From "the front"

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This email is from a friend of mine. The young man who wrote it is 24 or so and is the son of a friend of hers. She thought this update was a very special one, so she forwarded it on. It is an interesting read from one of our boys...

>Subject: Hidden Beauty
>
>I was reading my past few updates I sent out and I sound angry and
>miserable! So I vow in this one not to complain but rather write about
>what I enjoy over here. Despite all the daily pile of crap thrown at us
>there are wonderful aspects to this deployment and I hope that I can
>paint the right picture without sounding like a lunatic or a war monger.
>
>Last night as we were on a night patrol I sat in the gunners hatch and
>realized that my time on combat operations is winding down. (The 10th
>Mountain Division will take over our Area sometime in the next 6 - 8
>weeks. Our actual departure date is going back and forth but we are
>definately heading home a month early.) The thought of going home keeps
>my spirits up and gives me reason to smile everyday - especially on the
>days I thought would be my last ones on earth. Despite the hunger to
>return home to Family and Friends I know that I will miss this. I will
>miss the incredible comraderie between soldiers, the daily routine of
>patrol, and the feeling of power we have when we roll out - as well as
>the rush of danger and the living of life from one minute to the next.
>
>While nothing occupies my mind more than going back to New York and
>living life with a new vigor there is no doubt that I will reflect on
>this experience everyday of my life and the impact of these experiences
>will cary over into almost every decision I make from here onward.
>
>Iraq holds little visible beauty, whatever Babylonian dreams and Arabian
>fairytales that spoke of the luster in the Land Between Two Rivers
>(Mesopotamia) is long gone and been replaced by a gaudy and cheap
>imitation of a Hollywood movie set. However, beneath all this there does
>exist a hidden treasure. Physically Iraq is one country built literally
>above hidden treasure - oil. The people themselves hide their daughters
>beauty behind the walls of their homes and veils when out in the street.
>The Elders hide their wisdom out of fear from a variety of warring
>armies, tribes and religous sects.
>
>I looked hard to find what has drawn people to Iraq and the desert. I
>could not locate the passion that many Westerners have for this land but
>I did discover my own treasure. I discovered the best and worst of men.
>I discovered for myself that our soldiers, despite numerous reports of
>abuse and cruelty, are honrable and decent and take an almost paternal
>interest in young children. I have discovered that the decency of
>America that is on display here is not for PR or for election year
>politics but pours out from a citizenry that believes in freedom or at
>least and opportunity for it.
>
>I found a great group of soldiers who have sacraficed for each other,
>fought, bled and killed for each other. I discovered the absolute
>uplifting glow in children who despite their horrible lot in life can
>find pleasure on a small soccer field or spend the entire day with an
>ear to ear smile over a tootsie pop.
>
>Whether the decision to invade was right or wrong is inconsequential, we
>now have an obligation to help this country and we cannot treat our
>efforts here as an unwanted pregnency that everyone in the family is
>telling us to abort.
>
>Another thing of beauty is a well coordinated raid. It is someting to
>see, not on a television screen but actual see from a participants view.
>The orchestration of air power, security and clearing elements all
>acting out their parts not as an independent body but as the arms legs
>and head of the same body. The elation of a successful operation is
>beyond the feeling of athletic victory - it is a rush of:
>
>1. Thank God I am alive!
>2. Did you see that blow up!
>3. We got that terrorist SOB!
>4. Holy crap no patroling tonight!!!
>
>I know that my memories of here will be filled with thoughts of my
>fellow soldiers and the times we just sat around and told lies and
>truths to each other. I also know that there are the events I won't
>forget but will wish I could. I can't help but think about the dying
>father and his dead baby girl. Last nights news about the deaths of over
>20 children brought those emotions rushing back to me. I hope that those
>innocent and wonderful young kids are remembered by anyone wishing to
>join the Jihad. If so their deaths may do more to end this war than any
>amount of patroling and raiding.
 
Magnificient. I hope that he comes home safely.

If you don't mind, that is something that I'd like to forward to several friends.

Ross
 
Feel free to forward it - that's one reason I posted it. People have to know what our guys (and girls) feel like over there. They may not like it, but they do their job and feel it's the right thing to do. You can'tbe over there and look at the faces of the men, women and children who are happy and living with out tryanny now and say it's the wrong thing to do. I know, I know - no WMD's were found (only because the slimeball moved them while the UN was dragging their feet and being whimpy about it all), but ya can't fault what's being done to people who were in a bad way.

I don't like being the world's police force, but we went there for our own national defense. Whatever else comes from it is icing on the cake.
 
Lynne said:
I don't like being the world's police force, but we went there for our own national defense.

I seem to remember a quote about defending our country where it should be defended - on the other guy's real estate. Unfortunately, I can't remember who said it. Heinlein, maybe?

Ross
 
dwarven1 said:
Lynne said:
I don't like being the world's police force, but we went there for our own national defense.

I seem to remember a quote about defending our country where it should be defended - on the other guy's real estate. Unfortunately, I can't remember who said it. Heinlein, maybe?

Ross

That's rining a bell with me now too, Ross, but I don't remember. So what else is new....
 
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