March 26, 2011
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Operation Odyssey Dawn
I just saw a news blurb telling about how the comics are having a blast with jibes at the name Operation Odyssey Dawn. They also say they were told by government sources that the name was totally random and meaningless…..
…………but it’s not meaningless to me and I don’t get the joke.
Think about it.
Odyssey means:
- a series of travels: a long series of travels and adventures
Dawn means:
- beginning: the beginning of something, especially a period of time or history
Operation Odyssey Dawn’s very literal meaning tells us that this is to be the first in a long series of other such operations. I don’t think that’s unintentional, random or meaningless.
Do You?
This is the written transcript from CNN’s Wolf Blitzer’s Show on May 26th . You’ll find this except near the very end.
“JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It dawned on the military to name it –
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: “Operation Odyssey Dawn.”
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: “Operation Odyssey Dawn’s” mission was being called “Operation Odyssey Dawn.”
MOOS: And thus began an odyssey of the insults.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Odyssey dawn? That’s not a military operation. That’s a carnival cruise ship.
MOOS: Well, a cruise ship isn’t so bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Odyssey Dawn? You really named a combat operation after a yes album?
MOOS: No. There is not a yes album called “Odyssey Dawn.” It is a joke.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Odyssey Dawn, I believe it is a military operation named for a stripper.
MOOS: You probably never met a stripper named Desert Storm. Humanitarian missions tend to have inspiring names like operation restore hope or provide comfort. So what is with Odyssey Dawn?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was absolutely random.
MOOS: U.S. Africa command says they were given three sets of words, beginning with certain letters to choose from.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Odyssey dawn does not mean anything really.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via telephone): No, not at all. You know, there was maybe about 50 words that they looked over. So they chose at random the word odyssey and then someone threw out the idea of maybe dawn being the second word.”
