A letter from a soldier in iraq, reproduced on NRO: http://media.nationalreview.com/066369.asp -- Sir, I hoping that you could possibly help me with this. Maybe you can't, but I'll have gotten it off my chest. I am an Army officer that is just beginning a year long tour in Iraq, as an advisor with the Iraqi Special Police Commandos. While I have every reason to believe that I will return home safety in eleven months, my eyes are also open to the possibility of that not being the case. The reason I am writing you is that I have just read your article about what Susan Paynter wrote about the Marine "kidnapping" in Seattle. At the end of your article, you mentioned that you were somewhat taken aback by the fact that just a week or so earlier she had written a tribute to those who had lost a loved one. I went to her paper's Web site to read that article. Sure enough there it was: another story about a soldier, or their family, as victim. And typically they are portrayed as a victim of George Bush or Donald Rumsfeld. In and of itself that isn't a problem, but in so many cases that is all soldiers over here are to the elite: victims… or in the case of the favorite story to come out of this war, Abu Ghraib, villians. Anyway, I looked further into what Ms. Paynter had written recently, and there it was: an article about an "artist", Phil Hansen, who had created a "war collage" where he painted the faces of every dead soldier or Marine over a picture of George Bush. Ms. Paynter was very understanding of how Mr. Hansen was "showing his support for the troops," but that they had died because Bush had misled the country. Which brings me to my point. I thought about it before I got over here, and feel even stronger about it now that it may be my reality. God forbid, if something happens to me over here, I do not want to be used by the likes of Phil Hansen in Seattle, Michael Moore, Gary Trudeau, or Ted Koppel, to make their political points against the war, the President, and finally the country, all the while saying "they support the troops". I have no doubt in my mind that Michael Moore would rather hear a report that 600 soldiers were killed last month in Iraq rather than 60 — but he "supports the troops". Anyway, are you aware of any list that is around that soldiers could put their name on so that if something happened, while understanding our families couldn't stop it, that these despicable phonies would be asked not to use our deaths to further their agenda that runs completely counter to why I volunteered to be where I am and counter to the real desires of 99 percent of the Iraqi people? I have a wife and a four year old son. Truly my biggest concern is how selfish I have been to leave him for a year, and possibly allowing him to grow up never truly knowing his father. I have discussed this with my wife, I don't want him ever to believe that he or his father were victims of his country, which I love even more after being away from it again. Again, if you are aware of any such petition please let me know.
the secret republican brainwashing weapon that rove unleashed on the public via saint bush has been very effective indeed.
I have no doubt in my mind that Michael Moore would rather hear a report that 600 soldiers were killed last month in Iraq rather than 60 — but he "supports the troops". Sounds like he's a relatively ignorant person then. Anyway, are you aware of any list that is around that soldiers could put their name on so that if something happened, while understanding our families couldn't stop it, that these despicable phonies would be asked not to use our deaths to further their agenda that runs completely counter to why I volunteered to be where I am and counter to the real desires of 99 percent of the Iraqi people? There should also be a list that denies the administration the right to use soldiers' names and actions against their family's will to promote themselves (Pat Tillman, for example).
He has a point, although I'm not sure what Ted Koppel has to do with it...uh, yeah. But he is just as right to call out The President and all the "support the troops" chickenhawks or those who would use his death to push their peace agenda ala Michael Moore.
But he is just as right to call out The President and all the "support the troops" chickenhawks or those who would use his death to push their peace agenda ala Michael Moore. I do agree that both sides unfairly use soldiers and their stories to promote political agendas... its disgusting on both sides. I just think its just as ridiculous to accuse only one side of doing it unfairly as this particular soldier did.
Apparently he believes that all these elitist's and phonies want to do is hurt the image of US soldiers and freedom loving Iraqi's. What a joke. He uses the same biased rhetoric for his arguement that he claims the elitist's and phonie's use to further their agenda. Flame away.
I understand this guy's position. He believes in the mission and doesn't want news of his death to be used to criticize it. Perfectly reasonable. That said, I think he's absolutely dead wrong when he impugns the motives of those who are critical of the war.
WoW! Things in Iraq must be worse than we imagine if he's writing such a desperate letter after only being there a month. Hope he makes it home okay.
The media should no longer report goings on in Iraq. Instead it is the media's job to be cheerleaders for whatever mission the troops are sent on, whether that mission is based on defense, paranoia, truth, lies, or any other reasons. If they aren't being cheerleaders the media is doing something horrible. Reporting the truth has become wrong in the eyes of some. It is a sad day.
you want the truth? can you handle it? http://www.militaryweek.com/wts042205.shtml -- Fighting Kentuckians It was a textbook response to ambush. Soldiers bolting from their vehicles, hitting the earthen berm on the "bad side" of the highway, and blasting away at guerrillas who were attacking a convoy of some 30 civilian tractor-trailer trucks. The natural – and usually fatal – reaction would be to hit the deck or run in the opposite direction. The infantry-school drill would be to counterattack in the direction of the ambush and attempt to gain fire superiority. Sounds frightening, but the latter almost always saves lives among the ranks of those being ambushed. Enemy bullets were zinging through the air above the soldiers' heads as they advanced on the attackers. Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester later told a newspaper reporter, she could hear rounds "pinging" off the vehicles behind her and thumping into the ground all around her position. But it was more than simply an immediate-action counterattack to the ambush. The soldiers – ten members of the 617th Military Police Company of the Kentucky National Guard (attached to the U.S. Army's 18th Military Police Brigade), including Sgt Hester and another female soldier – had responded to the attack by racing their three Humvees forward from the rear of the convoy, turning the vehicles off the main highway, then gunning them down a narrow access-road paralleling the enemy's flank. Almost before the hummers slid to a halt on the sandy desert road, the soldiers – under constant fire – rolled out and began a fierce counterattack on foot, all the while pouring a murderous fire into the insurgent positions. The insurgents were fighting back hard. One Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled-grenade (RPG), wounding the guardsman manning the vehicle's .50-caliber machine gun. All three vehicles were riddled with automatic weapons fire. The Americans then closed with the enemy: Yard-by-yard, firing M-4 Carbines, launching grenades from M-203s, and moving. It was a classic example of what had been drilled into me years ago as a young Marine: "To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver; or repel his assault with fire and close combat." That's just what these fighting Kentuckians were doing, March 20, 2005, on an isolated stretch of highway, 20 miles southeast of Baghdad. When the fight was over, more than half of the 40-50-man enemy force had been wiped out. Twenty-six were dead. Seven wounded. The insurgents learned the hard way what happens when bushwhackers tangle with armed Kentuckians... ...The insurgents, on the other hand – all wearing handcuffs in hopes of capturing some of the truck drivers or perhaps a few American soldiers for God knows what – had no idea who they were exchanging shots with; even after they saw the Americans charging toward them. But they quickly realized they had bitten off a bit more than they could chew. After all, a clash between fifty, armed bad-guys and ten, armed Kentuckians has never been – and will never be – a fair fight. A former U.S. Marine infantry leader and paratrooper, W. Thomas Smith Jr. writes about military issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans and on the West Bank. He is the author of four books, and his articles have appeared in USA Today, George, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, and National Review Online.
and here's there medals this particular display of valor merited The medal with the red stripe in the middle of the ribbon is the Silver Star. The medal with the blue stripe in the middle is the Bronze Star The medal with the green ribbon is the Army Commendation Medal. The medal with the bust of Washington is the Purple Heart.
nice... Concerning your "fightin' Kuntukins' That's a hell of a story and great news! It's too bad the news announces the number of war dead like a baseball score these days.
