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February 26, 2005



Daily Collegian, Redux

On Thursday, I posted an editorial originally published in The Daily Collegian, by Thomas Naughton who presumably is a student at the University of Massachussetts. Mr. Naughton left this comment on the post:

To Whom it may Concern-

I am the "jerk" or the "asshat" who wrote the column, "No Yellow Ribbons Here". I really appreciate you people spending your time and energy to go crazy about my column. I'm already reaping the benefits of scandalization with offers to write for some pretty venerable magazines. Please forgive my sarcasm, I'm just trying to pay you all back for the "kind thoughts" you've addressed to my email and personal phone which include:
death threats, the word "faggot", and to my delight, lots of invites to hang out with handsome members of the armed forces!

Here's what troubles me (free of sarcasm):
NONE OF YOU GOT THE MESSAGE. ALL I WANT IS FOR OUR TROOPS TO COME HOME SAFE TO THEIR FAMILIES. If it was my choice, they would all come home today. My column was addressing the fact that these WAL-MART-bought yellow ribbons don't bring back the lives of US SOLDIERS that were lost FOR NO REASON. Its clear that no one can say anything in this country that is percieved to be against the war or Mr. Bush. How sad.

The actual column was not printed in its entirety. If you are interested in reading the full version, email me, I'll be happy to oblige you.

Finally I want to say this (also free of sarcasm):
It was never my intention to harm, disrespect, or disregard the great sacrifice that our troops have made by fighting this war, and I don't think I did. I think about the 1000+ dead soldiers and their poor families and friends EVERY DAY and that is why I wrote my column. Before you judge me, read the entire column and consider that I am a patriotic American who LOVES AMERICA. I will not, however, be bullied or intimidated into jingo-ism while young men and women die overseas, while only 1 of our congressmen has a son or daughter fighting this war.

I know in my heart that my intentions were right. I pray for all of your sons and daughters, wives and husbands, sisters and brothers to return quickly and safely. I pray that they will rejoin their families and live long happy lives.

Thank you for your time

Thomas Naughton

and the perspicacious JHD replied:

Thomas, you simply do not get it. And you never will. Why? Because you haven't earned the understanding. Intellectual interpretations can only go so far. You cannot separate the man/woman from the mission. You cannot understand that there troops ARE protecting your freedom to receive your offers from "venerable magazines". You will never, ever understand the concept that our men and women in uniform BELIEVE IN THE MISSION! They are not forced or drafted, just simply volunteers. They are not ignorant or lacking in opinion. Truthfully they are mainstream Americans with something more than you will understand! What you believe is just fake patriotism is something so real the blood of our Country flows through it.

Your little vandalism project that you are so proud of is an affront to all of us. You seem to think that WE are the enemy yet I can just bet you believe the terrorists we are fighting are nothing more than "freedom fighters" defending their homeland from an "occupying" force. You also make the assumption that WE do not support our troops, President, and Country. Coming home not having accomplished our mission is a failure. Much as your moral bankruptcy on this issue. Our Armed Forces will not accept or tolerate defeat. Defeat is not an option simply because of what is at stake. Your personal freedoms are directly connected to what we are fighting for. These young men and women are the ones that make it so easy for you to have your fantasy. The blood of generations allows you your opinion without fear of beheading, body parts chopped, or being put feet first through a shredder. You sir are not a pimple on these noble troops collective asses but they will lay down their lives to allow you your opinion. This is frankly something you will never be able to intellectualize no matter how hard you try.

Why do you think you are getting so much heat? Why are the returning troops not plastered all over the TV like they were in Nam? Do you really believe the hatred felt for you is because of your opinion? No, it is your disrespect to all of us that you show through your childish acts of vandalism that has created the sh*tstorm you find yourself in. And you can laugh all the way to the bank for the freedom you have to generate your articles on the blood of those greater than you! Is this a great country or what? Enjoy your selfishness and please, we do not want, care for, or need your support!

I'll leave you with something one of the greatest American statesmen of all times left us for prosperity. Read it, learn it, live it. But alas it'll mean nothing to you and that is apropos of your ilk:

"It is a common observation here that our cause is the cause of all mankind, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own." --Benjamin Franklin

I received a note of explanation from Mr. Naughton - not an apology, as he was careful to point out - that he was misunderstood, as those who say unpopular things often are. Deja vu. Michael Moore all over again. To me, there is nothing especially praiseworthy about stealing yellow ribbon magnets from other people's cars. It's just petty theft and shows a callous disregard toward the feelings of those who placed them there. But hey! His guilt must be assuaged. So, it's okay and the hell with everyone else.

I've lost a number of yellow ribbons from my car in the past year. Some were personalized with my son's name and rank, others just as they came from the package. And, thank God Wal-Mart is offering them for $1.50 - any profit margin on this item must be minimal. But my reasons for showing my support of our troops in a tangible way have nothing to do with "blindness or ignorance". For the past year, this site and other milblog sites have posted story after story about the incredible rebirth happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two brutal regimes overthrown. 50 million people freed from despotic rule. I wonder how much effort Mr. Naughton has put into understanding the other side? And I wonder, where is the blindness and ignorance?

Connie related a recent lunch conversation where the viewpoint was expressed that the U.S. shouldn't be in Iraq and that our troops should come home now. The conversation ended when one woman observed, "Most of my family is Jewish. I can tell you that we are very grateful to the United States for intervening in WWII when they did." The historical parallels are similar. And it may be that a generation from now, the liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan will be thought of the same way by future descendents. In the meantime, I - and countless other Marine parents, spouses, grandparents, children - will continue to support not only our troops but their mission . . . and their Commander in Chief.

Mr. Naughton, why do you think my son, Connie's son, JHD's son and countless others like them chose to join the Corps. It's not because they didn't have choices. There are many parents just like me who would have happily paid tuition at any college. But they looked beyond "what's in it for me" to "what can I give back". My son didn't suffer from "blind belief" as you charge - he shipped to boot camp on 9/13/02, knowing full well that he would almost certainly see action. But his love for his family, country, and Corps was prioritized before his own comfort and self-actualization. As JHD said, you have no idea what real patriotism is. The difference between patriotism and jingoism is like the distance between the deep and lasting love of a family and a cheap porn flick watched by yourself.

Mr. Naughton, have you ever talked with Gold Star parents? I have. I've attended funerals for fallen heroes and prayed that they would never have to do the same for me. I've cried with them, laughed with them, and shared the memories of their precious sons - sons whose lives were cut far too short but who lived with honor and dignity and were the absolute best this country had to offer. They still support the troops and they still support the mission. And, they are still filled with pride and awe, knowing that their sons will never be forgotten by the extended Marine Corps Family. Will anyone be able to say that about you, stealer of yellow-ribbons?

Posted by Deb at 02:04 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack





2/10 Marines return home

Photo and text by Pfc. Christopher J. Ohmen
USN Corpsman Raymond W. Culver, serving with 2/10 Lima Company greets his wife Briana after returning from a seven-month deployment.
2/10 Marines are home after a seven-month deployment to Iraq.

“The Marines did a great job,” said 1st Lt. Steven C. Allshouse, Headquarters Battery commander.

While deployed, they completed numerous security operations to include providing security for firm bases around Iraq, patrols inside and outside of the firm bases, and convoy security for third country nationals.

According to Allshouse, some of the units were under constant small arms fire while doing their job. One incident with insurgents turned into a four-hour firefight, but the Marines handled the situation effectively.

Some Marines from the battalion were put in charge of security for one of the voting polls during the democratic election. Others were used as security for workers at one of the polling sites.

In addition to providing security, the battalion spent time helping the surrounding communities. The Marines participated in several construction projects restoring running water, plumbing and electricity to several villages near Camp Taqaddum. The Marines also distributed clothing and school supplies improving relations with the local populous.

“The local contractors and villagers were hired to improve the housing in the villages,” said Gunnery Sgt. Patrick T. Patton, information and operation chief with the battalion.

The battalions mission required extra personnel from Combat Service Support Battalion 1, 1st Force Service Support Group and several Army units. Many of these Marines joined the unit right before the battalion deployed. Within a few weeks of the deployment, the new Marines got to know the rest of the battalion and many new friendships were born, according to Allshouse.

The Marines of the battalion now receive a well-deserved block of leave to spend with their families and loved ones. After helping and protecting communities in a foreign country for seven months, these Marines now get to relax with the ones they protected at home.

Posted by Deb at 01:17 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack



February 25, 2005



Midweek update from the Mayhem Marines

Here's another update from LtCol Mark Smith - if I weren't already a fan, his comments about the Oregon National Guard would have tipped that balance.

A mid-week "update" of sorts. As we continue to press the attack against our evil and cowardly enemy, and since chopping from the 2 BCT to the 5 BCT, we continue to receive enormous support and forces in the Mayhem AO. Some of those forces are from a National Guard Battalion, a company of which is from Oregon and depicted in the below article, who was chopped to the Mayhem Battalion a couple of weeks ago. Now, these Warriors have been OUTSTANDING. I say that for two reasons:
  1. I have seen much press bashing the National Guard. I can tell you this. Since chopping to the US Army Command, we have had significant contact with National Guard Units, particularly support units. They have gone out of their way to support the Mad Ghosts. They have always crashed through the walls of bureaucracy and provided maintenance and logistics support with a sense of urgency, based out of respect for the fight the Mad Ghosts are in. As Warriors, A and C 2-162, of which A or "Angel" Company is depicted below, have been dedicated, professional, and tactically proficient Warriors. THEY HAVE BEEN AN ABSOLUTE WELCOME ADDITION TO THE MAYHEM BATTALION, AND FOR ME, I HAVE NOTHING BUT RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD AND THEIR SERVICE TO THEIR NATION, THEIR PATRIOTISM, AND THEIR DEDICATION TO THE NEVER ENDING CAUSE OF FREEDOM.

  2. Second reason, they have fought side by side with YOUR Mad Ghosts. And, anyone that does that, well, HE is my brother...for life! May God Bless and Keep the Magnificent Families of 2/24, now inclusive of the families of A "Angel" and C "Cajun" Companies of the 2-162. Oregon just became part of the "Mayhem from the Heartland"...all the way from the Left Coast!

    LtCol Mark A. Smith, MAYHEM 6
    CO, Task Force 2/24

Posted by Deb at 10:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack





Oregon National Guard working with 2/24 Marines

Photo by Major Arnold V. Strong
Capt. Eric Riley calls for covering fire.


Major Arnold V. Strong, Public Affairs Officer for the Oregon National Guard, has been a lot of help to the Oregon Marine Corps Moms with past projects. Here's a story he recently released about the Oregon National Guard in Iraq, currently attached to the Mad Ghosts:

Six Roadside bombs. Three days. No casualties. An enemy on the run is a good enemy. A sure sign that the insurgency is on the run and the coalition is continuing its progress. Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry, of the Oregon National Guard is currently attached to the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, a Marine Corps Reserve unit that can relate to the citizen-soldiers of Oregon in more ways than as foot soldiers.

Since the day these soldiers have arrived in the sector, they have been in contact with a hidden enemy. In the past three days, six of the company's vehicles have been struck by Improvised Explosive Devices. In a testament to the strength of the equipment they are fielded with and the training they have borne by experience, none of the soldiers have been injured in the attacks. All but one of the vehicles, after a brief term in the maintenance shop, has been returned to the line.

Led by Capt. Eric Riley, 35, of Roseburg, Ore., and Sgt. Maj. Randall Mefford, 42, of Medford, Ore., Alpha Company is a unique element of the Volunteer battalion. True volunteers, the great majority of this unit are not native to the battalion but volunteered as augmentees from the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry out of Southern Oregon and 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry out of the Portland area. Many of these soldiers have already served on Active Duty since September 11th, 2001, either as peacekeepers in the Sinai Peninsula, with the Multinational Force and Observers mission of 2002 or as ground infantry in Operations Iraqi Freedom I in 2003. When the chance to again serve in combat alongside their fellow Oregon Guardsmen came, hundreds of Oregon citizen soldiers volunteered to join the fight. This company is a shining example of that Volunteer spirit.

For most of the soldiers in this unit, the change in pace from Baghdad is refreshing and an opportunity to close this deployment on the high point of targeting the enemy and destroying the resistance of the insurgency in the last few weeks they serve as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

"At least it doesn't smell like burning garbage and raw sewage out here," said Lieutenant Michael "Corey" Jones, 27, of Grant's Pass, Ore., of the change from urban sprawl to rural farmland on the first day the unit served here in the Babel province, south of Baghdad. By the end of the third night here, his assessment was far more direct. "Forget the IEDs. It is just a sign of how desperate these guys are. I want to go house to house, tell these people that we are here to find the bad guys and I want to get these guys that are killing our trucks and trying to kill us," he said to a dark room full of battle hardened noncommissioned officers. "This is where it's at," he told his squad leaders. "This is the best place to be for all of us right now. It is the last chance we have to get the bad guys, tell these people that we mean business and that we are not going to tolerate their nonsense," he concluded.

The company has been doing just that. In taking the fight to the enemy, they are moving, platoon by platoon, building by building, room by room, mounted in HMMWVs or dismounted on foot through thick marsh-filled farm lands, across this rural landscape; establishing their presence and informing the local farmers and village merchants of their purpose: to stop the insurgency that is exploiting the people of Iraq, to confiscate the means to destroy coalition forces and to capture or destroy the terrorists. It is a purpose that these soldiers take very seriously. Eight of their brothers in arms have made their final journey home since this battalion arrived in Iraq last year and with six roadside bombs detonated in the past three days, many of these war weary troops want to destroy the enemy with extreme prejudice, move themselves and their equipment North for the final withdrawal from Iraq and get home to their families, friends and communities in the next month.

"It is clear that we have the enemy on the run," said Capt. Riley. "I just returned from the (Marine) battalion command and they want all of us to know that, as dangerous as it has been in the past days, this is a sign of the desperation of these insurgents that their only method of attack is with these IEDs," he said in describing a meeting with the staff and commander of the 2-24 Marines. "Beside all of that, you need to remind your men of the great work they are doing. This is the best way we could possibly close out this deployment, and your men are doing a fantastic job," he concluded.

The little things seem to make this trip more tolerable, if not enjoyable. Last night, the platoon sergeant of 1st Platoon, Sgt. 1st First Class Shannon Compton, 38, of Roseburg, Ore., brought a special gift from the 2-24th Marine Battalion Commander. On a resupply mission to the battalion's headquarters, Sgt. Compton picked up crates of potatoes, green peppers and onions, boxes of frozen hot dogs, buns and cases of condiments for an old fashioned hot dog roast. In the courtyard of the bombed out former police station that has become home to these citizen-soldiers and Marine reservists, Sgt. Compton and his noncommissioned officers made a feast to write home about. "This is awesome," said Specialist Baldwin, 25, of Salem, Ore., "This is the first hot meal we've had in about a week. And it was good," he paused. "Awesome."


Posted by Deb at 10:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack





Keeping Iraq Safer

A 2nd LAR Apache Weapons Marine on post. The sign reads: "Suicide Bomber Checkpoint. Please stand on the wooden pallet, open your coat and raise your hands. Do not approach the sentry until directed."

Posted by Deb at 09:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack



February 24, 2005



Massachusetts tax dollars at work

Read this, then e-mail or call the Daily Collegian to express your view of the asshats who rip off yellow ribbon magnets. Especially this one, whose first amendment rights are protected by the troops he refuses to support. Bah.

By Thomas Naughton, Collegian columnist

February 23, 2005

Guilt can only weigh on a person's mind for so long before they crave the act of purgation; to get the weighty feelings of shame and responsibility out of the mind - or at least the guilty parties attempt to find some kind of peace if they cannot rid themselves of a screaming conscience that implicates and indicts its possessor.

That said, perhaps some readers will understand why my friends and I rip yellow ribbon "support the troops" magnets off of cars or wherever people have affixed them. By ripping off these ribbons, we find a way to deal with our guilt, as though with each ribbon swiped we take back a life that was taken by this senseless war started by our senseless president and those who support him.

I will never say, "support the troops." I don't believe in the validity of that statement. People say, "I don't support the war, I support the troops" as though you can actually separate the two. You cannot; the troops are a part of the war, they have become the war and there is no valid dissection of the two. Other people shout with glaring eyes that we should give up our politics, give up our political affiliations in favor of "just supporting the troops." I wish everything were that easy.

What they really mean is that we should just give up our will, give up our identities, give up our voices to those in power. Perhaps that's just the way people aligned with the right wing choose to get rid of their guilt: blindness and ignorance.

I listen to talk radio very often. It's important to know who your enemies are. The pundits on the radio are the pinnacles of guiltless, shameless wonders, and I am jealous. It must feel good to believe without question, to benefit from the blind belief of young men and women who chose to join the armed forces, to sit in a radio studio in New York and admonish the public to give in like the troops, to just follow orders, to live as just a number that will soon be etched into a gravestone that no one will ever see.

I look into the cars of people with "support the troops" ribbons as I speed past, trying to find some trace of recognition on their face, recognition of their guilt and the fact that they have given up. I usually see nothing; just a mouth moving robotically, singing the pop hits of today or the contemporary country wine of fake cowboys who share a lot with George Bush: no shame.

We say, "support the troops" so that we won't feel guilty about saying "no" to war. We reason that if we say that we support the troops, somehow we aren't monsters for not saying a word when the death tolls of U.S. soldiers climbed above 1,000. Those ribbons are yellow for a reason, they are not the mark of armed forces support, they are the mark of cowards.

Pundits on the radio advise their cowardly listeners to approach men and women in army uniforms and say "thank you." I cannot do that. Every time I pass a person in uniform I look long and hard at them and all I can think inside to say is "I'm so sorry." I want to apologize to them, to their families and to their friends. I feel sorry that we, the people, couldn't control our own government at the outset of this conflict when most of us knew deep inside that it was a mistake.

Where are we now? Are we in a better place? Is the world safer for democracy? No, it is not safer and we are not in a better place. In this war that we are fighting to somehow avenge the deaths of the Sept. 11 tragedy, we have amassed a field of body bags, the number of which almost matches the number killed in the terrorist attacks four years ago. Now, we stare at yet another request for barrels of money for this war by President Bush, while people in our own country search fruitlessly for jobs to feed their starving families, while every public school gets left behind, while our elderly are ensured an uncertain future of unpaid medical bills.

I guess we shouldn't think about those things though, right? We should just buy a yellow magnet and slap it on the butt of our car so we can sleep at night and just let our government do whatever they want. That's supporting the troops, right?

Two years ago my friend Eric called me out of the blue after almost five years of silence between us. We were in a band together when we were teenagers and he had joined the army around the time I was graduating from high school. He had to join the army; he had a son to provide for in the grand tradition of many young members of the armed forces. He called me to tell me that he was going back to Iraq, against his will. He was so sad and angry and scared. He didn't say it, but I know he was calling to tell me that he might die. I didn't say it to him then, but I felt such overwhelming guilt that I couldn't do anything to keep him from going back.

