Slingshot

2014.1.01

11/24/2014

Chaplain Andrew Meverden Collection

Wooden Afghan slingshot; has a wooden handle with pieces of a rubber innertube connecting the handle to the leather piece used for holding the rock; the handle has faded, pink dots on the outside; it is 6" x 2.5" x .75".

Operation Enduring Freedom

Obtained by Chaplain COL Meverden during his SEP 2002 through APR 2003 deployment to Afghanistan; backstory: COL Meverden was driving through a village in a Toyota Land Cruiser when there was a load bang on the vehicle and a window was broken; they stopped, thinking it was a gunshot and found a boy on the side of the road with a sling—shot and had shot a large rock at the vehicle; those in the vehicle chased down the boy and took him to the adults in the village, telling the boy that what he had done was wrong; as punishment, the boy had to give his sling—shot to COL Meverden (who gave the boy $1 in return).

Afghanistan