport supplies from one base to another.  Not to mention, he had to keep track of four humvees (high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle), ten trucks, and several other vehicles.  Some of their weapons included grenades, M14 sniper rifles, M16s, and AT4 rocket launchers.

            On these trips they would experience hidden land mines, and enemy rifles' fire.  “Amazing how fast you can move when someone is shooting at you,” Mr. Crabtree laughed. Some explosions created huge craters.  “A full grown man would stand in it, and you could only see him from the chest up,” Mr. Crabtree stated.

            When asked what he was most afraid of while there, his eyes lit up.  “Camel spiders!” he exclaimed.  Camel spiders can reach sizes up to six inches long.  They live in the desert and always want shade.  Mr. Crabtree explained that if you picked something up, and the spider had been using it for shade, then it would follow you around to stay in your shadow.  Also, they can jump.  Who can blame him for being scared of that huge monster?

            Other than the camel spiders, Mr. Crabtree had nothing negative to say.  He always told his stories with optimism and pride.  “I just manned weapons, missed my family, and was proud of what I did,” he said with a smile. 

            We are all so thankful to have a man who would give his all for our freedom.  He is an amazing father, loving husband,  and funny principal.  Most importantly, he is a hero.