I haven't heard from him since. I don't know if he's dead, and my guilt is alive and well. I hope that all of our family members in harm's way return alive. Until then, I can really honor their sacrifice by demanding that it finally comes to an end.

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Posted by Deb at 05:59 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack





1/7 Update - "We accomplished our mission"

Here is the latest update from Lt.Col. Woodbridge - homecoming is so close!

First off, let me apologize for not sending an update to this message for a while. As our deployment to Iraq comes to an end we have been any less busy, and most of the month of January was a blur of activity preparing for and conducting the Iraqi elections.

I'm sure you have all seen what a success the elections here have been, and you should all be very proud of the work our nation and your marines and sailors did to make this a reality. These were the first free, democratic elections in Iraq in over 30 years, and this historic event marks the beginning of Iraq's future as a free country. The entire battalion taskforce performed flawlessly in supporting this event. We accomplished our mission and provided a secure environment for the citizens of Al Qa'im to exercise their right to choose to participate in the future of their country.

Now, the question I know is on everyone's mind: when will we be home? Let me tell you, it feels great to be able to say: "the battalion will be home next month." We will, but until I have the exact days and times, I'm not going to get anyone's hopes up. As soon as we know who is flying home on specific flights, we will let you know.

As close as our return is, everyone must keep in mind that the deployment is not over until we walk off the buses at 29 Palms. Between now and then we will continue to operate in this extremely hazardous place. Over the next few weeks we will very busy as we both engage the enemy and prepare to turn the area over to the battalion relieving us. Your support and prayers are even more vital now as we make a hard sprint into the finish line. Your Marines and sailors have the courage and endurance to push through to the end, so please be as strong as they are, and before you know it, we will be with you.

God bless you and Semper Fidelis,
LtCol Woodbridge

Posted by Deb at 04:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack





The Boys of Iwo Jima: The Story of Six Boys

Here's a moving story behind the story of Iwo Jima. When I posted this last February, I asked that anyone had the name of the author, that I'd love to give credit where credit was due. Since then, I've heard from the author, Michael Powers, who contacted me. His info is below this except from The Boys of Iwo Jima, one of the stories in the the book: Heart Touchers "Life-Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter by Michael T. Powers

Each year my video production company is hired to go to Washington, D.C. with the eighth grade class from Clinton, Wisconsin where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history-that of the six brave men raising the American flag at the top of Mount Surabachi on the Island of Iwo Jima, Japan during WW II. Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, "What's your name and where are you guys from?"

I told him that my name was Michael Powers and that we were from Clinton, Wisconsin.

"Hey, I'm a Cheesehead, too! Come gather around Cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story."

James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, D.C. to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good-night to his dad, who had previously passed away, but whose image is part of the statue. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, D.C. but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night. When all had gathered around he reverently began to speak. Here are his words from that night:

"My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called Flags of Our Fathers which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me. Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game, a game called "War." But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of twenty-one, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to gross you out; I say that because there are generals who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen years old.

(He pointed to the statue)

You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken, and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph. A photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection, because he was scared. He was eighteen years old. Boys won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not old men.

The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the "old man" because he was so old. He was already twenty-four. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, "Let's go kill the enemy" or "Let's die for our country." He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, "You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers."

The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, "You're a hero." He told reporters, "How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only twenty-seven of us walked off alive?"

So you take your class at school. 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only twenty-seven of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face down at the age of thirty-two, ten years after this picture was taken.

The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky, a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, "Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epson salts. Those cows crapped all night."

Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of nineteen. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Kronkite's producers, or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say, "No, I'm sorry sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back."

My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually he was sitting right there at the table eating his Campbell's soup, but we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press. You see, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died, and when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain.

When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, "I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. DID NOT come back."

So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time."

Suddenly the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero in his own eyes, but a hero nonetheless.

Michael T. Powers
HeartTouchers@aol.com

Copyright © 2000 by Michael T. Powers

Michael T. Powers resides in Wisconsin with his wife Kristi. His stories appear in 22 inspirational books including his own entitled: Heart Touchers "Life-Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter." For a sneak peek or to join the thousands of readers on his inspirational e-mail list, visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com. You can email him at: HeartTouchers@aol.com

Bradley's book, Flags of our Fathers is highly recommended. It's not a book that you sit down and read cover to cover in one sitting - it's graphic and the word images evoke strong emotional response. I had to walk away and come back several times - but I always came back.

Posted by Deb at 02:48 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack



February 23, 2005



Carrying on the tradition of Iwo Jima

60 years ago today, February 23, 1945, two American flags were raised on Mount Suribachi. The first flag was a photo opportunity and the Marines who carried it posed at the photographer’s direction. Even so, the sight of this flag, fluttering over the beach where thousands of Marines had lost their lives in a brutal battle, was a potent symbol of victory over a fierce enemy. The battle lasted 36 days and resulted in 25,851 casualties, including almost 7,000 deaths of Marines and Sailors. But when the flag went up, Marines on the beachhead below raised their voices, cheering as conquering warriors. They were heroes, all. And it’s worth noting that 27 Medals of Honor were awarded for exceptional bravery during that battle – out of 84 total MOHs during WWII. And, James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, commented to Commanding Officer Howlin’ Mad Smith, “Holland, the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years.”

The first flag was short lived – it was removed as battalion property and a second flag raised in its place. The raising of that second flag, captured on film by photographer Joe Rosenthal, is a symbol for eternity. Symbols have power. The raising of the flag stands for victory over oppression, the triumph of good over evil. Marines, more than any other branch of the service understand that symbolism.

The Marine Corps Hymn, sacred to all former and present Marines, contains the line, “Our flag’s unfurl’d to every breeze from dawn to setting sun” In every victorious battle, the American flag has been raised however briefly. When the statue of Sadaam came down in Baghdad, the American flag was unfurl’d to be immediately replaced by the Iraqi flag. As it should be. But the imagery lives on.

And, when Fallujah fell last fall, our Marines raised flags of victory in the tradition of Iwo Jima. Our Marines understand full well that the reason for this war in Iraq was the war waged on us when over 3,000 were killed on September 11, 2001. When the Battle of Fallujah was concluded last November, the brave warriors of 3/1, under the command of Co. Willy Buhl, reenacred the flagraising at Iwo Jima. Here’s the story behind it from John Wintersteen, Adjutant - Mt. Diablo Det. 942, Marine Corps League:

Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardmen, Seabees and Patriots - One of our adopted units, 3rd Bn, 1st Marines, the "Thundering Third", has planted the Four Flags that flew at Ground Zero in December, onto the soil of Fallujah, Iraq. Marines from India, Kilo and Lima companies are shown in the accompanying photos, sent to us by Col Willy Buhl, CO of 3/1. I have forwarded these photos to Lt. Mary Ellen Ferris and Lt. Joe Randazzo of the NYPD, who arranged for this chain of events. To think that Mt. Diablo Detachment was honored by having our picture taken with these flags on 18 December, and to ship them to the Colonel a week later to make the connection between the NYPD/NY Port Authority PD and the Marines, is very special to me. Another key person in the exchange is MSGT John Mitchell, USMC (Ret.), (Chosin Survivor, Korean War) and friend I made in 2000 at the first reunion of my Boot Camp Platoon at Parris Island (Plt 208 - 1959). John is Mary Ellen's cousin and because of that connection, we were contacted and asked to find a unit to which the Flags should be sent. Col Buhl's 3rd Bn, 1st Marines was a natural since he kept us constantly updated with situation reports and acknowledged our shipments several times. Not only that, he is from Los Gatos, CA - a homeboy, so to speak. Another connection for me is his Kilo Company Commander, Captain Tim Jent, a lad from Sparta, New Jersey - great memories of Lake Mohawk. If it weren't for the fact that our Detachment started shipping boxes after the death and in honor of Lance Corporal Kyle Crowley - San Ramon, California - we would never have been involved in what I consider a historic, symbolic event. Our shipments are the reason we were contacted in the first place. And, all of our beloved Contributors are a part of this too. All of those who sent donations and all of those who brought us goods to ship are connected to the planting of those Flags. When you look at those tough, young Marines planting those Flags, pat yourselves on the back, would you? Be proud that you helped the NYPD and the NYPAPD honor our Marines and all troops by helping with Project Marine Care. In turn, these pictures and a video of these Flags flying will help those Police Departments honor the 60 people they lost on 9-11. I hope you feel as touched as I do. If this helps raise the morale of those Marines and those Police Officers one iota, then we have done our job.

p.s. Besides the American Flag, the other three flags are the NYPD (with green stripe), the NY Port Authority Flag (multi-colored) and the World Trade Center Flag (Twin Towers) - that Flag was designed by the NY Port Authority Police Dept. and they are responsible for Ground Zero.

Posted by Deb at 04:40 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack





Planning for homecoming

For some families, the countdown to our Marine's homecoming is almost in single digits. Almost. Others are just starting the adventure, but the focus for each of us is the same - our son, daughter, husband, wife, brother, sister stepping off the bus and into our waiting arms.

The anticipation can overwhelm the reality and it's good to know what to expect. Chaplain Benson with the CSSB-7 has these words of wisdom, primarily for spouses but they apply to parents as well.

Principles to live by in reuniting:

  1. Change happens
    Your Marine or Sailor has changed to a greater or lesser extent. They have been given responsibility and placed in demanding situations in a combat environment. During the past six months, you have also changed. You have been through experiences that have effected you and changed you. The good news is that change doesn’t have to be bad! It may be a positive force in your relationship if you are open to it. It will be easier to reunite if you accept that things may be different.

  2. Go slow
    You may be tempted to want to make up for lost time, but those who have been through this process consistently say it is best to take it slow. Take time to become reacquainted and renew the emotional bonds. This is especially true for those with children. Small children may react with shyness or fear at the return of your Marine or Sailor. Try not to pressure the child to react a certain way, but let your child warm up to your loved one’s return on his or her own time. For spouses, those who have been in your shoes recommend going slow with physical intimacy. Remember that intimate relationships may be awkward at first, and it is wise to tone down your fantasies – reality may be quite different! It is also a good idea to let the person returning set the pace on social and family activities. They may not be ready for a large family reunion right after getting off the plane. Be sure to talk about any planned visits from extended family with your returning Marine or Sailor to make sure you are on the same sheet of music.

  3. Communication is the key
    Talk with each other about your experiences, but avoid the “Who Had It Worse” game. No one wins that one! You each have had challenges and hardships as well as achievements and accomplishments. Communicate openly with your partner and family in healthy ways. Speaking the truth with love is the best way to successfully reunite with your loved one.

  4. Use help
    If you find that you or your Marine or Sailor is struggling with this process, use the help that is available. On base there are Chaplains and Family Service centers that offer a variety of help. If you aren’t near a base, make use of community resources, Veteran Affairs, churches, family and friends. Don’t be afraid to ask for help early instead of letting things get worse. You aren’t alone!

You can have a joyful and successful return and reunion with your loved ones! A little thought and discussion can take you a long way. Once again, I want to thank you for your support and efforts to care for your Marine or Sailor in Iraq! Your efforts have made a difference for us! Personally, I would like to say that it has been an honor and privilege to work with the men and women of CSSB7. You can be proud of them and they way they have represented our nation in this place.

May God bless you!

When my son came home from OIF1 in October 2003, he had served in a relatively safe place. Najaf was a holy city and the people there loved the Marines. When my son stood guard, men from the city would bring their chairs and sit with the Marines as a show of solidarity and support. When 1/7 left Najaf to return home, citizens lined the streets as the convoy left town. Many wept.

So, when he stepped off the bus, he was happy to be home and his stress level was relatively low. I didn't know what to expect so I didn't make any plans beyond that first hug. After the company had a brief formation and were released to their anxious families, we walked up the hill to his new home in the barracks. The boxes of belongings that he'd left in storage prior to deployment were waiting for him and, like a Marine, he attended to business. Each box was unpacked and his belongings stowed in the available storage space. On the inside flap of each box was a handwritten scrawl, "I love you Mom". As he unpacked, he explained that if he didn't come back, he wanted me to know that. And, he didn't understand why I cried. I still have those pieces of cardboard - they're in his baby book with tiny inked footprints and a lock of hair from his first haircut.

After he'd finished his on base business, he told me he'd like to visit Los Angeles, so we headed west. When we hit the city limits, it was after midnight and we found the nearest In-N-Out Burger - there's nothing like that in Iraq. The reverse culture shock was significant; we walked in at the same time a performing group tour bus pulled in. Shane looked at the musicians spilling from the bus - blue hair, amazing clothes, rapping and clapping - and muttered, "I want to go back to Iraq".

Over the next few days, he adjusted to his return home. Having choices was a novelty. I learned very quickly that when we went into a restaurant that he would order everything that he'd missed while deployed, but eat just a few bites. Not a problem. It was good to see him satisfied and I didn't order for myself - instead, I ate what he couldn't. He thought he might like to go to Disneyland, so we checked into a hotel across the street from the main gate. Although we walked around the Downtown Disney part, we didn't go in the parks. Choices. He had spent the last seven months following a very regimented lifestyle. Now, he was home and the variety of options was disorienting. So, he set the pace and by the end of three days, he was somewhat back to normal.

This time will be different. His company has been in a volatile area for seven months and they've seen significant action. Again, I'm not making any plans past that first hug - he'll set the pace and I'll accomodate him. He thinks he wants to go to Vegas and I'm looking forward to that 220 mile drive. 4 hours of reconnecting as a family is going to be a very short trip.

Posted by Deb at 01:11 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack



February 22, 2005



"Little by little, success comes"

Col. Tucker, Commanding Officer for RCT-7, has been busy for the last few months - this update tells why:

It has been 4 months since I have written. Much has passed in those months: a time of great victories, an election, the emergence of a competent, professional Iraqi Army and Police units who stand to their tasks, and a tipping point in this battle against terror and evil.

I believe that my last letter was dated 18 October 2004. On 21 October—under cover of one of those dirt-fog nights unique to Iraq; with drivers barely able to see the edges of their hoods---the RCT Command Element moved from Al Asad to Camp Baharia, a protected “FOB” about 5 kilometers east of Fallujah.

TF 1/8 joined us two days later; BLT 1/3 a few days after that. We added 2d Recon Bn to the mix, assumed an area of operations south of Fallujah, and between 25 October and 6 November conducted a series of operations in the vicinity of Fallujah designed to force the enemy to show his hand.

Meanwhile, back in Al Asad, the Command Element of 31 st MEU assumed command of operations in our old AO. TF 1/7 remained in place vic Al Qaim. TF 1/23 remained in place vic Hit-Haditha. And 3d LAR, for a time, remained in place in Korean Village near Ar Rutbah. As plans developed, the 3d LAR HQs, one LAR Company, and B Co 1/23 would eventually move east and join RCT-1.

On 5 November, TF 2-2, a U.S. Army Mechanized Bn joined RCT-7. At 1900 on 8 November, the RCT crossed the line of departure north of Fallujah, By 2200 all three battalions were through the breach and fighting in the city. There followed 30 days of intense infantry combat fought in houses, tunnels, spider holes, and underground complexes against an enemy who routinely feigned surrender, feigned injury, used women and children as shields, booby trapped his dead and fought to the death from fortified and mutually supporting positions. The actions and courage of your Marines and Sailors were aptly captured in the media and I have neither the time nor adequate words to describe their actions here. History will record their deeds with an honor due their forefathers.

We pulled out of Fallujah on 8 December, and assumed an area of operations around the city. BLT 1/3 remained in the city with RCT-1. TF 1/8 and 2d Recon Bn joined the RCT in the outlying area of operations. In January 2005 TF 3/8 replaced TF 1/8. And on Feb 5 th 2005 the RCT returned to Al Asad, leaving Fallujah and environs as the safest place in the Sunni Triangle. We relieved 31 st MEU on 8 Feb, and once again assumed control of our old area of operations. As I write both 3d LAR and B Co 1/23 have returned to us and the RCT team is whole again.

Al Asad is crowded. We are beginning the RIP with RCT-2 and 2d MarDiv; their advance parties and lead elements are flowing into theater and into our AO. 29 Palms units will start flowing home soon, with CSSB-7 leading the way towards the end of this month, and then your husbands, fathers, uncles, and sons begin flowing in a steady stream of homecomings that will happily consume the month of March. Still work to be done here. But we are anxious to come home.

Ok…just one picture today. And there is a story to go with it.

Election day. RCT-7 is assisting the Iraqi Security Forces and IECI at two polling sites located within 10 kilometers of the city of Fallujah. Much work and preparation has gone into this day---a strong effort to ensure that those Iraqis who chose to vote can vote in safety. Polls open at 0700. At 0915 I am at the easternmost polling site in my AO. And not a single voter has come to the polls. At 0930, a man, two women, and two children walk up to the security gate, into the polling station, and then depart. As they are leaving the man walks up to the Iraqi Army Colonel standing with me and tells us that there is a “group” of people gathered in the nearest city who want to come vote, but want to be reassured it is safe. He informs us he is going to go tell them it is safe. 20 minutes later, 1500 Iraqi men and women come over the hill and take their place in line. For the next 7 hours, the scene in this photograph remained unchanged as 5000 people from the surrounding community walked over the hill and into history. Over 7000 voted in the city of Fallujah itself. 12,000 in an area that 3 months before was the hells acre of terrorists and vicious criminals. It is now the safest area in the Sunni Triangle. And it will remain so.

Twice in the course of this day the enemy fired mortars at the polling station. In both cases the mortars flew harmlessly overhead and impacted as duds in the field beyond. The women prayed, the men held their children close. But they all calmly held their places in line, and they cheered when we located and killed both mortarmen.

Women cried as they walked out after voting. Both women and men walked up to and hugged the Marines as they walked out of our perimeter. TF 3/8 was holding that perimeter, and had been in Iraq for less then 2 weeks.

But the Marines from my Detachment have been here for a year. Cocky, confident young men. Men of 19 and 20 and 21 who have fought their way through 4 major battles, traveled over 30,000 miles on some of the most dangerous roads in Iraq, 10 of whom have been wounded and returned; young men who have handed candy to children, painted schools, pulled children out of the line of fire, played soccer with their Iraqi peers, and helped farmers pull tractors out of the mud. And they watched. And waved. And returned the hugs. They stood there with an air of accomplishment and satisfaction that cannot be described in words. About 1300, as the line showed no sign of diminishing, one of the Corporals walked over to me and said “Sir, we knew they would come.” And we did. Those of us here knew they would come. You don’t often get a chance to see a nation show its courage. On 30 Jan 2005, the people of Iraq reminded us of the virtue of self-determination. We continue to win. Little by little, success comes until it tips inexorably towards victory. And it has tipped. There is much to do still. But it will be said---of those who have fought this last year for the future of Iraq and the destruction of the terror that threatens our nation---it can and will be said that they ventured into hell, and did not return with empty hands.

