The winter weather had returned with a vengeance, and I had just helped clear the sidewalks of six inches of winter wonderland. Snake was busy on the Bobcat clearing the lot, while most of the Club was off at work or school. We finished up about the same time, taking off our coats and hanging them up by the entrance. "I can't wait for the trip," I said.

"I've been looking forward to this ever since I joined the Club," Snake said. "Last year I was in the Sandbox. Not the kind of beach I was hoping for." He had been part of the Gulf War buildup, spending months in...