Share your courage. We will be home soon.


Posted by Deb at 10:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack



February 21, 2005



THIS WAS A VERY GOOD WEEK!!!

More from the awesome warriors of 2/24:

Greetings. I hope beyond hope that this letter finds you in high spirits, good health, and planning feverishly for that day when you will be reunited with your beloved Marine or Sailor, your Mad Ghost. It truly is rapidly approaching! Advance elements of the unit that will be replacing us are on deck and learning the Mayhem AO. And, I just completed a two hour orientation brief from my staff on redeployment planning. All of this is relayed to you so that you may know it is a horizon event, and you are rapidly approaching the spot where the sun meets the sea!

Now, that said, the fight continues, and it continues in earnest. This was a good week. THIS WAS A VERY GOOD WEEK!!! We completed the third of three Bn Operations that were dubbed Red Mayhem I, II and III. These Operations combined the assets and forces of the Red Team, our HHQ, the 5th Brigade Combat Team, and your Magnificent Mayhem Mad Ghosts in company succession, I for Fox, II for Golf and III for Echo. As always, our magnificent Mobile Strike Teams provided lethality and maneuver, the Personal Security Detachment provided for mobile Command and Control and movement of Mayhem 6, the Motor T and Truck Platoons provided mobility and critical support, the Comm Section provided the communications assets for Command and Control, the HET Marines provided the interrogation set and skill, remaining elements of H&S provided stalwart FOB defense, our Navy brethren provided medical care and religious services and our Staff Section Marines surged from their standard 18-20 hour day duties to augment the combat forces and power of the Mayhem, and our magnificent military working dogs, Tino and Dingo, were forward in the fight, where they most like to be. Yes, THIS WAS A VERY GOOD WEEK!!!


In each and every one of these operations, the insurgency learned, yet again, we go where we want, we go where they think we can't or WON'T, and we find them; we find their caches and we bring help, assistance and hope to those whom they have terrorized. During Red Mayhem III, some of the caches we found had been buried with all of the skill of a puppy first learning how to bury a bone. The Marines and Soldiers from the 1-7 CAV, as well as our Iraqi Army counterparts found them with relative ease and very early on in the operation. And, by the way, on this operation we assigned our Iraqi Army counterparts, for the first time, their own search sector. Marines from the Civil Action Platoon from Co E acted from overwatch only. And, if I might, the Iraqi Army performed magnificently! They found several caches of insurgent/terrorist weaponry, and they moved and acted like professional soldiers from start to finish. Yes, they are inching ever closer to the day that THEY WILL operate without US Forces, and will crush those who oppose law and order.

There is no doubt the tables have turned against the insurgents in our zone! The atmospherics we get from the people are SIGNIFICANTLY different than when we first arrived. They talk of fighting back against the insurgents. They talk openly of their respect for us and their gratitude at our assistance. They are far less afraid to be seen talking and cooperating with us. They are growing. GROWING IN FREEDOM in what will be a long process, but one whose outcome is inevitable. There is a wind of change in this part of the world. And it blows strong and hot. And it blows with a discontent for evil, for repression, for tyranny, for brutality. It blows with it a desire for peace, for righteousness, for dignity, for tolerance and for FREEDOM. I tell you, you can taste it in the air.

Now, our enemy will not cease. He continues his daily war of IEDs and cowardly tactics. The Mad Ghosts continue to hunt him relentlessly. For example, this week, the Marines of Mobile Strike Team 2 were executing one of the unique techniques that have been adopted by the ever evolving Mad Ghosts, but will remain ambiguous for security reasons, when they seized a boat on a canal. In the boat were IED making materials and the two Iraqis in the boat tested positive for explosives, and were immediately detained. One of the sharp Marines noticed wire, which they traced to a daisy-chained IED consisting of 11 explosive rounds! The IED was safely disposed of by the professional US Navy EOD team currently assigned to the Mayhem Battalion. This was but just one of the many HUGE successes accomplished this week by your Mad Ghosts.

Let me tell you another one. The Marines of Co E, who have to have set a record for miles logged in foot patrols, and whose phsyical condition is currently second to no one, were on one of their daily and continuous patrols through Mahmudiyah. While on this patrol, they were approached by a local who told them of a shooting a couple of blocks away. The local explained that armed men pulled up in a couple of cars, sprayed another car with machine gun fire, kidnapped the male driver, left the female driver for dead, and then placed a bomb in the trunk. Now, immediately, the Marines of Co E knew this was a standard tactic of our enemy who knows no limit to his cowardice. They approached the scene cautiously and established a safe cordon around the vehicle. From the cordon, the squad's US Navy Corpsman, through long range observation, saw what he believed to be bubbles forming in the blood underneath the nose of the supposed dead female. "Doc" made the decision that she was still alive. With that information, the Doc and the Squad Leader moved forward, extricated the female, and were approximately 30 meters away when the car detonated in a huge fireball of death and destruction. This entire episode was captured by one of the Marines on video and is as dramatic as any Hollywood scene you have ever viewed. Now, we can debate the smartness of their actions all we want, but what I ultimately know is this: this Marine and Sailor COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DISREGARDED THEIR OWN SAFETY TO SAVE THE LIFE OF AN INNOCENT IRAQI WHO HAD BEEN GUNNED DOWN IN COLD BLOOD, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT ON A BUSY STREET! Now unfortunately, the women later died at the Mahmudiyah Hospital. But know this, the Iraqi crowd that had gathered to witness this whole event, well, they cheered. No, check that, they celebrated in the Arab way of near hysteria for the heroic actions of the Doc and the Marine. They saw once again what AMERICANS are all about. And, I have no doubt, once again, they have learned. They have learned for future actions. They have learned evil and terror can be fought. They have learned that there is a heavy price, BUT GOOD ALWAYS TRIUMPHS OVER EVIL!!!!! (Now this video should be released soon, and if it does not make the major media outlets, well, then something is wrong! But if it does not, we will show it to you all upon our return.) It is heroism in action, and just another day at the office for the Mad Ghosts of 2/24.

One more story and then I shall take my leave of you for another week so that you may turn to your important tasks and duties. This story revolves around a pin: it is called the Fleet Marine Force Pin. It is a decoration that may be worn by US Navy Corpsman who have earned it. It says that they are Fleet Corpsman. It says that they have completed the required screening, training and evaluation to wear this pin. It is a US Navy design with a United States Marine Corps Eagle Globe and Anchor emblazened in the center of it. And...it is coveted. For all that is difficult to attain is cherished most. One of the things that has to be accomplished to achieve the pin, just one of many, is for the Sailor to pass the USMC physical fitness test. Today, one did. But, you ask, what is so special about that? Well, part of the USMC Physical Fitness Test is a 3 mile run. And, in the Mayhem AO, we embrace the warrior spirit, we do not challenge it. So, EVERY TIME you leave a hardened structure, whether it is to go to the porta-pottie or to run 3 miles inside the wire around the FOB, you do it with your helmet on, your flak jacket and SAPI plates on (approximately 30 lbs) and with your weapon and ammunition. So, this is how the good Doc ran his 3 miles. In full up gear, or as we like to say "full battle rattle!" And, he accomplished it in 27 minutes. Phenomenal time with that much gear on.

Only accomplished through sheer determination and will to succeed. But, for you hard to impress types, let me add a couple more facts. The Doc that did this....oh yeah, he is 55 years old! You heard me, 55 years old. He is a brain surgeon in Chicago! He joined the Navy at 52 to give back to his country following the impacts felt around the world on September 11, 2001. He has a fantastic wife and two lovely children. He to this day refuses to tell me how much money he is losing by being here, but my simple Hoosier mind knows it is at least 6 figures, if not 7. He is as hard as woodpecker lips and as gentle as a fall breeze. He is the man we should ALL aspire to be. He has taken sacrifice and dedication and compassion and EXAMPLE to a new level. And you know what; in the middle of the blood and the mud and the hate and the terror and the fear and the violence, I have never once seen him that he did not have a smile on his face! His enthusiasm is contagious. He is an amazing human being. And although my junior in rank, he is a shining example of manhood and the Warrior Code, and we are all just lucky as lucky gets to have him among us!!!

YES, IT HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD WEEK!!!


Posted by Deb at 09:09 PM





Connected to the Marine Corps Family

Connie and I will be guests on the new MSNBC show, Connected: Coast to Coast today, talking about how we cope with our sons' deployments and how we support other Marine Corps parents through our website and blog. Please tune in, then come back and give us a thumb's up or thumb's down!

Posted by Deb at 01:32 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack



February 20, 2005



Airport Gate Passes for Military Passenger Family Members

The TSA has put out a security directive that applies to Military Passengers. Security Directive 1544-01-10w explains how this works.

"Military Passenger" Family Members may be given a pass

  • To escort the military passenger to the gate
  • To meet a military passenger's inbound arrival at the gate.

Family members who want to escort the service member to the departure gate must request a pass when the service member checks in for his or her flight at the ticket window.

Family members who want to meet their returning hero at the arrival gate should check first at the USO Office if the airport has one. If not, they should request a pass at the ticket counter. In order to get through security checkpoints, every family member will need the gate pass and photo ID. Not all airports/airlines allow this but it might help for the service member to notify the departure airport that family members will be asking for gate passes at the other end.

This will be a welcome change for our troops - they won't have to wait as long for that first hug!

Posted by Deb at 11:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack





Semper superbus...nunca plenus

Major Holton from 2/24 Golf Company sends along this update from the sandbox:

This past week saw the return of 3rd Platoon to the company, after a period of about a month where they “belonged” to the army. They have continued to thrive in conducting the separate and critical mission of securing the Main Supply Route that runs through our area of operations. Without a doubt, they have experienced the roughest continuous living conditions of anyone in the battalion. To give you an idea of how others view them/us, when the army unit they worked with drove up for the first time to their positions, they asked, “Where do you stay at?” When the Marines replied, “We stay out here,” the soldiers shook their heads and said “We’re not staying out there.” But our guys do it, and they do it because a conscious decision has been made that this approach is the best way to accomplish the mission. Luckily, the company is blessed with a group of men who understand that mission accomplishment is not just important when the task is easy.
The past 10 days has been one of the most professionally rewarding periods of my life. The elections were a great accomplishment that every one of our Marines and sailors can be proud of for the rest of their lives. What occurred on that day, from the great turnout of voters, to the low effectiveness of violence by the insurgents, was a testament to all of the hard work that has been put into this area for the months leading up to them. We had the opportunity to help bring about a process that we take for granted in our country, but which I think meant a lot to the people of this country. Though in the big scheme of things, the elections were only one step, they were a huge step. If this country is ever going to be truly free, this step had to happen. And the fact that it did, almost flawlessly after all of the warnings and “doom and gloom” predictions, made it that much more impressive. After the elections, your Marines rolled right back into “normal” operations and has continued to push. Just yesterday, we conducted an operation that netted our company’s best one-day output of detained insurgents since we arrived here. We continue to execute in everything we are given. I feel confident that there is no tactical mission that can be given to us that we wouldn’t knock out of the park. Why do I feel that way? Because history and experience are the best gauges for predicting the future, and my history and experience with Golf Company is that we have succeeded in every tactical mission we have ever been given (now if we could stop losing gear, I may be able to remain as company commander until we get back to Wisconsin!). It really is neat to see the type of things that our guys do automatically now, and then to see the sum of all of the parts in operation. When we are in the middle of tactical operations, everyone knows what they are supposed to do, accepts their role, and then does it to the very best of their ability. It sounds so simple, but just those three actions, consistently applied, has been our secret of success. And it doesn’t just happen by chance. You should know that the Marines leading this company -- the platoon commanders, platoon sergeants, squad leaders, and all of the noncommissioned officers – continue to lead in the best way possible…by example. If there is one thing that I am proudest of within the company is that we don’t have Marines that lead by fear, directive, or rank alone.

We have people who “get it” that important component of leading is by doing and letting those around observe what the expectation is.

I feel as though I have to thank you once again for the great job your loved ones are doing over here. One of the other things that I am proud of in this company is how close the Marines and sailors are to one another. Yes, we all have ranks and our guys know well how to operate within the rank structure. But more important than having great Lance Corporals, Corporals, Sergeants, Captains, and Majors is just having great Marines and great men. And that is what we have in Golf Company. These guys offer no pretense to be that which they are not. They just go out every day and get the mission done. The mission is repetitious and challenging in the enormous consistency it requires to attain success. Every day when a squad walks or drives out of the base for an operation, the challenges it might face on that day range from looking for and/or discovering an improvised explosive device, dealing with angry people who have complaints about water, gas, or lack of a job, or getting sniped at randomly from some location. Sometimes, the challenges they face are finding a small boy who has been beaten up and left in an abandoned house, dealing with a man who has been detained for insurgent activity who then has a heart attack, or having the mother of a detained man faint and slump to the ground as her son was led away. In all cases, your Marines and sailors have had to transition from one mindset to another very different one in a matter of seconds, and then to make decisions and act when literally lives are in the balance. They have proven themselves quite adept at the type of flexibility this demands.

We continue to pray for our wounded Marines. Staff Sergeant Simon, Sergeant Ganem, Sergeant Cornell, Lance Corporal Skaar, and Lance Corporal Kruchten are on our mind all of the time and we are grateful to get the updates on their progress. We look forward to the reunion with them and are proud to have had the wonderful opportunity to serve with them. We also keep in our mind the sacrifices that were made by Corporal Warns, Lance Corporal Ramey, Lance Corporal O’Donnell, and Lance Corporal Cantafio made for all of us. I am in awe of such men and consider myself extremely lucky to have the opportunity to serve in the company of heroes.

The next few weeks will test us in ways that we wouldn’t have envisioned five months ago. Not only will we be fighting an active (but dwindling) insurgency, we will also be fighting complacency and our desire to be home NOW. The tasks and missions that were brand new three months ago are commonplace to us now. We have the benefit of being able to apply experience to almost any task now; however, we also have the danger of what is routine causing us not to address each task with the amount of detail that is due in combat operations. Our time will come and we know it will seem like a blink of the eye before we are reunited with all of you at Madison Airport. Until then, help us to keep the kind of singular focus that has helped the company to be as successful as it has. If you haven’t been stern with your Marine/Sailor to date, now is the time to do it. If you haven’t lectured your son/brother/husband/friend, now is the time to do it. Focus is all we really need to ensure that we can finish in the way that we a started, and is the strongest variable in the equation that equals all of our Marines and Sailors stepping off the plane and into your arms. Have a great week, thanks again for what you do to support us individually and as a company, and I will send out another update next week.

Best regards,

Adam Y. Holton
Major, United States Marine Corps Reserve

“Semper superbus...nunca plenus!!!”
“Always proud...never satisfied!!!”


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February 19, 2005



Family Ties

I started grading assignments at 8:00 this morning and finished at 9:00 tonight. My only break was a 2 hour phone conference this afternoon with two students who needed me to walk them - again - through the intricacies of how to set up and test research hypotheses. I love teaching but the neverending pile of ungraded papers caught up with me today and I'm tired. Usually, I'd perk right up with a bag of M&Ms but not tonight - first day of induction on Atkins and I'm going through sugar withdrawal. I've been working on a 60th anniversary of Iwo Jima post and didn't get it done for today. Reading about what the Marines on that beach went through is awe-inspiring. And it hits close to home, bringing a realization of just how petty my minor gripes are.

One of the highlights of our family life was twin uncles (by marriage but once I met them, I claimed them as blood relatives), Mack and Mike Hensley. They were inseparable - never married, lived all their lives as Oregon bachelor uncles. They graduated from high school together, joined the Marines on the same day, graduated from boot camp (the first graduating class at MCRD-SD), and went off to war together. They fought together during WWII, sharing a fighting hole at Guam. Mike was injured and sent home to recuperate, Mack stayed.

After WWII, the brothers went to work for an Oregon lumber company on the same day and retired on the same day many years later. When I had my son on January 14, 1984, they were his first visitors when he was just a few hours old, bringing a box of Whitman's Chocolates and charming the nurses. Every few months, they'd take us out to dinner, flirting with me and bantering with Shane. They loved him and were so proud when he left for boot camp.

When Mack died a couple of years ago, I learned at his funeral that he went on from Guam to Iwo Jima where he took part in that epic battle. One of my deep regrets is that I didn't ask more questions while he was still living. Mike lived a few more months but his twin was gone and part of his spirit died that day. I knew them for 20 years but it wasn't enough. They were good men, but that is common to the Corps. I've been thinking of them both today and hoping their memory will never be forgotten. I know that Mack and Mike went to war to protect their loved ones at home. 60 years later, a new generation of young Marines is doing the same thing.

Semper Fidelis. It's a way of life. Thank you, to all our former and present Marines who have sacrificed their own comfort and security so that we can enjoy life without putting overmuch thought into those sacrifices. It's not a small thing. I've worked 13 hours today; they fought from the same hole in the ground for weeks, knowing that the slightest mistake could mean death. I miss my carbs, they ate K rations for months. No comparison. Absolutely no comparison.

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February 18, 2005



LCpl Wichlacz: Fair Winds and Following Seas

LtCol Mark Smith sends this beautiful tribute to fallen Marine LCpl Wichlacz who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Thank your for your graces and patience in allowing me to be a couple of days late with this week's update. The delay was predicated on the fact that the Mad Ghosts conducted two massive Battalion level operations in the Mayhem AO this week, in order to ensure the continued dismantling and destruction of the insurgent/terrorist networks that once thrived in the Mayhem AO, and now seek their survival. As well, we have been hosting and touring with the unit assigned to replace the Mad Ghosts in the Mayhem AO, and I know for all of you that is very good news. I shall address homecoming in a follow-on update to be published today, but right now there are issues of grave importance that I must communicate to you in keeping with my promise of informing the families of all the Mad Ghosts activity, fairly and honestly.

With that said, it is again my unfortunate duty and with gut wrenching sadness that I report to you the death of Lance Corporal Travis M. Wichlacz, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, USMC. LCpl Wichlacz was killed on 05 Feb 05 when an improvised explosive device was detonated immediately adjacent to the up-armor HMMWV he was riding in. LCpl Wichlacz was part of a force conducting a raid against a suspected terrorist location when the IED was initiated. He sustained fatal injuries as a result of the explosion. He was killed instantly and felt no pain. He was secured by his brother Marines in the patrol, air med-evaced back to FOB St. Michael, and then with the utmost of dignity was prepared for his final journey home, which began approximately 12 hours after his death.


Now, when LCpl Wichlacz arrived at FOB St. Michael, I went to our Shock Trauma Building to greet him. The Medical Section, our fabulous Navy Surgeons and Corpsman from the US Navy, conducted their unfortunate task of documentation and identification. This is not enjoyable duty, but the professionalism and reverence with which these amazing Sailors conduct this task touches your heart and your soul. They may be Sailors, but my US Navy Staff are Mad Ghosts, part and parcel of this Mad Ghost Team, and will forever have both my undying respect and my gratitude, for they give everything they have (and then some) to tend to the wounds of my Marines, both living and dead. Following the medical responsibilities, the Navy Chaplain Lt. Manilla gathered us all around the peaceful body of LCpl Wichlacz and said both a blessing and a prayer. I then held his hand and wished him Fair Winds and Following Seas for his final journey home. And, I told him JOB WELL DONE! For he had given all that others would live, and live abundantly, in freedom and with the ability to seek their own journey. For this, I know he will be rewarded in Heaven.

Then, you leave the building. This is the moment that the Devil has his day. For at this point, I was filled with anger, hate and rage! The mind races with thoughts of vengeance. The body wants to lash out in violence in pay back for what has been done. And, you then look around at all the tools of violence and destruction at your immediate disposal and realize it would not be a hard thing to do!!! But, as it should be with the Devil, he gets but that fleeting moment of control, because the rage is replaced with respect. The respect of a fallen hero who calls to you to remember who and what you are: A UNITED STATES MARINE. The hero himself seems to speak to you from beyond the land of the living and reminds you that we are the ones that do good, and destroy only evil. He tells you that we came to free the oppressed and set the conditions for long-term stability in a region that has never known it, and by doing so will ensure the freedom and safety of our beloved back home. No, it is but a very fleeting moment that the Devil gets, it is a LIFETIME of remembrance, respect and honor that the hero earns. That we will never dishonor our fallen, that we will stay our course no matter how difficult, that WE WILL ACHIEVE VICTORY is the only outcome there can be! And, with YOUR Marines, YOUR Mad Ghosts, that is what it shall be. VICTORY with honor. VICTORY that delivers violence ONLY to the cowardly enemy, and compassion, respect and admiration for the people of Iraq, who we free and protect, and who have suffered unspeakably for far too long.

When this moment of illumination comes, from which all follow on actions are guided, I will tell you, it comes with intense grief. But that is O.K. That grief only speaks to the righteousness of the cause and the realization of the heavy price freedom requires. LCpl Wichlacz paid it, we now have a lifetime to earn it.

I am not a fan of Hollywood for its politics. I have never really been able to grasp, in my simple Hoosier mind, why people who make a grotesque amount of money by pretending to be something, honestly and earnestly believe that we care what they have to say about politics. No, that one has always escaped me. I mean, playing pretend is what my angelic daughters do, and although I love them more than I love my next breath, and would lay down my life for them, I have come to the conclusion I do not want Brittani and Nichole establishing National Policy and the use of force to achieve it...at least not while they are 8 and 6! So, I kind of feel the same way about Actors. But, as an art form, as a medium designed to stimulate the mind and touch the soul, well, on that count, sometimes Hollywood hits it out of the park. One such instance was the movie Saving Private Ryan. For if you would, my wonderful families of 2/24, I would like to ask you in light of LCpl Wichlacz passing, and in honor of all 11 of our fallen heroes, to reflect with me. Reflect on the final scene in Saving Private Ryan. The scene where Ryan is old, gray, round and soft in the middle, and he is with his wife and fully-grown children. They are visiting Arlington National Cemetery. Ryan is at the grave of his Company Commander and reflecting on the events of a battlefield over 50 years past.

He is reflecting on the shared violence, the shared hardship and the death of his comrades. As he is reflecting, he is sobbing. Sobbing the tears of a pain that knows no relief, knows no easing in its passage of time. And then, he says to his wife, words to the effect of, "tell me I am a good man. Tell me I have been a good man." Many is the time, 11 to be exact, that all I wanted in this whole world was to feel the soft hand of my beautiful and loving wife on the back of my sobbing head and telling me I am a good man, that I have done right by my Marines and my country. Because, you see, that is what we owe LCpl Wichlacz, our 11 and all who have given their lives in this and all previous Wars. We owe them to live good lives. Good lives in the sense that we always think first and foremost of the cost of freedom! That we remember a life lived free, is a life lived without hardship, and most of the time in frivolity and miniscule tasks. But the majesty of it, is that we have the time and space to be engaged in the frivolous and miniscule. That we grocery shop, go to movies, go to ball games, eat out, eat in, barbeque, drink beer or not drink beer, attend the soccer games, watch our kids flip monkily through gymnastics, go to Disneyworld...we do all these without nary a thought, because a lineage of Warriors since 1775 have given us that freedom. That we never forget that, that we always pay honor to that is OUR CHARGE. Please ladies, understand, no preaching of morality here. I am not defining living a good life by any means other than NEVER forgetting what the price of our American lives really is. Our freedom, our ability to do the things we do as Americans, which we Mad Ghosts miss so dearly and will never take for granted, has been paid for with the blood of YOUNG Americans in battle. That the National Anthem ALWAYS be sung with that in mind, that the pledge of allegiance always be said with pride, conviction and a commitment to defend it, that you respect the flag when you see it, these are the requirements of a "good life" for an American. Never forget these MEN! Never forget these Warriors! And, in our case in particular, as the families and Marines that are 2/24, NEVER FORGET THESE MAD GHOSTS! For the reasons for which I would rightfully earn eternal damnation are many and varied, but that I ever dishonor these wonderful heroes, well, I am confident that will not be one of them!

So in your reflection, please join me in a final farewell to LCpl Travis M. Wichlacz: good night sweet and gentle Warrior. You have touched us all. We have been deeply and profoundly saddened by your death, but we have been even more enlightened and touched by YOUR LIFE. Rest in the embrace of angels, Travis, rest in the embrace of angels! WE LOVE YOU.

God Bless the Magnificent Marines and Families of 2/24.

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February 17, 2005



A MasterCard commercial gone wrong

$ 300.00- digital camera sent at time of deployment
$ 400.00 - printer and additional digital camera sent during deployment
$1300.00 - laptop computer, software, card reader, and blank CDs sent during deployment

Receiving the first picture e-mailed from the sandbox after six months of waiting . . . and realizing that your son is standing in an Iraqi jail cell in his underwear, holding a weapon, and smoking a cigarette. Priceless.

Posted by Deb at 06:13 PM | Comments (8)





MSSG-31 reports from Iraq

LtCol James A. Vohr sends this note to the families of MSSG 31 - another group looking forward to returning home.

Wanted to bring you up to date on what we have been doing lately here at the MSSG. I don’t know if you might have seen the article on the Marine Corps Official Website highlighting the end of operations in Iraq for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU). MSSG 31 is a member of this organization, so this message applies to us and we have completed operations as well. Our focus now has shifted to the multitude of tasks it takes to get a unit ready for redeployment.

I’ve said it before and I will repeat it now. You would not believe how these Marines and Sailors have matured. We held a crew-served weapons shoot the other day to check weapons functioning and to re-familiarize all Marines with the skills required to operate the .50 caliber machine gun and the M240G. The non-commissioned officers manned each weapon and we cycled the junior Marines through to fire. To the man (and woman), they knew what they were doing and handled the weapons with proficiency. These are all Marines whose primary military occupational specialty is something other than infantry, and yet they know how to handle weapons. Even our Corpsmen were involved and they are as competent as the Marines.

Speaking of the Corpsmen, I am extremely proud of the entire Health Services Platoon. Throughout the deployment, their motto has appeared to be, “how can I help.” They have been involved in everything from convoy support to providing medical care to insurgent detainees. Our medical officer led a trauma team at BRAVO Surgical Company during the fight for Fallujah, and I am sure made a life or death difference for many wounded Marines. Since the 31st MEU and the MSSG were at different locations, our dental officer served as the 31st MEU surgeon, and employed her Arab language skills to support the civil affairs efforts in the 31st MEU’s operating area. To top it all off all of the Corpsmen have all qualified for their FMF pins, a difficult challenge requiring them to master many skills normally associated with Marines and pass a proficiency exam. It is unheard of to have a 100% qualification rate.

I’ll keep you posted on our progress. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am confident the Marines and Sailors of MSSG 31 will do it well. We are all looking forward to seeing the green Island of Okinawa, Japan!

Until next time and as always, I’m proud and you should be proud of the Marines and Sailors of MSSG 31. It is an honor to serve with them

Thanks for all your support

Sincerely,

J. Alex Vohr

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February 16, 2005



Valentine kisses

Photo by: Cpl. K. T. Tran
1MARDIV Marines with Civil Affairs Detachment 4-4, RCT 1 passed out Valentine's card and candy to kids in Fallujah last Monday while checking progress on several local projects. Here, Cpl. David Pavon, a civil affairs NCO gets a thank you kiss from 8 year old Rajah.

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February 15, 2005



Seeing Stars and Earning Stripes

On Saturday, a few NR folks visited Walter Reed. Here's Jim Robbin's most memorable observation:

One of the wounded Marines was in ICU, and was still feeling the effects of the anesthesia, having just come from surgery. A Lieutenant General stopped by to see how he was.

"How are you doing, Lance Corporal?" he said.

"Lance Corporal my a**," the semi-conscious Marine said, "I have enough time in to be a Corporal by now." The 3-star nodded, went off and made a phone call. Within the hour the young Marine had his corporal's stripes.


Posted by Deb at 07:47 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack





Know them, thank them, never forget them

Kathryn Lopez met a few good men in a Georgetown eatery last week - Marines recuperating at Walter Reed. She shares this encounter with the rest of us:

Every American should have the privilege of knowing the caliber of Americans who go off to war to protect us. He's a Marine who nonchalantly gets up and walks around the table to cut his one-armed brother's steak for him. He's a Marine who with one arm closes and lifts his brother's wheelchair into a car. He's still strong — still stronger than I am, for sure — and no enemy's going to take that away from him if he has anything to say about it. He's a boy whose youth shocks you, who is minus a leg, who spent months in a coma, and who has three brothers who have signed up for the war effort in some way. He's Casey Owens, who so many of us saw salute the president on Inauguration Day, from his wheelchair, and who's probably the best spokesman for the war out there. On Saturday night, when a few Marines took the night off from Walter Reed for dinner and drinks at a happening Georgetown restaurant and bar, everyone wanted to know him — and thank him — and never forget him.

There are so many stories from this war that will never be told, individuals most Americans will never know about. He who had the top of his skull blown off — but he'll take his headaches because he is grateful to be alive.

These guys consider themselves the lucky ones, you see. They weren't killed.

Of course, we are the lucky ones — to have them.

There's more. Visit the National Review site to read it all.

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February 14, 2005



A Valentine for Military Spouses

A Valentines Message from the 3/8 Commanding Officer to the families at home:

I?d like to take this opportunity this Valentines Day to say thank you for all that you do.

Being a military spouse is not easy,
Especially on the most challenging deployment
But the mission we have to accomplish is important
And critical to the success and future of Iraq.

The sacrifices you make on behalf of your Marine or Sailor are great and put a strain on the strongest of relationships.

So on this Valentine?s Day, I would like to say thank you for keeping the fire in the home lit, bread on the table and for the loving support you give each day.

Thank you again for your patience, understanding and devotion.

Best Wishes and Happy Valentines Day!
S.M. Neary

For Cassandra and Carrie, Mrs. Blackfive and Mrs. Greyhawk, for Diana and Amy, Mary Helen, Sarah, and all the other Marine (and other military) wives out there - Happy Valentines Day!



Posted by Deb at 09:26 AM



February 13, 2005



Flat Stanley at Landstuhl

Marine wife and tireless troop supporter Diana Hartman updates us on her latest visit to Landstuhl:

heyas, we're running to landstuhl today with a full load in the durango...i've concentrated on getting clothes and backpacks up there...if you know how big a durango is, all the seats are down and i've packed it from just behind the driver's seat to the ceiling and to the sides and all the way back, and i still have more clothes left here...they're long on toiletries so those will go up in a couple of weeks...that'll give me more time to get bagged up what i still have...

so yous know, the toiletry supplies and funds sent to me have provided over 400 21-item bags and i still have stuff to make more...

we're taking stuff today because they have just enough room for what i'm taking...

it's a little rainy today but the temperature will be over 40 (finally )...

i took a wee bit of time off to take my family to salzburg austria (sound of music country, mozart's birthplace) and we'll be heading to lucerne switzerland before our next landstuhl trip...

we're also taking a little girl with us to landstuhl...well, we're taking a picture of her...she's a 2nd grader from colwich kansas who is participating in the "flat stanley" project...if you're not familiar with it, the book "flat stanley" is about a little boy who gets flattened by a bulletin board and is sent traveling around the world by his parents via the mail system (cos it's cheaper than flying!)...
kids who participate in the "flat stanley" project trace their bodies onto paper and attach a picture of their face to the top of the paper and cut the whole thing out and put it in an envelope to travel the world...the "flat child" comes with a log of where she's been, and those who receive it pass it on...
thus, we received our little 2nd grader a few days ago...
she's been photographed in front of the headquarters for marine forces europe with a marine (hubby!) and will get her picture taken today with the marine liaisons at landstuhl...she will also travel with us to switzerland...
today, my teenagers and my 11 yr old put together a package for our flat child and her classmates...they sent loads of german chocolate for her classmates and her teacher, a t-shirt and magnet for her, and we mailed stuttgart postcards so she (the real child) can attach it to the map of the places she's been...

my "flat stanley", a ms. mackenzie from colwich KS, visited with the marine liaisons today...she was a big hit! from left to right is sargeant becker (originally from lawrence KS) holding mackenzie's right hand, gunnery sargeant velasquez (originally from chicago IL) holding mackenzie's head, sargeant garthaus (i didn't get his hometown) holding mackenzie's left hand, and of course ms. mackenzie herself!

Photo by Diana

behind these fine outstanding marines is the shipment we took up there today...they were running a tad low on backpacks and duffle bags so we brought what they needed...between mmos and the efforts of spouses at marforeur, i think the storage units will be replenished adequately for some time...woo hoo!


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February 12, 2005



" . . . oh my God have these guys delivered"

Captain Griffin from 2nd LAR summed up the recent Iraqi elections with one word - historic. His entire post, including some well-earned praise for the hardworking Marines under his command, is in the extended entry and will give you new respect for the Marines who fight and never quit.

Here's his closing that you can pass along to anyone who asks, "why are we still in Iraq".

And finally let me share with you two of most meaningful events of the day (election day). Two "feel good" stories about why we are here away from our families for seven months at a time, serving in a dangerous land:

1. An older gentlemen, apparently well educated, made it a point to get the attention of every Marine, Solider and Sailor along the VCP, motion him to come over, shake his hand and say "Thank you. This is the first time in my life my vote actually means something. I hope you never leave."

2. My translator approached me about mid-morning and I could tell he was ancy about something. He asked "Sir, can I go vote now." I told him "Hell yes, Jimmy. Go vote." He replied "Thank you, sir. It is my right now. Thank you."

While the second was obviously more personal to me because I have come to respect Jimmy for all he has done for this company and in turn his country, I believe today was historic. And we were glad to just do our part. It has made so much of this deployment worthwhile and hopefully we honored all the Marines, Soldiers and Sailors who have paid all in this mission by accomplishing what we have done today. To think that just two months ago we were attacking the city with lethal, overwhelming firepower and now a democratic election rose from the ashes of the city defies reality. This is the power of America. This is the power of the human race who can be brutally suppressed by a regime for 30 years and terrorized in their homes by selfish cowards. The resiliency and the survivalist mentality of the Iraqi people makes it easy to believe that we are in the right fight.

There's more. Read it all.

31 January 2005

I am not sure how the elections will be portrayed on the news today but I know you were watching. I can only hope it is reported accurately.

I know I can sum it up in one word - historic.

Over the past two months we had established a rotation plan to send Marines back to Camp Baharia once every eight days to shower, rest, call home and use the internet. It was my call on 20 January to stop that rotation so we can maintain as many Marines in the field and in the fight in preparation for the elections. Please do not blame your Marines for not calling or writing, it is not their fault, it is mine. We will reinitiate the rotation again on 2 February so I expect everyone should hear from their Marines again by the middle of the month. But during that time, know that once again, your Marines were heroes.

Since the fall of the insurgency base in Fallujah, Apache prepared for two events:

1) the reoccupation of the citizens of Fallujah and

2) the watershed event - the national elections; the latter being the larger of the two.

All of our actions were directed at achieving success in both endeavors but Election Day was the largest cloud laying on the horizon - 30 January.

What would that day bring? What would it ultimately mean and what was in store for my Marines?

We surged in our operations, both offensive and defensive, in the past ten days making our positions stronger, developing better force protection plans, conducting aggressive patrols to keep the enemy off balance, extending our security zone and doing a lot of what the Marines enjoyed the most - kicking in doors in the middle of the night, capturing bad guys and delivering them to justice. While AMZ and UBL are still loose, we have been rolling up bad guys at the cyclical rate. We have taken down so many insurgent fighters, IED makers and emplacers, financiers, harborers of terrorists, rocket and mortar men, leadership at all levels relative to our area, that the enemy ceased to fight in our zone on election day. We have earned tremendous accolades from the regiment for disrupting and taking down insurgent cells and groups. While these missions are the more desirable, "sexy" missions that my platoons are just so masterful at accomplishing, this is a team fight. The company motto is "Everyone fights. No one quits." It has clearly come to signify who we are. All the Marines in the company participate in the offensive operations but that is not our only mission. Before I get back to the elections, let me tell you about what else we have been doing and able to accomplish.

Our weapons platoon has been primarily responsible for running our vehicle control point. With out getting to in depth, this is a mission where they have to control upwards of 3700 personnel a day and over 500 vehicles. Control being the operative word here. Every morning around 0530, they have to get out in the dark and sort through this traffic jam of personnel and vehicles, ensuring that all the vehicles are sorted, prioritized, screened, searched, directed and controlled. In US terms, probably not that big a deal. But remember we are in a country where we do not speak the same language, our enemy does not wear a uniform but dresses like a civilian, he has no appreciation for innocent life, he uses the civilian crowds as a means to get close to us. Where every citizen wants to get back in the city to recover the remains of the their homes and get their lives started again, desperate people who have suffered greatly who merely want to get to a distribution center, or make a solatia claim, or get to a propane or kerosene distribution area because they need the fuel to cook for their family, boil water or just try to stay warm through the night. We don't have stop lights and we don't have a lot of technology here nor a local media that can publish directions for our VCP. No - the Marines of weapons platoon had to make this happen on the ground alone. Utterly amazing.

While there are other control points around the city, ours initially received the least attention from higher because we were out in the hinterland. So after the Marines from weapons got through the day, at night they would refine their positions by filling sandbags, running new wire or repair the wire that was destroyed during the day, refine their own procedures, plus continue to support the other platoons, and maintain security on their platoon position and run patrols. It has been the stuff legends are made of. The VCP is now almost 700m long and while we did receive some engineering support from other brethren at 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, the lion's share rested on the shoulders, backs and brains of the Marines of weapons platoon. While every Marine in that platoon would rather be dropping mortar rounds in a fire for effect mission or calling out "TOW on the wire" as their anti-tank guided missile system fires a missile down range, or my engineers laying demo, adding "P" for plenty into the demolition equation, these guys bring a "can do" attitude to the battlefield, that they can handle any task, accomplish any mission and still look you in the eye as if you haven't even tested them. It is inspiring. Our maintenance section continues to be the bedrock for which the company stands firm. Separated from their maintenance tent and storage containers back at Camp Baharia, dealing with a supply line that sometimes extends back to the states, this company has maintained 100% readiness over the past four months. It has been a Herculean effort. I remember when I first came to LAR I was cautioned by former LAR friends about mechanics. They said "Griff - don't "wig" out when they [mechanics] don't wear and do grunt-like things in the field. They are not grunts. Give them a little wiggle room because they will keep your vehicles running." It seemed like sound advice at the time and I set out to follow it. But I can say today, they were wrong. My mechanics are as hard and as capable as any infantryman in this company. I would dare another grunt to come to my company and pick out who the mechanics were on a patrol, raid, cordon and search, VCP, etc. These guys are my heroes. They bring a trouble shooting mentality to the team that we will figure out any challenge or puzzle regardless what the book solution may say. That is a tremendous force multiplier.

The Marines of headquarters platoon are the unsung heroes of this company. Because they are so diverse in responsibilities and personalities, I will leave it to the compassionate, caring wit of my XO to talk about them individually. But the headquarters Marines are the arms that surround and support this company, sweeping up and plugging the gaps everywhere. They are diverse in capabilities and in occupational specialties in the platoon but generally only one deep.

So while these Marines deliver chow, fix our gear, drive everyone everywhere, support each platoon, serve as corporals of the guard, maintain two sites (peninsula and Camp Baharia), ensure our communication gear works, keep care of our administrative needs, order, receive and deliver parts, deliver fuel, maintain our armory; they also conduct patrols, search houses and fields, participate in the nightly raids and provide security for the HQ CP. Of particular note, standing guard at the headquarters CP warrants more description. They do not have the convenience of maintaining a schedule for the guard force because whenever something goes wrong for the company, headquarters Marines have to be involved. Thus, their guard assignment come often at unknown times for unknown durations because they know their relief may be out doing their primary responsibility and will only be able to relieve them when that task is accomplished. These guys are professionals and it is an honor to serve among them.

The latest stars to rise from this company are the Marines we now refer to as call sign "Lion." One of our key missions is to defend critical infrastructure - in this case a dam that sits on the Euphrates River. Initially I had been given an Iraqi platoon with a Marine captain and Marine SNCO to help advise the platoon. These advisory billets are referred to as ASTs. They did a good job for us but didn't bring that Apache passion to the team. This is not to belittle the efforts of my fellow Marines - not in the least bit. I admire their efforts and their role is a key piece in the strategic success of the overall mission here in Iraq. But there came a time in December when the Iraqi platoon was to be replaced and I would not get any ASTs. So I chose two Apache Marines that I thought would be up to the task to replace a captain and a staff sergeant - I chose a sergeant and a lance corporal (Sergeant Jackson and Lance Corporal Ellison). I was unsure of what level of success they would achieve. I never doubted they would accomplish the mission but not having the benefit of training that the ASTs had received, not having received any Arabic language classes, not having the benefit of years of experience and troop handling that a captain and a staff sergeant bring to the table - how much would they accomplish being in charge of Iraqi soldiers in which some of the Iraqis out rank them.

Not to be cliché, or slang, or conversational but - oh my God have these guys delivered. These two Marines accomplished more with less than anyone I have ever seen. The expression "no rest for the weary" pales in description to what these Marines have endured and accomplished. These guys have not only "advised" the platoon, they have constructed a well positioned defense, run regular security patrols and IED sweeps, conduct convoys, teach the Iraqis classes, ensure the place is squared away, run the guard, deal with senior officers and officials from the US and Iraqis who come to visit the platoon on the dam and so much more.

This platoon went from being a positive neutral in the mission accomplishment equation to positive success. These guys are out there - alone and unafraid. On top of that, the platoons of Iraqis get switched out about every two weeks, generally unannounced and these Marines start from ground zero over and over again. And yet, every time I go down to see them or they come up to the CP, they are smiling and positive about their mission. They have become such a positive influence on this command that I added three more Marines to the team and the addition has been exponentially more successful. I was a former enlisted Marine who was once a lance corporal, a corporal and then a sergeant. I am almost embarrassed to admit that seeing what these five guys who have earned the same rank as I did have been able to accomplish. Compared to these guys and what they have been able to do, I should never have qualified to leave recruit training.

Even as I write this, reread it and edit it, in order to try to describe to you the power and influence that every man in this company has achieved on the success of the mission and this nation, it seems almost fictional. I hope that when you read it you understand that is told with passionate truth because every Marine in this company legitimately deserves to be recognized as a hero but none of the writing is embellished to illustrate a point. It is ground truth. It overwhelms me daily that so many good men were put on one team at one time and I was the fortunate lottery winner.

As I mentioned earlier, this company has been receiving tremendous accolades from the regiment. I would like to share just two that I have received recently. The first comes from the regimental intelligence officer, Lt Col Bellon, copied from an email (edited for brevity and clarity):

"You are booming out there on the frontier. In short, you are doing things that other units said were unsupportable. It has convinced me that LAR guys are just more mentally agile and aggressive when finding a way to take it to the enemy. We will see how tonight goes [29 Jan, the night prior to the election] but if we don't get any IDF [indirect fire], I will be assessing that it is largely do to the successful operation[s] that you [Apache] ran. . . Keep it going."

Tonight at the regimental operations and intelligence meeting, the regimental commander, Colonel Shupp, stated the following (paraphrased again for brevity and clarity):

"I need to recognize you and your Marines in a public forum. Since Apache has taken over the peninsula, your company has been undermanned the entire time covering a battalion zone. You and your Marines run the busiest VCP and you built it from the ground up. You have single handedly taken down the insurgency that was active on the peninsula. You and your Marines are solely responsible for preventing any indirect fire from attacking the city today from the peninsula area. The operation you and your Marines pulled off the other day was to attack a battalion size objective with less than a company and round up 90 military age males. In total fifteen bad guys, seven of which will be going away for a long, long time. Your company has been doing a tremendous job out there. Bravo Zulu."

And finally let me share with you two of most meaningful events of the day (election day). Two "feel good" stories about why we are here away from our families for seven months at a time, serving in a dangerous land:

1. An older gentlemen, apparently well educated, made it a point to get the attention of every Marine, Solider and Sailor along the VCP, motion him to come over, shake his hand and say "Thank you. This is the first time in my life my vote actually means something. I hope you never leave."

2. My translator approached me about mid-morning and I could tell he was ancy about something. He asked "Sir, can I go vote now." I told him "Hell yes, Jimmy. Go vote." He replied "Thank you, sir. It is my right now. Thank you."

While the second was obviously more personal to me because I have come to respect Jimmy for all he has done for this company and in turn his country, I believe today was historic. And we were glad to just do our part. It has made so much of this deployment worthwhile and hopefully we honored all the Marines, Soldiers and Sailors who have paid all in this mission by accomplishing what we have done today. To think that just two months ago we were attacking the city with lethal, overwhelming firepower and now a democratic election rose from the ashes of the city defies reality. This is the power of America. This is the power of the human race who can be brutally suppressed by a regime for 30 years and terrorized in their homes by selfish cowards. The resiliency and the survivalist mentality of the Iraqi people makes it easy to believe that we are in the right fight.

I hope CNN's 30 second sound bites were able to capture this.

Until next time. . .

Pray for peace and God Bless America.

Apache 6 - out
Semper Fidelis

Capt John F. Griffin


Posted by Deb at 04:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack





More from the Mad Ghosts

LtCol Mark Smith, 2/24 Battalion Commander, sent this update from Mamudiyah last week - it's great reading, as always:

As usual, I am sincere in hoping that this week's update finds you in good health, high spirits and full of that good ole' Marine Corps motivation. Many has been the occassion, too many, that I have dreaded typing on this computer on a Thursday night, knowing that I would be communicating to you the tragic loss of life of our Marines. Those occasions are branded into my memory, and will haunt me many a day and night. I will finish this update by coming back to that very point. But, on this particular occassion, it has been all I could do not to send the update early. I have eagerly anticipated typing this week's update and communicating with you the momentous events of this past Sunday. So, please bear with me, for this is a story worthy of being told, and then passed from generation to generation of Mad Ghost families; for they should share a pride that both binds them and guides them for decades to come; decades to be spent in peace and FREEDOM.

To truly understand the significance of what occurred in the Mayhem AO on 30 Jan 2005, I have to give a brief history lesson, covering facts that I was not at liberty to divulge prior to the election. In November of 2004, the Iraqi Interim Government (IIG) had made the decision that the S Baghdad District, better known to you as the Mayhem AO, would not have elections. The IIG's reasoning was sound and their logic clear: it had no Iraqi Police, a fledgling Iraqi Army/National Guard and a violence level that was beyond acceptable. However, and not that it would have mattered one iota, 2/24 was not advised of this decision. All 2/24 knew was that we had a mission: conduct security and stability operations in zone to ensure the conditions were set for the establishment of Iraqi civil administration. Now, please remember back to an earlier email where I introduced you to the Assistant Division Commander of the Fighting 1st Marine Division, BGen Dunford, and his remark that professional Marines do not "discuss exit strategies," they "achieve an end state." Well, our stated end state was simple: ensure the conditions are set to conduct elections in S Baghdad on 30 Jan 05!

There's more, click the link to keep reading:

For months, we executed our strategy to achieve that end state. We went into the "zip code offense." We seized the former and destroyed police station with Co F in Yusufiyah, an absolute stronghold of the Wahabists and Salafist terrorist networks along the Euphrates River. We sezied a former Iraqi Government building with Co G in Lutafiyah, an absolute stronghold of FRE, Ba'ath Party and opportunistic criminals. We took control of Mahmudiyah and Rasheed with Co E and their relentless foot patrolling effort. And, we had the monumental task of securing a 22 mile or so stretch of interstate closed to civilian traffic, and a high visibiIty/target rich environment for the enemy. In doing this, we deliberately chose challenge over simplicity, hardship over comfort, and taking the fight to the enemy over being defensive. It has been phenomenally challenging: from every aspect of Battalion Operations, admin/intelligence/operations/logistics/communications/engineering/civil military operations/ information operations, etc, etc, etc. Just the sustainment challenge alone required the absolute OWNING of main supply routes (MSR). This was done by YOUR Marines living some of the most brutal conditions you can imagine. No, no Hollywood version of brutal, I mean real brutality. No showers, MREs day on stay on, and living under a bridge. Yes, under a bridge. The Marines of Co G who accomplished this mission DESERVE your respect for not only their sheer physical toughness, but for engaging the enemy relentlessly and devastating his ranks to a level that their MSR is now open to civilian traffic! The next challenge was to own one of the alternate supply routes, which was harassed daily by the insurgents, and challenged our sustainment effort. Well, it was time for the Iraqi National Guard to step up. At this time, I was reading much press in the US about the absolute failure of the ING. I did not believe it then, and I KNOW for a fact I don't believe it now. Our magnificent engineers from Va, supported by our outstanding Marines from Truck Co, PA, set about to move the materials required, and in less that 5 days total time: built 2 bridges and 3 Iraqi checkpoints, all under the watchful eyes and lethal skills/firepower of our Mobile Strike Teams from Weapons Company. Since that time, the ING have captured some of our most high value targets, and now routinely conduct offensive raids against insurgent forces. They are not US Marines, nobody is but US Marines, but they are a viable security force, operating efficiently, and OWNING the streets of the towns in our zone, along side, and more and more, independent of their Marine counterparts. The efforts of Captain Guillermo Rosales, and his unbelievable Marines from 3rd Plt, Co G, who have served as our combined action platoon (CAP), living, mentoring and training the ING have been phenomenal. A book should be written about them and how to conduct CAP.

Simultaneous with these efforts was the counter-insurgency fight! This was where the heavy lifting of the letter companies, E, F and G, supported by the Mobile Strike Teams, Artillery, Mortars and Combat Operations Center would earn their keep and truly see if they have what it takes to be Marines. The Companies set out in earnest, following seizures, on relentless and round the clock patrolling efforts. They learned every resident of every house and every owner of every store and every nook of every cranny. They learned the ebb and flow of the town. They knew when something was right, and when something was wrong. They knew who had legitimate business and who had insurgent business. And, as I expressed last week, they always carried the Flag of the US. They carried it in their spirit. To the legitimate and the oppressed, which was usually one and the same, they brought all the best our country has to offer: compassion, concern, genuine caring and an attempt to solve problems and make life better. To those who had insurgent business, they brought violence. Often times this violence ended in enemy casualties, most times in incarceration.

While the Companies were doing this, the enemy did not sit idly waiting. He set his lethal IEDs, he fired his rockets and mortars, and on some occassions he attacked. On 12 Nov, he tried an attack on Fox Company, that to date, I can find no evidence of a similar attack anywhere in country similar to what he attempted on that day. But what he learned, was futility. Futility and the AWESOME lethality of the combined arms team of a Marine Rifle Company, fully supported by arty, air, mortars and a competent COC can bring. He has never again attempted that suicidal feat, though we stand ready for it, should he try. When he would fire his mortars and rockets, we would fire back. The Marines gained phenomenal skill in counter fire drills and would routinely be firing back en masse in less than minutes, making the occupation of an insurgent mortarman a VERY dangerous profession. They studied his IEDs hard and learned his techniques, and adapted their movement methods to outsmart him.

We had casualties, you all know that. We suffered the sting of death of our own. But, YOUR Marines pressed on, and they pressed harder. They continued their relentless fight, and slowly but surely, the tide was turning. The mortars and rockets were less and less. More IEDs were being found and rendered safe than being detonated. And, hundreds, many hundreds insurgents were raided in the night and whisked off to Abu Ghraib. This was done because as the Companies were unleashed in their zone the intelligence picture was developed. See, the Marines would gather the information, and the amazing Marines of the Human Exploitation Team and the Intelligence Section developed the picture. They learned the cells, identified the networks, put names with faces. In this counter-insurgency our goal is simple: give me two things, their name and where they sleep. If you are an insurgent and we know your name, and we know where you sleep, well, "it is game on for us, game over for you!"

Now, in our saga, we are approaching Christmas time, and we, as a Task Force, are switching from the Command of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit under Col Ron "Jawbreaker" Johnson, to the USA 2nd Brigade Combat Team under Col "Fightin' Mike" Formica. With the 2 BCT came added forces and a set of toys that allowed us to take relentless to a new level: sleepless pursuit of the enemy. For we were still seeking our end state. Then, like a slap in the face, we were hit with the news: no elections in our zone. People living in our zone would have to transit to Baghdad to vote. AGAIN, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE TIME THIS DECISION WAS MADE, IT MADE SENSE! We had no issue with the decision for its merit, only disappointment that we had achieved so much and felt as if we were facing failure. For Marines, this is the worst fear of all: FAILURE. But, just like every good story with a happy ending, this one was full of heroes. One of them was Col Mike Formica. Col Formica went to bat for the Mad Ghosts, and for his Troopers that had 13 months in country, were on an extension to assist us in zone, and had fought in Najaf, Mosul and Fallujah. He went to bat and made the argument that the Mayhem Battalion had achieved the conditions necessary for elections by reducing violence, and could make this happen. Next in the heroes, MGen Chiarelli, CG 1st Cav Div, who took the ball to the next level.

Beyond that, I do not know the heroes, for they are far above my pay grade, but they said yes. They said yes on the caveat that the 2 BCT and 2/24 would have to do the hard work. We would have to establish and secure the sites that would allow for the workers to conduct an election.

Now, for the sake of brevity I will tell you this. Identication of, keeping secret until 48 hours out, seizing and establishing force protection of polling sites is not an easy task. It was days of meticulous planning, changes to the plan, changes to the changes, and then flexibility. But, here is what happened: 8 sites, 2 per urban center in the Mayhem AO were seized and secured. Force protection barriers and procedures were emplaced.

Our Iraqi Army counterparts assumed the inner cordons and hundreds of Iraqi Election Workers and Officials were moved into the sites. Our Election Set was complete at 0700 30 Jan 2005!

What happened? Well, most of you have heard stories in the media and the internet. I will focus on our zone. What happened was a miracle! You can attempt to diminish it any way you choose, if you choose to do so. But for those of us that witnessed it, it was a miracle! Thousands of Iraqi citizens WALKED to the polls to vote! The walked to the polls, they waited in lines for hours, and they voted. They had been threatened with death if they did so, and they voted! They voted for the first time in their lives as FREE men and women. They voted among falling mortars. In Yusufiyah, 20 separate mortar attacks were attempted. Fox would identify the origin, and counter-fire. The enemy was highly ineffective because one, he knew Fox would shoot back, and two, he has been so shot up and decimated he is using his junior varsity, which with these guys the varsity is suspect at best. In Lutafiyah, they tried to mortar and then escape, which is what these cowards do. Too bad for this mortar crew their route of egress was cut by a Mobile Strike Team. Well, suffice it to say, one of them will never be a mortarman or anything else ever again, and two were apprehended, and all of their weaponry and mortar tubes seized! They tried to mortar in Al Rasheed as well, and were attempting to use a four man observation team to direct the accuracy of their rounds. Seems bad luck was all-around this day for the insurgents as one of our Sniper teams put an immediate and permanent halt to that activity.

But, for all the precision and tactical efficiency of your Marines on this day, the miracle was the Iraqi people. With all the threatened violence, and most importantly all the REAL violence that was going on around them, they VOTED! They never broke and ran. They never hesitated. They stayed, and they VOTED. Why? Because, they had tasted the power of FREEDOM. They have had enough of the tyranny, the repression, the brutality, the sheer suffocation of other men telling them their destiny and the inner thoughts of their own minds and their own souls. And, as powerful as those emotions, those passions are; it requires strength to break the chains. Their strength on that day was YOUR Marines! But more than that, and please forgive me, on that day their strength was THEIR Marines!!! Now THEIR Marines and YOUR Marines are the same. YOUR Marines are the Marines that have lived in THEIR towns, have endured THEIR hardship and have striven hard, and given their lives for THEIR children. THEY recognized it. THEY appreciated it. THEY honored it. They did all of these things by standing side by side with YOUR Marines and offering the only resistance to the insurgency they have, THEIR FREEDOM! On this day they showed the world what they learned from YOUR Marines; that "it is better to die on your feet, than to live on your knees." And one simple question should come of their actions: where did they learn this courage? From a cave hiding Osama Bin Nothing? From a hate spewing and slithering snake Abu Masab Zarpunkery? From Sadam Hussein? No, they learned it from YOUR Marines! And, if you were to ask them, they learned it from THEIR Marines, THEIR neighbor Marines, THEIR caring Marines, THEIR freedom Marines, THEIR brother Marines! Just don't know how else you explain a midget pushing his 70 year old father two miles under mortar fire so his father could know freedom and the power of the ballot before he dies!

Now Ladies, I do not know what will happen in this region of the world over the next decade. I suspect much violence. I know for us, our fight is not over, and has only intensified as we try to strangle the life out of an insurgency that will never quit and must be vanquished. It will remain for us mortally dangerous work until the day we depart. But, I know this: on 30 Jan 2005 a flame was lit that cannot be extinguished! A flame of liberty that is going to continue to burn until repressed and oppressed people are free of tyranny and terror. It will take a while and it will be bloody. But, such was the beginning of our Nation, and has been our history as we continue to seek the perfection of the human condition to the best ability mankind has to offer!

In closing, let me offer one last anecdote of our weekend. Hundreds of the Iraqi election officials were aboard our FOB, St. Michael, as we achieved election set. We closed our chow hall and turned it into a lounge for them. Something occurred in that lounge that you all MUST know about. The Iraqis, as is their custom, set about drinking sodas, smoking cigarettes and talking in the loud and demonstrative tones they are accustomed to. Except for one spot. There was one spot in our chow hall where they would not smoke, they would not drink, they would not talk. There was one spot where all they would do is stand in silent reverence. That spot...our memorial table with the pictures of our heroic fallen. No, at this spot, they showed nothing but respect and honor! This was not something they were told to do, it was something that came natural to them.

I have asked myself many times why that is, and I have come to this undeniable conclusion: for they were bound with those Marines who gave their last full measure of devotion on the battlefields of Iraq not by religion, not by race, not by color, not by creed, not by custom, not by culture, not by anything one can think of save one thing: they were bound with those Marines as FREE MEN AND WOMEN. And, you see, FREE MEN AND WOMEN can disagree, but cannot hate! In this simple truth is the cause of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In this simple truth, we press on. In this simple truth, Cpl Brian Prenning, Cpl Robert Warns, Cpl Nathaniel Hammond, Cpl Peter Giannopolous, LCpl Branden Ramey, LCpl Daniel Wyatt, LCpl Richard Warner, LCpl Shane O'Donnell, PFC Ryan Cantafio, and PFC Brent Vroman gave their lives. That in bringing freedom to the world, hate will vanquish, and YOU, the ones the loved so dear, will live on free: free of fear, free of opression, free of tyranny and God Almighty in Heaven willing, free of War!

To my 10 Heroes: mission accomplished. Be proud in your brothers, for they honored you. Be proud in your people, they supported you. Be proud of the Iraqis, they learned and they drew courage from you. May you rest with the Angels...eternally free of all pain and sorrow!

God Bless and Keep the Magnificent Families of 2nd Bn, 24th Marines, keepers of the flame of FREEDOM.

LtCol Mark A. Smith,


Posted by Deb at 02:45 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack



February 10, 2005



It's good to have friends

Cassandra at Villainous Company and John at Aargghhh!!! scooped me! I'd planned on doing a one-time-only appeal for donations for website maintenance next month when we renew our hosting agreement for the Marine Corps Moms website. but they've always been a bit ahead of the curve and their kind words today about the Marine Corps Moms website are no exception.

We have some exciting things planned for the next year, but this is rapidly outgrowing being able to justify the hit to my budget as just a hobby. We're not looking to make a profit - all donations over and above what we need to fill our wish list will be used to support our other projects (cool ties, sand scarfs, Operation Santa).

I'll do a complete "SOTS" (State of the Site) on March 1, but here's a preview.

  • We need more web space. We're bumping up against our available disk space and are at 75% of bandwidth capacity. It's growing steadily which is exciting - we appreciate each and every reader.

  • Currently, we're using an older version of Movable Type and we desperately need to upgrade this to the newest version. The main reason for this is the daily deluge of comment and trackback SPAM. I'm spending at least an hour a day deleting offers for online poker, home financing, viagra, and increased penis size. Updating will provide better tools to deal with this.

  • We plan to launch a discussion board that will allow a better interface for parents and spouses to connect with each other. Right now, a fair number of readers are using the comments feature - awkward at best. To do this, we need to purchase vBulletin software and get it up and running.

In a few weeks, we'll give you a comprehensive overview of where we're going and what we're doing. To that end, we'd like to hear from you - what do you find useful, what would you like to see more of . . . or less of?

Please contact me at deb@marinecorpsmoms.com. PayPal donations can be sent to that same address. And we'll find a way to express our thanks to anyone who donates.

Posted by Deb at 03:30 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack





First Update from 3/8 Marines

LtCol Neary sends this update from Fallujah:

Dear Family and Friends of Task Force 3D Battalion, 8th Marines,

This is my first letter to you in the first month of our deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mail has started a steady flow and many of you should be in contact with your loved ones by phone or email. Please guard the information that your loved ones pass along to you. During a casual conversation, they may accidentally transmit sensitive information to you. They should not discuss information regarding our operations here. Please remind them if they do. I know they are excited to tell you about their work here, but please help me with this. I also ask you not to post names and information about our activities on any private Internet web sites. I know that these sites exist for good reasons, however, the enemy here can also access these sites and if they get any sensitive information from them, they will use it to attack us. Again, I am asking for your help on this.

Your Marines and Sailors have been very active in our sector and there are many things happening each day to keep this incredible organization going and keep the enemy on the run. We have been working and training the Iraqi Security Forces and National Guard. Many of these soldiers put their lives and their family’s lives on the line to work with us. The work is constant – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The days are full and pass quickly for most of us. We work hard to improve our living conditions and overall security. Except while on patrol every Marine and Sailor has a hard roof over his head, and gets two good hot meals a day. They have access to showers and communications back at their main operating bases at least once a week.

On 30 January, your Marines and Sailors performed magnificently during the first Iraqi election to elect their Transitional National Assembly. The engineers helped modify the two polling sites while our truck platoon moved supplies, barriers, etc., weapons company was providing security on all the major roads, Co I, K, and L provided security at and around the sites while our snipers well they watch over everything from afar. Of course we can’t do this without H&S Company involved in all aspects from medical, maintenance to communications and the chaplains prayers. You would have all been proud. My staff is sharp group of men and I am truly blessed for their dedication to the mission and each other.

Sergeant Major James and I travel our battle space everyday to ensure everyone is doing well. Right now, daily temperatures hover around 60-70 degrees during the day and drop to 40 degrees at night. As we know in a month the temperature will start to climb. I can tell you first hand that your Marines and Sailors are doing a magnificent job performing in conditions like this. They are alert and professional. So far we have been fortunate to have no Marines or Sailors killed in action. I attribute this to our high level of training, intelligent decision-making, aggressive action and some very good luck. Prayer is also helping.

As time permits, I will write again soon. I hope this update has provided you with an insight into the Battalion’s accomplishments and progress. To the spouses, if you decide to move during the deployment please let your Key Volunteer or GySgt Smith know so we can keep you updated. Thank you to all the Key Volunteers for your professional work. Thank you to all the spouses and families for the support you are providing to this fine outfit. I am humbled to be their leader.

May God Bless You and Task Force 3/8,
Semper Fi!
Stephen M. Neary
Lieutenant Colonel
Commanding Officer, Task Force 3/8
Fallujah, Iraq

Posted by Deb at 01:07 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack



February 09, 2005



They are so damn young

When 1/8 Marines arrived back in Kuwait prior to returning home after their second deployment in Iraq, USN CDR Kurt Storey, son of a former VietNam POW USAF LTC Thomas G. Storey, was there. Here's his e-mail relating that experience:

I was going to the gym tonight ( really just a huge tent with weights and treadmills), and we had heard that one of the MEUs (Marine Exp Units) that had come out of service in the "triangle" was reploying (leaving country). We saw their convoy roll in to the Kuwait Naval Base as the desert sun was setting. I have never seen anything like this. Trucks and humvees that looked like they had just come through a shredder. Their equipment was full of shrapnel blast holes, and missing entire major pieces that you could tell had been blasted by IEDs. These kids looked bad too! I mean, sunken eyes, thin as rails, and that 1000 yd stare they talk about after direct combat. Made me pretty damn embarrassed to be a "rear area warrior". All people could do was stop in their tracks and stare... and feel like me...like I wanted to bow my head in reverence. A Marine Captain stationed with me, was standing next to me also headed to the gym. He said, "part of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 8th Marines sir. Took the heaviest losses of any single unit up north as part of Task Force Danger, sir."

As the convoy rolled up, all of us watching just slowly crept toward these kids as they dismounted the hummers and 5 tons. Of course, we were all shiny and clean compared to these warriors. This kids looked like they had just crawled from Iraq. I had my security badge and id around my neck, and started to help them unload some of their duffle bags. A crusty Gunny came up to me and said "sir, you don?t have to do that..."

"Gunny... yes I do..."

They all looked like they were in high school, or younger!! All held themselves sharply and confident, despite the extreme fatigue you could tell they had endured. "You guys out of the triangle?" I asked. "Yes, sir. 14 months, and twice into the grinder sir" (both fights for Fallujah). All I could do was throw my arm around their shoulders and say "thanks Marine, for taking the fight to the bad guys...we love you man". I looked at these young kids, not one of them complaining or showing signs of anything but focus, and good humor. "Sir, they got ice cream at the DFAC sir?" "I haven't had real ice cream since we got here..."

They continued to unload... and after I had done my hand shakes and shoulder hugs, the Captain and I looked at each other... They want ice cream, we'll get them ice cream. You see a squid O-5 and a focused Marine O-3 can get just about anything, even if the mess is closed. Needless to say, we raided the closed DFAC (mess tent), much to the chagrin of one very pissed off Mess SGT. and grabbed boxes of ice cream sandwiches (as many as we could carry), and hustled back to the convoy. I felt like Santa Claus. "Thank you sir.." again and again from each troop as we tossed up the bars to the guys in the trucks. "Son, what the hell are you thanking me for...? I can't thank you enough..."

and they are so damn young....

I will sleep well knowing they are watching my back tonight....

1/8 is now back at Camp LeJeune.

Posted by Deb at 05:52 PM | Comments (6)



February 08, 2005



11th MEU is coming home, wave by wave

Photo by Cpl. Matthew S. Richards
Army General George Casey, commander of all coalition forces in Iraq, visited 11th MEU Marines and sailors here and congratulated them on their role in the success of Najaf, Iraq, Feb. 3. Stating that the battle of Najaf was a tactical success that turned into the first strategic win for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Interim Government, he also congratulated them on a successful elections that was made possible by the peace they helped create in the city.

The first wave of 11th MEU is home and families have been reunited. Here's a report from those still in the sandbox:

It has been a whirlwind of a week. The first main body of MEU Marines and Sailors arrived back at Camp Pendleton today, and no doubt it was a joyous day for those troops and their families and friends.

Earlier this week, Gen. Casey, the top commander of all troops in Iraq, visited MEU Marines and sailors at FOB Duke and congratulated them on their role in the success of Najaf. Stating that the battle of Najaf was a tactical success that turned into the first strategic win for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Interim Government, he also congratulated them on a successful elections that was made possible by the peace they helped create in the city.

Within the next upcoming weeks and days, the rest of us in Iraq will finish up preparations and packing before heading to Kuwait to catch our plane home. There is still quite a bit to do, but Marines and sailors eager to go home can make miracles happen. We can't wait to see you all again. Also, just as warning, on Feb. 9 our e-mail will shut down and we will not be able to update the webpage anymore. Take that as a positive sign that we'll be home soon!

In closing, North County Times reporter Darrin Mortenson and photographer Hayne Palmour are still with us. Just in case you might have missed on, listed below are the stories that they have produced so far. If you would like to read these, go to the newspaper's website www.nctimes.com and do a search on "11th Marine Expeditionary Unit." Links to these articles will pop up.

In addition, we had the following media embedded with the 11th MEU or out in town covering elections last week. If you want to read more about how Najaf is doing, you can do searches on the following agencies and their reporters and photographers:


  • Doug Struck-Washington Post
  • Lin Noueihad-Reuters
  • Lamia Radi-Agence French-Presse or AFP
  • Ed Wong-New York Times
  • Thanassi Camabanis-Boston Globe
  • Liz Sly-Chicago Tribune
  • Jill Carroll-USA Today
  • Anne Garrells-National Public Radio or NPR
  • Dan Murphy-Christian Science Monitor
  • Ashraf Khalil- Los Angeles Times
  • Babak Dehghanpisheh- Newsweek

Photographers:

  • Lucian Read-World Picture News (our embedded photographer who has been with us since May!)
  • Max Becherer-Polaris and New York Times
  • Ghaith Abdul Ahad-Getty Images
  • Brent Stirton-Getty Images
  • Hadi Mizban-Associated Press Photo

North County Times articles:

  • Feb. 6: Hard-fought peace still fragile as Marines pack up
  • Feb. 4: The mentors of Camp Pendleton: In Iraq, they're training National Guardsmen to take over
  • Feb. 2: Iraqi poll workers return to hometowns
  • Feb. 2: With election over, local troops packing for home
  • Feb. 1: Marines resume patrols after election
  • Feb. 1: Pendleton Marines responded to British crash
  • Jan. 31: Peaceful, joyful, day of voting in Najaf
  • Jan. 30: Pendleton Marines stand by during historic vote\
  • Jan. 29: Marines get crash course in how to come home
  • Jan. 28: Marines raid suspicious Iraqi tent city
  • Jan. 27: Marines clear roads in preparation for vote
  • Jan. 26: Navy Seabees build school for Iraqi nomads
  • Jan. 26: Commander: Marines made history
  • Jan. 25: U.S. Marines pay Iraqis for battle damage, death
  • Jan. 24: Marines try to heal body, spirits of girl maimed by U.S. bomb
  • Jan. 23: Marines try to capture hearts of locals in quest to keep peace

Posted by Deb at 10:07 PM | Comments (1)



February 07, 2005



Constant attacks need constant prayer

I've mentioned before that there isn't a lot of news coming from Husaybah, current home to 1/7 Baker Company. There's a reason for that. Even though it's one of the hottest spots in Iraq - and has been for months - there are no embedded reporters. Tim Perry with the L.A. Times recently visited Al Qaim, home base for the rest of 1/7. Here's a snippet from his interview with 1/7 battalion commander, LtCol Chris Woodbridge:

Woodbridge said the Marine camp north of Al Qaim in the town of Husaybah is under such constant attack from rockets and mortars that he takes only essential missions there and has declined to bring in Marine brass for inspection tours.

In a phone conversation yesterday with my son, I asked him about some misinformation I'd received recently about a "fender bender" involving his squad. He said, "I guess you could call it a fender blown all to hell. It blew out the windows in a building 2 kilometers away." Turns out it was a suicide bomber that detonated outside the building his squad was in . . . the engine block landed 300 yards away. No Marines were seriously injured, thank God. He also mentioned, casually mentioned, that he'd had an up close meeting with a sniper's bullet that same week. It smashed into the wall he stood next to, missing him by 4 inches. All in a days work for Marines on the Syrian border.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for him and all our Marines. It's working.

Posted by Deb at 09:52 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack



February 06, 2005



Your pre-Superbowl entertainment

She's on her game today:

Cassandra fisks Clarke.

My word, Mr. Clarke. Do you mean to tell us that democracy has been in existence for... what... six years and terrorism has not been completely stamped out? We confess it - we are shocked! What a miserable failure.

Democracy takes time to evolve, and sometimes it happens in fits and starts. It took the noble experiment called the United States over two hundred years and we're still working on getting it right. Japan tried it once with the Meiji Constitution, but true democracy came only at the point of a gun after [horror of horrors!] a lengthy US occupation, post-WWII. Funny you don't mention that one in your cherry-picking expedition. It must not have fit into your agenda basket.

And the crowd roars.

Posted by Deb at 11:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack





24th MEU Chaplain's Call

If you could write your life, what words would you choose? How would you develop your own character and plan your personal plot? Lt. Cmdr. Louis Rosa, 24th MEU Chaplain, contemplates the magnum opus still in production by the Marines who will soon end the chapter on this deployment and move on to the next.

Deployments are like a novel. Each novel is divided into parts. The pre-deployment work ups and planning is the introduction, the body of the book is the deployment and the conclusion is the return and reunion. Many books have an epilogue, the final scene of a story that comments on or summarizes the main action. Regarding our deployment, this is yet to be written.

Like any good book, the reader should walk away from it having experienced different emotions. A great book is designed to make us grow, expand our horizons and challenge us. Deployments are definitely designed to do that. Our reunion with our loved ones is the 'epilogue' of this deployment. How we choose to summarize what has taken place in our life the past few months are pages yet to be written-by us.

How we have changed in the area of our home life, work and emotions will take some creative writing because it comes from the true creativity that only deployments can inspire. Like a focused author it takes effort to do this effectively.

If someone read your novel how will they know how you changed? Which new skills and interests have you acquired? How has your appearance altered from a few months ago? How have new routines changed the family structure? Most importantly, how has this deployment shifted priorities in your life? Books and deployments focus on an aspect of what is important to the author and to the reader. If you were writing an account of this deployment what would be the evidence of what's really become important in your life? How will the epilogue, the summary, of your novel indicate a shift in perception of what the future will be like now that your loved one is home?

How you choose to write the epilogue of this deployment will determine how great of a bestseller it will be. So whether yours is a romance, an action thriller, a mystery or a how to book on how to survive a deployment the ending is the cinch to it's success. Remember, every great book leaves room for a sequel. Here's wishing you a bestseller success!


Posted by Deb at 11:16 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack



February 05, 2005



". . . returning home with our heads held high and our arms wide open"

The 24th MEU is coming home - here is Col Johnson's final message to the families and friends of the Marines he commands:

Dear Families and Friends,

We are at last coming to the end of our mission here in Iraq. While we are looking forward with great anticipation and excitement to reuniting with our loved ones, we are departing with mixed emotions. Our indescribable joy will be tempered by thoughts of our fellow Marines and comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We will never forget them. Their names and faces will be etched in our memories forever. Even when we are old and gray, they will remain young and at the dawn of their lives.

We have learned much about ourselves since we've been gone, and for that we will be better men and women. The experiences here in Iraq have taught us that we must not take life for granted, that we must cherish every moment of every day. We have also learned that our country has much to offer, that with great power and abundance comes great responsibility.

I cannot thank you enough for the tremendous lift you've given us these past eight months. We have ridden that wave of support through exhaustingly endless days and nights, and it will carry us home. I want you to know that your thoughts, prayers, letters and packages were what we needed most when we were lonely and tired. They were indispensable in the accomplishment of our mission. Each and every one of us feels that we have made a significant contribution to the rebirth of Iraq. We are enormously proud of our efforts and grateful for you who made them possible.

While we mourn and honor those we lost, we will also bear in mind those we leave behind. Please remember in your thoughts and prayers the brave men and women who will fight and toil on, trying to bring peace and democracy to a land that for too long has known little of either.

We are returning home with our heads held high and our arms wide open. We are ready to turn our full attention back to those who mean the most to us. We are eager to share in the reward for our long and difficult separation. And we are more appreciative than ever of our many blessings, foremost among them you.

Semper Fidelis,
R.J. JOHNSON
Colonel, U.S. Marines

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After-election report from MSSG-31

LtCol J. Alex Vohr reports from Iraq:



I hope this letter finds you well. It has been a busy month for MSSG 31 with all of the events leading up to and culminating in the historic Iraqi election yesterday. Every Marine and Sailor played a large role in the setting the stage to allow for election success by either working to support the I MEF efforts to provide a secure environment or by helping put together polling sites that were a secure place for Iraqi citizens to vote. It was pretty incredible to see and nothing less than the result of a tremendous amount of hard work on the part of many people.

I am truly in awe of the Marines and Sailors of MSSG 31. When I assumed command in June 2004, I was struck by how many junior personnel we had in the unit. Most were Privates First Class and Lance Corporals. In the time we have been here they have all become experienced professionals. The exposure to operations in a combat environment has transformed them all in a positive way. During the elections we were responsible for the movements of significant amounts of barrier materials and building the force protection barrier plan for a large polling site. The Marines of the motor transport detachment and landing support moved all of this material without a hitch. The engineers worked an entire day and throughout the night to build the site, adjusted it all during the following day, and then stepped up to the task of being active members of the security force during the actual elections. The female Marines and Sailors of the MSSG served as searchers for female voters, demonstrating tremendous courage at the point of greatest danger. Every other Marine and Sailor of the MSSG contributed to the efforts to include an entire platoon acting as provisional infantry to bolster security through the crucial time period. In short, they were and are unbelievable!

The Executive Officer, Sergeant Major and I often comment on how good they are and how what they are learning now will make the difference as they mature and assume leadership roles in the Marine Corps or in a civilian role if they choose to go that way. With Marines and Sailors like these, the future of the nation is well in hand.

It will not be long before MSSG 31 heads towards home port. Until then, we will keep doing what we are doing and I will keep you posted.

Until next time and as always, I’m proud and you should be proud of the Marines and Sailors of MSSG 31. It is an honor to serve with them.

Thanks for all your support


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11th MEU after-election update

The 11th MEU reports from an Najaf:

Success! After much preparation and planning, elections in Najaf and Karbala went off without a hitch and with a festive air. As expected, the day was violence free in both Shi'a holy cities as Iraqis eagerly turned out in droves to vote. Iraqi police, army soldiers and border police provided security around polling sites and checkpoints throughout the urban centers, with 11th MEU Marine forces never having to leave their bases in support. Iraqi security forces had everything under control, and didn't need our assistance.

At 7 a.m. the polling sites opened, and Iraqis arrived dressed in their best clothes. They were ecstatic and all smiles, congratulating each other on the vote, and holding their purple index finger up in the air as prideful evidence that they had voted. Since driving was forbidden across the country, the majority of voters walked to the polling sites, while some rode in donkey carts. The elderly were transported in wheelbarrows or wooden carts, while other Iraqis led the blind to the sites. Whole families entered the polls so the children could watch their father, as well as their mother, vote. The polls closed at 5 p.m.

The Iraqi security forces, trained by 11th MEU Marines, did an outstanding job and proved that they could handle the situation on their own. Their performance, in addition to the high voter turnout and air of festivity in the two Shi'a cities, was heartening to all. Ultimately, the successful elections have validated all the hard work and sacrifice that has been made here. 11th MEU Marines and Sailors, and their family and friends, have much to be proud about.

It is remarkable that Jan. 30 marks the first free elections in Iraq in more than 50 years. And quite possibly, today's elections may result in the first time in 80 years where the Shi'a people will have a say in their governance equal to that of their majority status in Iraq. These definitely are exciting times.


Posted by Deb at 12:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack



February 04, 2005



The All Star Team heads for home

CSSB-7 is coming home to 29 Palms! Here is the last update from LtCol Doolin,
Commanding Officer:

Dear CSSB-7 Friends and Families;

I am happy to report that this will be the final letter for this deployment! As I mentioned in a recent letter, the majority of CSSB-7 personnel will return stateside *****, with twenty-five percent arriving ******. That will bring a close to Operation Iraqi Freedom II-II and your loved one’s assignment to CSSB-7.

When we first arrived in Iraq last August I set some clear and challenging goals for this battalion. First, I wanted us to quickly come together as a team, as we came from around the Marine Corps and around the world to build this battalion. I used the analogy of an “All Star Team” where we have ties to great units, places, family and friends, but for these 6 months, we would build something special that we could be proud of and remember for years to come. Second, we would set high standards and maintain them throughout the deployment so we could show the younger Marines what it is to be in a truly great unit. Third, I said that we would become the Best Combat Logistics Battalion in the U.S. Marine Corps. Lastly, and most importantly, by achieving these lofty goals, we stood the best chance of succeeding in our mission and bringing everyone home alive.

As of the date of this writing, we have met and exceeded these early goals. You will not be surprised to know that your Marines and Sailors excelled at every turn and are deserving of the title “hero”, although none of them will want to be referred as such. While the challenge was significant, and the enemy cunning and persistent, we have shown the tenacity and wherewithal that Marines and Sailors have shown for over 200 years. We did not come away unscathed, as this is war, and war has high risk and costs. We continue to pray for all our brothers and sisters from all services who were wounded or killed in combat, and we pray for continued strength for their loved ones who have sacrificed dearly. We particularly remember our brothers from Charlie Company, 6th Engineer Support Battalion from Peoria Illinios who suffered greatly in a suicide vehicle attack on December 22, 2004. Your courage and sacrifice is not forgotten.

We thank each of you and the thousands of Americans who have supported us throughout this deployment. The cards, care packages, letters from schoolchildren, prayers, and well wishes were phenomenal and gave us immeasurable strength. A heartfelt Thank You also goes out to the Key Volunteer Network who gave so much of their time and care to the families of this battalion. You are Awesome!

It has been an honor and a privilege to command this wonderful battalion of America’s finest. I look forward to returning to Twentynine Palms, California to rejoin my family and friends, and begin to prepare CSSB-7 for the next time we are called upon to serve in combat.

May you have a wonderful reunion with your loved ones, and may God continue to bless you in the months ahead.

Thank you for your untiring support.

Sincerely,
Drew T. Doolin

It looks foggy but it's a sandstorm. We're again recruiting volunteers to sew sand scarves - strips of t-shirt material that wrap around the lower face to protect against the invasive sand. And if your Marine needs them, let us know. We have a small supply that we'd like to get over there. As always, these are done on strictly volunteer basis so there is no charge for the scarf.

Posted by Deb at 08:03 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack



February 03, 2005



Waiting for this day...

The hero returns, welcomed by a proud Marine grandmother and brother

Proud Marine Mom Carol Hutchings recently welcomed her son home from the sandbox. She captured so perfectly the emotions that parents experience during redeployment:

The phone call came at 0330hrs to the hotel room, the plane had landed. They were at the airport. Hallelujah!!! Into the SUV (with our bumper sticker- United States Marines) we drove into the darkness with great anticipation. Hurry go faster...the gate waved us through, they knew where we were headed. The darkness hung with us. The excitement began to grow as the families gathered in the big room with the joy and excitement building with each announcement of their movements. Our Marine Homecoming shirts proudly displayed. Sharing hugs with families we did not know. Waiting waiting. Finally, the announcement came the buses are moving. Some of us were drawn outside stretching our necks to see those great buses bring in our loved ones, Our hero's, our Marines. The lights in the darkness were moving toward us, waiting waiting. Our American flags were waving high, the sounds of our cheers echoed into the night, here they come, here they are, in front of us. Our Hero's. The buses stopped and doors opened. Out poured our Hero's.
Hugging, kissing, welcoming our Hero's home, who we prayed for everyday, who we hoped for everyday, they were finally here. Searching for my Marine, looking for that tall figure and that proud walk. Shaking hands, hugging Marines, thanking them all, as I tried to find my Marine. They were dressed in their fatigues worn and faded from the sweat and sun of the Sandbox. Some looked so tired, some so happy to be home. One Marine holding his baby for the first time, was so moving. What joy. The rain came down on us all, but I don't think we even noticed the cold or wet. The tears of joy flowed from our eyes, and there he was standing in front of us, grinning from ear to ear. A site to behold. He had seen the hell of war, and made it home. My son was home, he was safe for now. So proud of my Marine, so filled with overflowing joy, he is a true Marine. He made it home, however, he did not let me fail to remember those who did not make it home. The hugs that I wanted to last forever around his disciplined body, were also for those hugs that would not be felt by some. My heart ached for those families who were not able to feel what I was feeling. My Marine will not forget his brothers that came home with him, and his brothers that did not. War is hell. Thank God for our Marines who did make it home, and I pray for all the families of those who lost loved ones in this war. What a great great homecoming for me.

God bless all our United States Marines and their families.




Now, if I can only keep him from driving 100mph in that darn Orange Mustang.

Good luck on that one, Carol


Posted by Deb at 11:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack



February 02, 2005



SecDef on the Iraqi Election

DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel J. Klein, USMC
Members of the Iraqi Police and U.S. Marines (3/5 India Company) keep a watchful eye over the lines of Iraqi citizens waiting to cast their ballots in Iraq's first free election in over 50 years at a polling station in Jolan Park in Fallujah, Iraq, on Sunday.

Here's Donald Rumsfeld's message to our troops:

On January 30th in Iraq, the world witnessed an important moment in the global struggle against tyranny, a moment that historians might one day call a major turning point. America's men and women in uniform, who were instrumental in the liberation of Iraq, were there to witness this moment as well.

During the struggle to bring freedom to Iraq, many of you have faced difficult times far from home. I suspect there have been moments along the way when some of you may have wondered whether or not the effort would be worth the cost, or whether, even, the people you were trying to help truly stood with you.

Last Sunday, the Iraqi people answered those understandable questions in a resounding way, just as voters had in Afghanistan last October. The world is experiencing a global struggle between freedom and fear -- and you are on the side of freedom. That's the side to be on. And the people of Afghanistan, and now the people of Iraq, have chosen to stand with you.

Consider the courage it took for the Iraqi people to go to the polls when they had been warned that the act of voting could cost them and their family members their lives. Think of the determination they must have possessed to risk becoming targets for bombings or beheadings.

And yet the Iraqis voted -- millions of them.

Voters arrived on crutches and donkey carts, passing by graffiti warnings on the walls that said: "You vote, you die"; Iraqis came to a polling station to vote even after a rocket attack had killed three people several hours earlier; children waved Iraqi flags as they witnessed the birth of their new, free system; elderly women with tears in their eyes held up their voting cards; and voters displayed their ink-stained fingers as badges of honor in the fight against extremism.

Iraq's security forces also deserve recognition for their bravery and their willingness, despite the threats, to wear their country's uniforms and to provide security on Sunday for both the millions of voters and the thousands of election workers.

These are times of consequence. In the past few months, 50 million free people in Afghanistan and Iraq have begun to build new futures. They have rejected the extremism that fuels attacks on civilized people. And you have made that possible. Have no doubt: the courage and sacrifices of U.S. forces have helped to create the environment in which Afghans and Iraqis are developing the ability to take hold of their countries.

Now these free people continue to seek your help in building free, democratic and peaceful nations in some of the world's most violent regions. No one treasures peace more than you who have endured the horrors of war.

So to all of you who are serving on freedom's front lines, and to your families, I offer my deepest appreciation and respect. To those who have lost friends or loved ones during this conflict or who have been injured in defense of our freedom, find comfort in knowing that your sacrifices have historic meaning. And know that one day, the people of Iraq and Afghanistan will find a way to thank you, as I do, from the bottom of my heart.

May God bless you and may God bless the United States.

Donald H. Rumsfeld Secretary of Defense


Posted by Deb at 06:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack





The price paid for freedom

Last week, when television networks broke the story of a helicopter crash with Marines on board, each family of a Marine in Iraq held their breath, mentally evaluating where their child or husband or sibling was located, what the odds were that they might be on that chopper, trying not to think of what might be on the other side of a knock at their door. For 31 families of Marines on that helicopter, that terrible calculus was proved. Their loved one will not be coming home.

Darrell Ankarlo, whose son LCpl Adam Ankarlo serves with 1/3 Marines, has posted his son's account to his website. The following is an excerpt:

As most Americans know by now, we lost 31 of our boys last Tuesday when the CH-53 Sea Stallion they were flying in went down in an Iraqi field about 200 miles west of Baghdad. When the incident first crossed my news wire I was only seconds from going on the air. It took my breath away and I prayed a quiet prayer for all of the families but, to be honest, I never even considered that Adam, a Lance Corporal in the Corp, would be in that part of the country. Days earlier he told me his team would be moving out but even he was uncertain where they would land.

As the day progressed and the news said the guys were from Charlie Company I became even more concerned. My wife, Laurie, and I awaited word but it didn’t come. As the minutes ticked into hours every devastating thought a person can have ran through my mind. As Laurie paced and emailed, I sat in my office working on the next show. I had to stay busy. I had to keep my mind off the “sandbox” and the tragedy that had just changed families’ lives forever. Finally, 17 hours after the accident we heard from a source that our son had been spotted on the ground and that he was okay. We breathed for the first time all day.

I’m a pretty strong soul and a man who doesn’t often express emotions, but since that fateful day I find myself tearing up as my mind races to that point in time. Today, though, was the worst. Today, I heard the full story. It broke my heart.

The full story is heart-stopping - do visit his website and read the full story. Sheila Smith, wife of a deployed soldier in Afghanistan, shared her reaction to Darrell's account.

I was at Kaneohe Marine Corp Base yesterday with my son. We had gone there to look at cars and stop by the commissary to pick up a couple of things for dinner with a friend. As I entered the gate I noticed the Marines in their formal attire and then my heart sank. I looked to my left and there was the statue of the Marines as they were raising the United States Flag and gathered around this statue were families, friends and loved ones of the 27 Marines who were killed in this helicopter crash. I can only tell you that my heart stopped and all the trivial things of this world didn't seem to matter. What mattered was that someone had lost a husband, father, son, brother or best friend. I too felt a strange sense of guilt like this man's son felt. I know our guilt was different but I thought Lord I have lived my life why these young men? How can I be so blessed that my husband has seen combat and death but will be coming home to me? Lord what does it all mean? I pulled over on the side of the road and I looked at each face of those standing there, I looked at the flag as it blew in the wind and I realized the price that these young men and the numerous others had paid for the freedom we experience. As I say that flag blow freely in the wind I cried and I ached at the price that had been paid for it and I remembered what my husband said "It's what we do Shelia, it's what we do". I ask my self at that very moment what do we do? What do we do with the freedom that these lives have afforded us? I never want to forget that moment. I never want to forget the price that has been paid for our flag to fly across this great country.

Take a moment today. Forget about those things troubling you and fall to your knees and pray for these families and lift up the loved ones of every military member in prayer. Then make the decision to make each day the best it can be. Love more than you have ever loved before. Help that stranger. Say I'm sorry. Hug your husband, child, mother, father and know that you are blessed to have them near. Look into their eyes and rejoice at what you see. Live like there is no tomorrow because there are no guarantees. Live your life to bring honor to those who gave theirs so that you and I could be free. Bring honor to them and to their families by making each day the best it can be.

I love each and every one of you and I thank you for letting me share my heart with you today. Thank you for your love and support. Thank you for your prayers.

God Bless and Keep Each of You - God bless and comfort you Adam!

May God bless and comfort all the 1/3 Marines - Darrell's son, Liam's brother, each and every one. I will attend the memorial service for Cpl James Moore - one of those 30 Marines - from Roseburg, OR tomorrow afternoon. If anyone would like to e-mail condolences, I'll include them in a sympathy card for the family.

Posted by Deb at 03:57 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack





After-election report from Mamudiyah

Here's the most recent message from LtCol Mark Smith, shared by Marine Mom Linda Kelly:

As you are all probably already aware, the polls have closed in Iraq. Due to the historic significance of this day and YOUR loved ones role in it, and while I have just a few minutes, I must communicate a few things to you.

First, the fight is not over! Much work remains to be done, and the Mad Ghost Marines and Sailors of TF 2/24 will slacken not one inch in our cause. Second, I violated my own rule. I'm sorry, I could not resist. I just had to know how the media was portraying this day. I turned on the dust covered TV in my "office" at the FOB and caught the initial lead in to a network broadcast from their main anchor. It took all of about 30 seconds before I had hit maniacal rage stage, known around here as "oh crap, they tripped Mayhem 6's switch again." Moral of the story, in Cliff's Notes version, is this: after describing both the violence and the turnout, this anchorman said that the best way to handle the coverage of what has actually occurred is "to do it the same way we do in the states, and wait until all the facts are in," or words to that effect.

Well...knock me over with a feather, slap my face and call me a stupid hillbilly! "do it the same way we do it in the states." Did I hear that right? You have got to be kidding me! This was not an election in the only country that has known true representative democracy for 229 years. This was not an election in a country that has overcome the human inidignity of slavery, survived a civil war, slowly and, to our shame, took hundreds of years to bring the vote to women and minorities, has fought through TWO World Wars, all in the name of evolving and perfecting the human condition. THIS WAS AN ELECTION IN THE HEART OF THE ARAB WORLD, AND BY AN ELECTORATE THAT HAS NOT ONLY SUSTAINED DECADES OF REPRESSION, BRUTALITY AND TERROR, BUT VOTED UNDER THE THREAT OF DEATH, AND THE ACTUALITY OF VIOLENCE!

No, I quite disagree. The only FACT of interest in this election is that ANYONE showed up to vote. And they did, and to my initial understanding, they did in droves. That, I get from the web; but what I know, is that tens of thousands VOTED in our zone. And, they did, mulitple times while the enemy was firing mortars at the polls. YOU HEARD ME, WHILE THE ENEMY WAS FIRING MORTARS AT THE POLLS! We did have some Iraqi's injured. On each and every occassion, YOUR Mad Ghosts returned fire and pursued the enemy. I take no displeasure in telling you that while some of those enemy awoke this morning with the intent of slaughtering innocent men, women and children, the destiny of their day was that IT WAS TO BE THEIR LAST!

And, what did the Iraqi citizens do, they waved at YOUR Marines, they smiled
at YOUR Marines, they kept the hands of their children gripped tighlty and held them close, AND THEY KEPT RIGHT ON VOTING!!!!! There are many things to not understand about the Iraqi people from an American perspective. There are some that can easily lead one to hate. But there is so much more to respect and admire. TODAY, in the Mayhem AO, the enemy has earned even more of our disdain, but the people, well the people, they have earned our undying RESPECT and ADMIRATION! For today, in the Mayhem AO, and under the watchful, compassionate and professional cover of YOUR Marine, they demonstrated courage to a degree that would, and rightfully should, shame lesser people!

Unfortunately, due to our election set, I cannot shake the hand and manly hug each and every Marine of this Battalion, who today have humbled me beyond belief, and therefore, with the wizardy of some of my computer Devil Dogs, we produced a Power Point to be shared electronically. As the most magnificent KVN in the USMC, it is sent to you as well. There should be nothing but unstoppable pride in your soul for the performance of YOUR Marine.

God Bless 2/24, God Bless the wonderful families of 2/24, God Bless the USMC, God Bless America, and God Bless Iraq!

Unstoppable pride, yes. Absolutely yes.

Posted by Deb at 01:28 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack



February 01, 2005



"Would I vote if I thought I might be killed for doing so?"

In another message posted just before the elections, LtCol Mark Smith passed along a message from one of his officers, Major David Durham.

It is far too momentous an occasion for you not to share in the lives of YOUR Marine at this point in time and space. What I can tell you is we are in our election set. We have prepared for every possible, conceivable act our cowardly and evil enemy might throw at us, and the Iraqi people. There is electricity in the air! This must have been how the Minutemen felt.

Below is a letter that our S-4 Maj Durham sent out tonight and was kind enough to cc; me on. I think its eloquence speaks for itself. It is followed by the message I sent to all hands of 2/24, to all the Mad Ghosts as we are on the dawn of a new day; as the beginning of the end of terror is announced. A long, hard slog remains, but after tomorrow, there shall be no doubt as to its outcome.

May God Bless and Keep the Families of 2/24, as His Providence begins anew
tomorrow!

From Maj David Durham:

All,

I'm sure a few of you disagree with some if not all of what I have written you over the course of the last 6 months or so, and have been very kind and polite not to respond with your thoughts and opinions - I do appreciate your restraint - and I do respect your opinion. You have probably shown more wisdom and maturity than I have been able to muster when my passions flair - I'm trying to be a reserved man, but being in a war zone gets you going some times. All that to say thank you for letting me vent from time-to-time. Having said that, I'm going to violate my own admonition and ask you to think about something on the eve of the Iraqi election.

Lieutenant Colonel Smith asked a question tonight and I think it is worth repeating, passing the question on for you to answer. How many of us would vote if there was a good probability that the polling places would be mortared? How many of us would vote if there were gangs of thugs threatening to kill you in the street - today, next week, a month from now - if we are seen voting?

Tomorrow - which will be tonight for you at around 10 pm US Central time - the Iraqis will begin to leave their houses on foot to vote. They have been told by our enemy that they will die if they do. I don't know if tomorrow will witness a "large" voter turn out - or a "small" voter turn out – I don't know if Kofi Anan of the United Nations will be sufficiently impressed by the turn out to bless the elections he and our "friends" have done nothing to facilitate - or not.

Tomorrow will witness the birth of a new freedom in Iraq - you will see newly free Iraqis exercising their "inalienable right" to self govern.

There are many things I don't like about Iraq and many things I do not like or respect about Arab culture - I could fill a book. But I know courage when I see it, and I can only guess if I would have the same courage for me to risk my life to exercise my responsibility as a citizen.

From my previous e-mail you know I've been reading about our nation's birth (Christmas presents from my Dad,) I have often wondered if I would have had the courage to risk everything for a principle - or an idea. Tie that in with our current situation. I hear the arguments against what we are doing in Iraq - those types of arguments generally come from the same quarter they always have - time immemorial. It's so easy to be a critic - a cynic – a spectator - a drop out - and so difficult to stand up and do the hard thing - to work - to fight - to strive - to get knocked down and get back up - over and over - and make no mistake - this is hard - this is tough stuff - not so much for me, but for our young Marines. They all have the courage to risk everything - and some have given everything - "the last full measure," for a principle - for each other - for our nation.

I've copied and pasted below a list of 56 men - the Gallant 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence - the Band of Brothers and what happened to them. Those who signed below this statement: "We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor." Read this list and again ask yourself the question - "would I vote if I thought I might be killed for doing so." Tomorrow - as you witness the Iraqis shake off the chains that have for all time so tightly bound this region of the world - have some respect for their courage.

The last thing I would ask of you is this, tomorrow the polling places will be visibly guarded by US Marines and Soldiers who will have set up a small cordon of protection around the polling sites. The next time you go to the polls at home - please realize that they also are guarded by US Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guard and Policemen --who have a very large protective cordon around you. Understand the enemy that seeks to kill and destroy the new democracy here in Iraq has sworn before god to destroy you.

I wish you could see them - I really do - they want so much for you to see them - to understand them - so many times I've seen them around you at home - at Family Day - or some parade - like my own boys wanting my approval so badly - they so desperately want you to be proud of them - and I know that you are. If you could only see them now - so brave - so confident – such MEN!

Keep our Marines in your prayers - Stay the Course.
David

Continue reading for Major Durham's list of gallant men who risked all to ensure a free country for their descendents . . . and reflect on his question: "would I vote if I thought I might be killed for doing so."

  • Carter Braxton of Virginia, wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas. To pay his debts he lost his home and all his properties and died in rags.
  • Thomas Lynch Jr. who signed that pledge was the third-generation rice-grower. Aristocrat. Large plantation owner. After he signed his health failed. With his wife he set out for France, was never heard from again.
  • Thoraas McXean of Delaware was so harassed by the enemy that he was forced to move his family five times in five months. He served in Congress without pay, his family in poverty and in hiding.
  • Vandals looted the properties of Ellery and Clymer and Hall and Gwinnett and Walton and Heyward and Rutledge and Middleton.
  • And Thomas Nelson, Jr. of Virginia, raised two million dollars on his own signature to provision our allies...the French fleet. After the war, he personally paid back the loans, wiped out his entire estate. He was never reimbursed by his government.
  • In the final battle for Yorktown he, Nelson, urged General Washington to fire on his...Nelson's own home, which was occupied by Cornwallis. It was destroyed. He died bankrupt and was buried in an unmarked grave. Thomas Nelson, Jr. had pledged his "life, fortune, and his sacred honor."
  • The Hessians seised the home of Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey.
  • Francis Lewis had his home and everything destroyed, his wife imprisoned. She died within a few months.
  • Richard Stockton, who signed that Declaration, was captured and mistreated and his health broken to the extent that he died at fifty-one. His estate was pillaged.
  • Thomas Heyward, Jr. was captured when Charleston fell.
  • John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside while she was dying. Their thirteen children fled in all directions for their lives. His fields and gristmill were laid waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves and returned home after the war to find his wife dead, his children gone, his properties gone; he died a few weeks later of exhaustion and a broken heart.
  • Lewis Morris saw his land destroyed, his family scattered. Phillip Livingston died within a few months from the hardships of the war.
  • John Hancock history remembers best due to a quirk of fate rather than anything he stood for. That great sweeping signature attesting his vanity towers over the others. One of the wealthiest men in New England, he stood outside Boston one terrible night of the war and said, "Burn Boston, though it makes John Hancock a beggar if the public good requires it." He, too, lived up to the pledge.
Of the fifty-six, few were long to survive.
  • Five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes. ..from Rhode Island to Charleston...sacked, looted, occupied by the enemy, or burned. Two lost their sons in the army. One had two sons captured.
  • Nine of the fifty-six died from the war, from its hardships or from its more merciful bullets.

Posted by Deb at 10:49 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack





More from the Mad Ghosts of Mamudiyah

Here is an e-mail updates from LtCol Mark Smith from proud Marine Mom Linda Kelly. It's the first of two from him - he's quite a writer and I sincerely hope he puts these into book form someday.

Very good evening to all of you. It is my sincere hope that this letter continues to find you in high spirits, good health and filled with motivation for the challenges that lie ahead. I fully realize that with over half of the deployment behind you, the stress grows even more intense as your longing for your loved one morphs into an intense desire. This is ultimately good, but also can bring with it side effects that can be very challenging. Well, just for example, my email in-box was filled this week with hate mail for me on decisions that I had made, that several wives and girlfriends were in bitter opposition to. Now, I have always shot straight with my beloved ladies of 2/24, and have always said to feel free to contact me with questions or concerns, but I do wish that when I receive hate mail that it be based on facts, and not on decisions I never made! See, many people were spun out of control by a rumor concerning liberty in Germany. This rumor, and the emails that bombarded my wartop computer as a result are but a bug's flatulation in the grand scheme of life, but are symptomatic of a larger, and potentially more devastating effect. The effect of lack of understanding. You see ladies, I will be addressing redeployment and homecoming within the next week or two. And, I have no doubt that some of the decisions and RESTRICTIONS that will surround the Battalion's redeployment will not be welcome news for many of you. But, what I need all to understand, is that like all other decisions, the manner in which we handle redeployment and reunion issues will be based on what is best for the Marines, and what is best for the families. Even if it does not appear that way, that is what it will be. It will be that way because, despite my boyish looks (HA!), I am forty years old. And, in that forty years, I have twenty three in the beloved Corps. I have mobilized three times and deployed to war twice. In that time, I have learned a few things from my master, the USMC. And folks, I have to tell you, my master is very good at what she does. And, one of the things she does is deployment and redeployment. We know what we are doing. AND AGAIN, we will do it in a manner most beneficial to the YOUR MARINE and to YOU! Even if it does not appear that way to you. However, the details of which will have to wait for a few days, because total focus right now, hate mail notwithstanding, is the elections.

Now, for the elections. Rest assured that your Mad Ghosts are working hard to shape for successful elections in our Area of Operations. They will bring to the people of the "triangle of death" there first chance at self-determination. With our brothers-in-arms at large, we will bring to the Arab world, for the first time in history, its chance at self-determination. Did you hear that? For the first time in its history, this region of the world will experience its FIRST CHANCE AT SELF-DETERMINATION! Imagine that. Very hard for you to do, isn't it? Very hard to imagine because we take for granted the RIGHT to determine our government. Very hard to imagine because we take for granted that the social contract MANDATES that people be governed by consent, not by decree and force. Very hard to imagine because as Americans we make assumptions about the rest of the world being just like us, when in reality they are worlds apart, literally and figuratively. Well, for the Iraqi people, it is very hard to imagine as well. It is very hard to imagine for them because they HAVE NEVER HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY! Their entire lives they have been governed not by rule of law, but by law of force. Brutal, unrelenting, unmerciful force! And, as they seek to break the chains of oppression, the vacuum of Sadam's henchman has been replaced by the maniacal and insane philosophy and violence of Osama Bin Nothing and Abu Musab Al Zarpunkery! They are faced with the hate and terror that brought you Sept 11 and a declared Jihad on everyone in the world who dares think like a rational, free human being. Why just today an IED detonated in our zone that killed two Iraqi citizens and critically wounded eight others. Posters were placed in one area that said that anyone that voted violated the laws of Allah and would be killed for it and to remember that "the Americans and Bush will not be here for long." Yes, once again, this enemy shows his hand for what he is, an absolute COWARD whose only goal is to terrorize and break the will of the people. The Iraqi people and the American People. He is an enemy who fights 4th Generation Warfare, which has as its core belief that it accepts from the outset he cannot win militarily, so he targets the will of the people! Now, to be brutally honest, I could not for one milli-second question the Iraqi people if their wills were broken. They sustained thirty plus years of unspeakable brutality and oppression at the hands of Sadam and his EVIL empire. That has been followed by two years of occupation by foreign armies, and a relentless and deadly assault from radical and maniacal groups led by AMZ, his Wahabi bretheren, and a consortium of thugs, bandits and criminals. After that, saying "uncle" would be understandable. But, they are not. Now, we will see, but I believe on Sunday they will come out and they will vote. They will come out and vote despite all of this, because they have seen something they have never seen before. They have seen compassion. They have seen generosity. They have seen strangers risk, and lay down their lives for them. Why? They have asked this question of me. They have asked me as the "American Commander," why do your Marines protect us. They say we are told that the Americans are only here for the oil. Yet we see them. We see them living in our towns and we see them living very hard lives. We see them out on patrol and raiding houses of what we know are "Ali Baba." We see them bandage our wounded, play with our children and try to help. We know that they have families that they love and miss, and yet they are here.

Why? Boy, that is the million dollar question, isn't it. Well, I think I know why. And, I know the attacks will come at me fast and furious. But the why is BECAUSE THIS CAUSE IS RIGHT, AND IT IS FRONT AND CENTER ON THE WAR ON TERROR! Simply said, if the Arab world tastes freedom, even so much as gets a whiff of what self-determination is all about, it will be the beginning of the end for the terror network. If for a fraction of a second they can break the chains of oppression and life by edict, those who have held sway over them for so long will be on the run. They will be on the run from a people who now have the most powerful weapon known to mankind, the weapon of freedom. For all men, regardless of religion, race, color or creed have an unqueachable thirst to live free, to choose their own destiny, to walk their own path. The Iraqi people have seen this. They have seen it in your Marines! They have seen men who do not worship as they do, who do not speak as they do, who do not eat what they do, but have bled, killed and died for them. They have realized that they do this for the Iraqi people, and not only for themselves. These Marines have done this to show the Iraqi people, and more importantly THE WORLD, that the only hope for humanity in the long run is free people seeking to live, not dominated people seeking to survive. There is no attempt by anyone to convert the Islamic world from their religion, just a sacred attempt to lift the saddle of tyranny from the backs of the Arab world so that they may seek peace. For in this, the War on Terror will ultimately be won.

This is a two front War. Violence against the combatant, liberty to the oppressed. We carry forward the Flag, and in the end, success will depend on two visions: for the people of the Arab world the Flag must represent the best of who we are; for the enemy, the Flag must represent the violence we can bring. Those two fronts are being fought simultaneously by your Mad Ghosts, and their success on both fronts will bring out the people, and they will vote. They will vote and they will choose essentially a "Constitutional Convention" that will lay the cornerstone for a free Iraq. It will be the first step, a milestone, in a long journey that will set this part of the world on an unstoppable move towards freedom, and with freedom will come tolerance and progress. But, they will choose more than a constitutional convention, they will choose a destiny. One where rights will mean more than religion in governance. One where law will mean more than Jihad!

In thinking about this and YOUR Marine's place in it, let me offer you two quotes. The first is from Abu Musab al Zarqawi (Zarpunkery)

(AMZ): January 24, 2005; Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi has released an audio tape on the Internet, where he declares, "We have declared a bitter war against the principle of democracy and all those who seek to enact it." He declared that anyone who voted on January 30th would be seen as an infidel (non-Moslem).

The second is from Thomas Jefferson on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence:

"May it be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition has persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government.....All eyes are opened or opening to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few, booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God. These are grounds of hope for others; for ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."

On whom do you want the hope of the world to rest? AMZ or Thomas Jefferson? For me, this is a no-brainer! The Arab world must be shown freedom. This is their "signal of arousing men to burst the chains...and to assume the blessing and security of self-government..."

I fully realize that this stands in stark contrast to other's opinions, and squarely calls out most of what is portrayed in the mainstream media, but YOUR Marines are not fighting and in some very unfortunate cases, dying, for anything less than this. Let this final story be the final truth. I know most of you probably saw many news stories about a week ago concerning a suicide car bomb dressed as an ambulance that detonated on a wedding party in our zone, near Yusufiyah. The bomb killed 18 Iraqi's and severely injured several more. This wedding was not unlike any wedding you would go to in the good ole' US of A. It was a feast. It was a celebration. It was a gathering of family and friends to toast the union of a man and a woman. There were men, women, boys and girls. They were outdoors eating and celebrating. Yup, not at all unlike a reception in the good ole' US of A, save an ambulance drove down the canal road in front of the house, turned into the drive and detonated a high explosive. Not at all unlike a reception in the good ole' US of A, except for those milli-seconds of violence when shrapnel flew through the air at thousands of feet per second, and accompanied by a shock wave that pounds anything in its lethal path with a ferocity you cannot imagine.

Now, what you did not hear reported in the news was that it was YOUR Marines that responded to the scene. It was YOUR Marines that conducted the scene analysis. It was YOUR Marines that apprehended several terrorists STRONGLY believed to have been involved. No, that ain't news. However, to the Sheikh of the tribe, who is a very powerful Sheikh, the Marines are a BIG part of the story. I, Maj Mann and CWO5 Roussell met with him days after the attack. What he told us would not square with the reasons the media told you the wedding was attacked. No, when I asked him why he thought his tribe was attacked, he looked at me with the look that let you know why he is the Sheikh, and said: "because I have prepared my tribe to vote. I have educated them. I have signs throughout all my villages telling them to vote. We do not want a Shia government, a Sunni government or a Kurdish government. We want a government of the people."

First picture is of the blast site. This could have been anyone's family!
Second picture is the Sheikh's reception of us days after the attack. Notice the spread he provided us. Think his will has been broken? Then why should ours even be in question.
"A government of the people." Where have I heard that before?

Pray for the success of YOUR Marines and their historical mission! 30 Jan is the first step in a journey of a thousand paces, but it will chart the course of a ship destined for free waters, and will ensure your children and grandchildren never hear the words terror or terrorists. I don't know about you, but I see that as my sacred duty for my two Angels!

May God Bless and Keep the Magnificent Families of 2/24.

LtCol Mark A. Smith, MAYHEM 6
CO, Task Force 2/24
"Mayhem from the Heartland"
or as the terrorists call us "The Mad Ghosts"


Posted by Deb at 10:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack





Look! I'm an Action Hero!

An Islamic Jihad website posted a picture, claiming to have abducted a US soldier. Here's the ABC news story:

Iraqi militants claimed in a Web statement Tuesday to have taken an American soldier hostage and threatened to behead him in 72 hours unless the Americans release Iraqi prisoners. The U.S. military said it was investigating, but the claim's authenticity could not be immediately confirmed.

The posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included a photo of a man purported to be an American soldier, wearing desert fatigues and seated on a concrete floor with his hands tied behind his back.

A gun barrel was pointed at his head, and behind him on the wall is a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is His prophet."

A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Marine Sgt. Salju K. Thomas, said he had no information on the claim but "we are currently looking into it."

So far, no soldiers are missing and the picture bears a strong resemblance to "Cody", an action figure produced by Dragon Models USA for sale at U.S. bases in Kuwait.

AP Photo

I'm going to feel really bad if this turns out to be legit, but I sincerely doubt that the terrorists would get more than a name, rank, and UPC number out of this guy . . . and that only from reading the box he arrived in. Sheesh.

Posted by Deb at 09:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack