October 08, 2007
Real American Heroes v. the actors who play them in movies and TV
Sean McCormick, a sophomore English major at the University of Wisconsin wrote this outstanding editorial regarding Hollywood's portrayal of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
During and after World War II, Hollywood was more than willing to make films that helped the war effort and gave audiences a look at our brave soldiers and the battles they won. |
Amen. It's ironic that the writers, producers, directors, and actors who make millions from the blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes the lives of our troops consistently portray them in the worst light possible. And, there is a resounding silence from most of Hollywood when requests are made for contributions to support the men and women of our armed forces.
There are so many accounts of outstanding bravery and heroism, and they happen every single day. Those stories need to be told as well.
Posted by Deb at 01:13 AM | Comments (86) | TrackBack
March 12, 2007
We are just Marines and that Is what we do
Lt. Col. David W. Szelowski USMCR (ret.) wrote this piece about differences between Marines and other troops.
I wonder how many times during Operation Iraqi Freedom that the phrase "Damned Marines" was uttered? Even in the best of times, Army and Air Force officers have been heard muttering some epithet about Marines, invoking either heaven or hell. Interestingly enough, we Marines find it all rather reassuring and, at times, amusing.Most of the time, Marines do not go out of our way to be obnoxious; we are just doing what Marines have done for over 200 years. A good example is the fact that Marines always raise the American flag over mountains or cities they have conquered. From Mt. Suribachi to the City of Hue, to Kuwait City to Baghdad, U.S. Marines have raised the Stars and Stripes -- in the latter examples, much to the chagrin of higher headquarters. You don't get these kinds of problems with the army.
So what is it about the U.S. Marines that they stick U.S. flags on everything and do more with less, a less that is either old or an army hand-me-down? We call it Esprit de Corps, but it goes deeper than that. We learn and maintain myths of the past, which also means living up to those historical examples. Marine Corps boot camp is the longest of the services; it is where we mold young men and women into the mythical image called a Marine. You can be in the Army, you can join the Air Force, but you become a Marine. All of the other uniformed services have songs; the U.S. Marines have a hymn. The basic pattern of Marine Corps uniforms comes from the late nineteenth century; our emblem, the "Eagle, Globe and Anchor" has remained largely unchanged since 1868. The buttons on our dress blues, whites and greens date back to the founding of our Corps. The Marine Corps is the only service that requires its officers to carry a sword, whose pattern dates back to 1805.
I think that the path of being a Marine was established long ago. On the 10th of November 1775, the Marine Corps was first established...in a tavern. To this day, no matter where in the world, Marines celebrate the founding of our beloved Corps, much to the confusion of the other services.
A few years ago, a congresswoman from Colorado felt that the Marine Corps was radical and extreme. She contended that the Marine Corps was not politically correct, nor did we seem to be part of the Department of Defense's transition to a "kinder and gentler" military. She was correct, and the Marine Corps took it as a compliment.
But the proof is in the doing, and during Iraqi Freedom the Marines demonstrated what Marines could do. I watched with some amusement as a reporter asked a young lance corporal about being in Iraq and under rifle fire. "Love it, sir!" was his response. The reporter was taken aback and asked, "No, really." The Marine then tried to explain that this is what he was trained to do, he looked forward to doing it and was now happy to be doing it. No doubt in boot camp he was told that he was "a minister of death praying for war." Contrast that with the poor U.S. Army Apache pilots who said that if they had to take life, they would do so reluctantly. You are either a warrior or you are not.
Marines are mission oriented. Live or die, the most important thing to a Marine is accomplishing the mission. Whether taking the bridge, river or town, accomplishing the mission is the Holy Grail of being a Marine. How the mission is accomplished is not so important, as it is expected of all Marines to accomplish the mission with the tools available. This is probably why we heard that Marines in one engagement were fighting with knives and bayonets. This was hardly high tech, but it was effective. These Marines now have bragging rights, for they have proven that they talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. I doubt there is a single Marine who is not envious.
Marines are practical, as well. I enjoyed hearing two reporters interviewing each other, one embedded with the army, the other with the Marines. The reporter with the army noted that the sandstorm had blown down many of the soldiers' cots. The other reporter countered that the Marines did not have this problem because they slept on the ground. The Marine learns to live with what he can carry on his back. He expects to be moved around on the battlefield via his two black Cadillacs (boots). If he is lucky and gets a ride on an amtrack, so much the better -- but it is not expected! . At the end of a mission, the priority for cleaning is weapon, then equipment, and finally, body. When the other services talk about "quality of life," they are referring to housing, clubs and food. Marines are talking about better weapons, equipment and training, winning the battle and coming home alive is considered "quality of life."
All of this translates into combat power. In comparison to the U.S. Army's 3 rd Infantry Division, the Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force were lightly equipped. Yet, they battled through the heart of Iraq, fought to the center of Baghdad and then moved off to Tikrit, taking that city as well. The press was so enamored with the Marines that in the final days of the war they even credited the Marines with deeds actually accomplished by the army. Little wonder we heard "Damned Marines!" so often.
So we need to give the Marines some slack when they do something politically incorrect, such as raising the flag or appearing insensitive when killing the enemy. In the field, they look sloppy compared to the army, but are aggressive in the attack and generally unhappy in the defense. Marines take pride in their work, even if that work is war. We are just Marines and that is what we do.
I remember a survey a few years ago about the attractiveness of men enlisted in different branches of our armed forces. Marines won, hands down, in a "who would you most like to date" scenario. And, after much time spent in recruiters offices and on military bases, I have to say that I've never seen a Marine who wasn't good looking. Maybe it's the haircut, perhaps the uniform. More likely, it's the pride in bearing that gives each and every Devil Dog, whether enlisted or officer, that undefinable extra that makes people (especially female people) take a second look. And, the civilian men they are with, utter, "Damned Marines!"
Posted by Deb at 05:00 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
January 27, 2007
Sock it 2 U
What follows is a copy of a letter that I received from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, home of Socks That Rock, the revered and esteemed handpainted sock yarn of so much acclaim. I got it because I am a member (last year and this year) of the Sock Club, where you send them some money and they send you several |
Good thing they were knitting socks instead of Afghans. That would probably have landed each and every club member at Gitmo.
Visit the site to read Blue Moon's letter - and I applaud them for their self-control in choosing NOT to make the bank president's e-mail address public. I don't think I would have been as restrained.
Posted by Deb at 10:32 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
January 20, 2007
Consider all that
James Lileks on the chasm between theory and substance:
Last week a letter in the paper ran off the usual list of oppressions and deletions of basic liberties, including "the coffins we are not allowed to see." It reminded me of a conversation I had in Arizona with a Marine, whose family was also staying at my in-laws' house. (Their daughter played with Gnat, and was one of the Ghosts of Christmas in the play.) He had just returned from accompanying the body of a Marine back to his home town for a memorial. Lance Cpl. Nick Palmer, 19, was killed by a sniper in Fallujah. The vehicle had stopped to defuse an IED, which had been placed to fix the Humvee in place. Flypaper. Lance Cpl. Palmer was manning a gun on the back of the Humvee when he was hit. The shot came from an industrial building a good distance away; whoever killed him had particular skill. It could have been one of those ordinary Iraqis so enraged by the occupation they quit their jobs as an insurance actuary or auto mechanic and went to sniper school, perhaps. Or maybe it was a Ba'athist "Minuteman." Or an imported Iranian merc. You have to admit it's possible. |
It's a cheap political point for the letter-writer. It's intensely personal for the Marines who served with LCpl Palmer and they'll never forget him. As noted above, LtCol Sinclair spoke at the funeral of the Marine who he took to Iraq - and escorted back to his home town:
"Nick died as he lived, doing his duty," Sinclair said. "We, his Marine family, were so blessed to have him for a little while." |
Palmer enlisted in the Marines despite the likelihood that he would be sent to Iraq and the concerns of his parents, Rachele and Brad Palmer, but he was adamant about serving his country. |
Condolences to his grieving family. You raised a hero.
Posted by Deb at 10:28 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 12, 2007
"The last best hope for success"
Will the troop surge work? I think it will. Looking at it from a logistical point of view, there are currently about 13,000 troops in Baghdad, a crime-ridden war zone. Baghdad has an area of about 254 square miles and approximately 5,800,000 residents. Compare that to New York City with 303 square miles and 8,104,000 residents. NYC also has a police force of 37,000 for a city that is not at war with anyone. Sending in 17,000 more troops to Baghdad and dividing them between the 9 boroughs will provide - finally - enough manpower to clean out some of the deeply rooted insurgency and provide security for the civilian residents who want the same things that you and I do - to live, work, play, and worship in peace and security.
And, I have good reason to think that it will work. In August 2004, my son who served with 1/7 Marines left for his second deployment to Iraq - this time to the Syrian border town of Husaybah. The town was a hellhole - deeply rooted insurgency and the 200 Marines of Baker Company held it for 7 months. They saw action every time they went out, but with limited troop strength, they were unable to make much headway. Even so, they gradually gained the trust and cooperation of the townspeople.
When 1/7 returned home, they left the city in the hands of an entire battalion. Additional Army forces were brought in and in November 2005, Operation Steel Curtain cleaned the town. For 17 days, US and Iraqi troops worked side by side, house by house, systematically cleaning out the cities of Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi. they selaed the border to prevent al Queda reinforcements from filtering across. And, it worked.
1/7 Baker Company returned to Husaybah in February 2006. My son reported that it was a different place. Kids played on the streets. Women could walk to the market without fear. And, our Marines continued to work hand in hand with Iraqi soldiers to maintain security and tranquility. It wasn't a perfect place to live. But it was a major turnaround.
Unfortunately, examples like that one are routinely ignored by politicians and media bent on grim predictions of failure. Cassandra has multiple examples of this over at Villainous Company today:
After the President's historic speech Wednesday night, the media rushed to demonstrate they would pay any price and bear any burden to assure the defeat of his proposal. Those who expected some attempt at balance or open mindedness were sadly mistaken. CBS's Dick Meyer spent six or seven paragraphs ramming home the point: the President is completely alone. Newsweek's Howard Fineman couldn't quite manage to control his contempt, "George W. Bush spoke with all the confidence of a perp in a police lineup." Sheryl Stolberg seized the opportunity to remind readers the President was sElected, not elected before making a series of misleading statements. |
Selective memory. It's easy when you have nothing more to lose than an election. President Bush reminded us of that yesterday when he spoke to soldiers at Fort Benning:
On September the 11th, our nation saw firsthand the destructive vision of a new kind of enemy, and once again the men and women of Fort Benning answered the call to protect our country from that enemy. You know, I knew that right after the attacks, the American psyche being what it is, people would tend to forget the grave threat posed by these people. I knew that. As a matter of fact, I was hoping that would happen so that life would go on. But the fortunate thing for this country is that those who wear the uniform have never forgotten the threat. You understand the stakes. |
High stakes indeed. But I've heard overwhelming support for the troop surge from both the troops and their families - those who have a huge personal interest. Here's a letter to Nancy Pelosi from USMCR Captain Michael Hendrickson who is preparing for upcoming deployment, and has more at stake in this fight than any of us here at home:
Dear Madame Speaker, |
Unfortunately, the viewpoints of those who have the most to lose are of little interest to those who have staked their political careers on losing in Iraq. Captain Hendrickson deserves the unconditional support of Pelosi, Kennedy, and all other nay-sayers in Congress who are betting on failure, and drawing up non-binding resolutions of troop non-support.
Success happened in Fallujah. It happened in Husaybah. It can happen in Baghdad too. And I'm betting on success in Baghdad rather than settling for failure.
Posted by Deb at 05:40 PM | Comments (264) | TrackBack
November 17, 2006
Semper Fi, Marine
Jarhead Dad sent along this moving observation of how a fallen hero was brought home to Louisville Kentucky for the final time. It was written by Johnny Brooks, who I believe is an Army Colonel.
I had the priviledge tonight of observing how the USMC brings home their dead. The thought hit me that I have no idea, nor have I ever seen how our Soldiers are treated. I just hope we are at least as respectful. |
The Marine Corps is the smallest Armed Force and the camaraderie among Marines is legendary. This young Marine, nameless to us, is known and held fiercely in the memories of those with whom he served. They will never forget him, will think of him often, for the rest of their lives. My son can name every 1/7 Marine who has been killed while fighting in Iraq. It's his extended family. I've met Marines who are tattooed with the names of their fallen brothers. It's a tangible symbol of that close bond - a lifetime link that is almost impossible for outsiders to understand.
On November 19, 2005, LCpl Tyler Troyer fell from a sniper's bullet in Karma, Iraq. The first anniversary of his death is Sunday - please think of him and his family on this anniversary. He was a very special young man, the best this country had to offer. He is missed dearly, not only by his blood family, but by the Marines of 2/2 who said goodbye to him and stayed to finish the fight. Semper Fidelis.
Posted by Deb at 10:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 12, 2006
Semper Fidelis - LCpl Brent Zoucha
Major Brian Bresnahan, former Marine who served in Iraq and knew LCpl Brent Zoucha, contrasts the life and death of one of America's finest with one of the world's worst in a moving tribute posted to his blog, High Plains Patriot (reprinted below). It's worth noting that LCpl Zoucha was meritoriously promoted to his current rank in April for his performance during combat. He is a hero and will long be remembered for what he has contributed to this world.
By the time this gets published, the body of an American hero, Lance Corporal Brent Zoucha, United States Marine Corps, is on its way back to, if not already arrived at, the small town of Clarks, Nebraska. Brent's body is being escorted by another American hero, his brother, fellow Marine and friend, Corporal Dyrek Zoucha. |
Posted by Deb at 09:27 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
June 03, 2006
Rumsfeld on America: "a nation born of ideas and raised on improbability"
From a commencement speech given by Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, at the Air Force Academy on May 31:
Today, our country faces threats unlike any we have known. Violent extremists are trying to terrorize and intimidate free people into submitting to their will. Their war is more than a contest between opposing sides or societies. These extremists are waging a war against society itself. They have in mind only two outcomes - to control us or destroy us. |
Posted by Deb at 09:34 AM
May 29, 2006
Owen West: "The Troops Have Moved On"
Owen West, former Marine Reserve Major who served during OIF and is cofounder of Vets for Freedom, wrote this must-read editorial in today's New York Times - it's a balanced critique of both sides of the debate on Iraq and how neither the press nor the politicians are serving the public as they should. In the meantime, our troops are soldiering on, working toward success in the face of eroding public support. It shouldn't be that way. It doesn't have to be. But it will take change from the top to make a difference.
Here's a snippet, but do read the whole thing.
Somehow Operation Iraqi Freedom, not a large war by America's historical standards, has blossomed into a crisis of expectations that threatens our ability to react to future threats with a fist instead of five fingers. Instead of rallying we are squabbling, even as the slow fuse burns. |
Posted by Deb at 09:51 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 23, 2006
Coffee Shop Chronicles II
I love coffee shops, especially the small independent shops with comfortable chairs, excellent coffee, and (a necessity) wireless internet. One of my favorite places is Red Horse Coffee Shop in Corvallis, owned and operated by a former Marine who takes care of his community the same way he once protected his country. It's a nice place to spend an afternoon and I can work online and still be around people. With my son deployed, the house is all too quiet.
Not all coffee shops are like that. Choices, especially late at night are slim. Recently, I wandered into another Corvallis establishment, just off the Oregon State campus and always busy. This night was livelier than most and the folks packed into one of the rooms seemed to be on the outer edge of alternative lifestyle. Hearing shouts of rage coming from the far corner, I asked the barista what was going on. Open mike night. Listening closer, I heard angry voices denouncing President Bush, the war, and the imperialist regime that kept the man down. And womyn. This was definitely a gender-neutral crowd.
As I took my coffee - organic dark roast with cream from free-range cows raised on pesticide free hay - I mentioned that it probably wasn't a good night to wear my Marine Mom sweatshirt with American, USMC, and blue star pins. She smiled and said "Not a problem - they're also non-violent". I've encountered a few other coffee shop denizens with similar attitudes and she's right - they do cave when they're nose to nose with a Marine Mom.
So, I took a picture and sent it to my son with a note explaining that this was who he was protecting and defending. And, I included a DVD - Season 1 of The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie. If that doesn't convince him to stay in the Corps, I don't know what will.
Posted by Deb at 01:58 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 15, 2006
A Soldier's Perspective - The sky is not falling
Carrie sent along this Washington Times letter to the editor by a soldier, LtCol Scott. Morrison from Warrenton, VA, who recently returned from deployment:
Yesterday I returned home from a one-year tour in Iraq, where I served as a military advisor to Iraqi forces. |
Sheep and wolves. Thank God for sheepdogs like LtCol Morrison.
Posted by Deb at 06:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 18, 2006
The Five Most Dangerous Things in the US Marine Corps
A Private saying "I learned this in Boot Camp..."A Sergeant saying "Trust me sir..."
A Lieutenant saying "Based on my experience..."
A Captain saying "I was just thinking..."
A Master Gunny chuckling "Watch this shit..."
Posted by Deb at 10:55 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 17, 2006
Jane Fonda hands her baggage to Cindy Sheehan
This morning on Good Morning America, Jane Fonda mentioned that she'd like to tour the country to protest U.S. involvement in Iraq, but has concluded that it's a bad idea."I wanted to do a tour like I did during the Vietnam War, a tour of the country, but then Cindy Sheehan filled in the gap, and she is better at this than I am. I carry too much baggage."
Baggage doesn't even begin describe the damage done by a clueless twit who toured North Vietnam as a guest of their government while our troops fought against them. That would be like Sean Penn visiting Saddam Hussein (oh wait).
Fonda posed for pictures on a tank used to shoot down American aircraft. She met American POWs who had been provided scripts assuring her that they were well fed and treated - and bought it hook, line, and sinker.
She gave radio broadcasts which castigated American troops as war criminals even as she praised the North Vietnamese military. When American POWs returned to the United States, she called them criminals not heroes. Why she wasn't arrested and tried for treason is a mystery to me.
And now, she'd protest against the liberation of millions of Iraqi and Afghanistan citizens from tyrannic rule. Except that she's resumed her film career and has a book to sell - personal profit trumps political passion after all. However, ceding her torch to Cindy Sheehan shows that she is, at least consistent. Cindy, the grieving mother of a fallen soldier, has posed for pictures with Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez (who has built his political career on suppression of free speech, fiery rhetoric, and human rights violations) and demands that Israel withdraw from Palestine. If Sheehan is picked to carry on the legacy of Fonda, she'll do that well.
To the folks who will send outraged e-mails, here's a thought. Cindy does have moral authority to speak on the war. Her son is a hero who gave his life for a free Iraq. But she does not have absolute moral authority. There are other gold star parents who have their own story. I know this - I've sat in their living rooms and cried with them, laughed with them, and most of all remembered their sons.
Read some of those stories here and consider signing the petition which has 50,000 signatures but is looking for more. Families United For Our Troops And Their Mission has this to say:
Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission is a grassroots coalition of more than 150 ally organizations and over 2,500 members, including hundreds of families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our mission is to honor our fallen heroes and ensure that the American people know about our troops' accomplishments in the War on Terror. We encourage you to learn more about us at our website: www.FamiliesUnitedMission.com
As you may know, April 9th is Iraqi Liberation Day - the three-year anniversary of the end of Saddam Hussein's torturous regime and the day that launched the people of Iraq down the challenging road toward freedom, democracy, and self-sufficiency. We are keenly aware that the national media is drawn towards covering milestones and we respectfully request that you not ignore this historic date.
Although many of our families have made the ultimate sacrifice in the War on Terror, we remain steadfast in our commitment to defeating terrorists throughout the world and completing the mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. We cannot forget that America was attacked on September 11, 2001 - an unprovoked attack by Al Qaeda - and we remain vigilant knowing that our own security is at risk until the terrorists are defeated.
While many of us await the return of loved ones abroad, we are reminded that our military is comprised of compassionate, volunteer warriors dedicated to finishing the job. As democracy takes root, we have witnessed more Middle Eastern men and women vote in free and fair elections in the last twelve months, than in the last 6,000 years. Our troops understand this tenuous democracy abroad is paramount to our security at home.
Freedom is not just an American right, it's not just an Iraqi hope . . . it's a human longing. Along with rights, however, come responsibilities and when a protester poses on a North Vietnam tank or with a South American dictator, they should not be surprised when other folks speak up and out.
Posted by Deb at 09:08 AM
April 15, 2006
"We prefer the Marines"
From Strategy Page:As good as the U.S. Army Special forces are at training foreign troops, many of these foreign armed forces now prefer U.S. Marines. This began when some U.S. officers, responsible for assisting in the training of military forces in Third World countries, began declining, when offered Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel. Publicly, the reasons offered are usually couched in terms that suggest the SOF people are needed elsewhere, which is certainly true, given ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. But privately some of the advisory personnel cite the fact that SOF personnel usually bring with them all sorts of specialized equipment that the host country will never be able to afford. Moreover, the capabilities for which SOF trainers provide training for are often much too sophisticated for local, and usually poorly educated, troops to absorb. An additional objection is that the nature of the way in which SOF operates is just too "undisciplined" for Third World forces. Apparently when asked, experienced advisors will ask for American Marines rather than Special Forces. The Marines have been helping out with the foreign troops training since the war on terror began, and the more basic and down-to-earth approach of the Marines has been more attractive to many nations. |
Posted by Deb at 10:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 12, 2006
"We truly are the last best hope of the world"
Major Kevin Kelly, F-16 pilot with the New Jersey Air National Guard, is currently deloyed in Iraq. He describes his experience there as "incredible", sharing it through this editorial published in today's Philadelphia Enquirer:I have seen many incredible sights living and flying in Iraq the last two months. Two things, the bravery of our soldiers and the importance of completing our mission and building a free Iraq, prompt me to write today. |
Posted by Deb at 10:13 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 10, 2006
Making a difference
Ben Stein's latest letter to our men and women in uniform is wonderful - I'm printing it and sending it to my son. Stein is one of those rarities among Hollywood celebrities. He appreciates his freedoms, bought and paid for with the blood of our military, and has expressed that appreciation over and over again. Here are excerpts, but do read the entire letter.Dear Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, National Guard, Reservists, in Iraq, in the Middle East theater, in Afghanistan, in the area near Afghanistan, in any base anywhere in the world, and your families: |
Stein goes on to describe the details of our daily existance, living in a country where we have freedoms that can only be dreamed of in so many countries around this world. Your woes might include a family squabble or problems on the job. Others might be in the middle of a messy divorce or washing dishes by hand until the dishwasher is fixed. Me, I'm hoping to lose a few extra pounds before a trip at the end of the month. My car won't start and so I'm driving my son's truck right now (if you're reading this, Shane, I'm taking very good care of it). It's raining here in Oregon and I'm staying home today instead of taking my dog to the park. I've misplaced my cell phone and lost all my numbers. I'm out of chocolate. Little things.
In other parts of the world, people are starving and dying because of oppressive regimes. They would love to be burdened with nothing more than jeans that are a bit too snug and a rainy Sunday afternoon that disrupts leisure plans. Their worries include being blown up by suicide bombers as they worship or having their house commandeered by insurgents intent on using it as a staging ground.
But in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they have done in various parts of the world for more than 230 years, our Marines and soldiers, sailors, and airmen (and women) are making a difference. A real difference. And in so doing, they are defeating evil and bringing hope to a nation.
Stein goes on about the meaning of the work performed by our troops:
Meaning is doing for others. Meaning is risking your life for others. Meaning is putting your bodies and families' peace of mind on the line to defeat some of the most evil, sick killers the world has ever known. Meaning is leaving the comfort of home to fight to make sure that there still will be a home for your family and for your nation and for free men and women everywhere. |
So why do they do it? It isn't for the money. Compare the base salary of a Lance Corporal (about $18,000/yr) with $327,000. That's the lowest salary paid in 2006 for major league ballplayers - a sport where the median income is around $1 million. In contrast, top salary for an enlisted Marine with 20 years of service is about $60,000.
Take a 24 year old Marine and compare him to a 24 year old ball player. At the end of their lives, they'll both have some great stories. But our troops make a difference in a way that actors, rock stars, sports figures, and other folks who are regularly featured in headlines and TV specials will never accomplish. And sometimes, they give their lives in the effort.
Sgt Michael "Shrek" Carlson wrote in a high school essay; "When I am on my deathbed, what am I going to look back on? Will it be thirty years of fighting crime and protecting the country of all enemies, foreign and domestic? I want my life to account for something... I only have so much time. I want to be good at life; I want to be known as the best of the best at my job. I want people to need me, to count on me... I want to fight for something, be part of something that is greater than myself. I want to be a soldier..."
Sgt. Carlson was killed in while serving in Iraq. His life was short but counted for everything. He put his life on the line for our freedoms as have so many others of our best and brightest young men and women. He made a difference. And our troops continue to make a difference every single day.
Recently, my son led a search on a house - something he does every day of the week. After the search was concluded, he sat and drank tea with the the head of the household - a father of nine who has been unemployed for over a year. He could have hired himself out to the insurgency but he chose not to go that route. Like others in this border city, he wants nothing more than to be done with terror - to live and work without fear. My son's squad pooled the money they were carrying (about $20 USD) and that will help this family temporarily - $20 goes a lot further in Iraq than here. But, there is follow-up and follow-through. The civil affairs unit in the city will find work for the father. He'll be able to provide for his family. It's nationbuilding, one family, one house, one city at a time. It brings meaning to the lives of our troops who joined to make a difference and to the lives they touch. It's a legacy that will last.
Stein concludes:
Do you know how important you are? Do you know how indispensable you are? Do you know how humbly grateful any of us who has a head on his shoulders is to you? |
Our troops have never asked for thanks. Or gratitude. Or anything, other than our support as they carry out a complex and dangerous mission. The outcome is a safer and freer world for the rest of us. Ben Stein understands that.
Posted by Deb at 03:09 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 08, 2006
What We've Gained In Three Years In Iraq
Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, wrote this editorial to mark the three year anniversary of OIF.Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side" and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."
Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.
The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.
Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately.
Consider that in three years Iraq has gone from enduring a brutal dictatorship to electing a provisional government to ratifying a new constitution written by Iraqis to electing a permanent government last December. In each of these elections, the number of voters participating has increased significantly -- from 8.5 million in the January 2005 election to nearly 12 million in the December election -- in defiance of terrorists' threats and attacks.
One of the most important developments over the past year has been the increasing participation of Iraq's Sunni community in the political process. In the volatile Anbar province, where Sunnis are an overwhelming majority, voter turnout grew from 2 percent in January to 86 percent in December. Sunni sheiks and religious leaders who previously had been sympathetic to the insurgency are today meeting with coalition representatives, encouraging Iraqis to join the security forces and waging what violent extremists such as Abu al-Zarqawi and his al-Qaeda followers recognize as a "large-scale war" against them.
The terrorists are determined to stoke sectarian tension and are attempting to spark a civil war. But despite the many acts of violence and provocation, the vast majority of Iraqis have shown that they want their country to remain whole and free of ethnic conflict. We saw this last month after the attack on the Shiite shrine in Samarra, when leaders of Iraq's various political parties and religious groups condemned the violence and called for calm.
Another significant transformation has been in the size, capability and responsibility of Iraqi security forces. And this is vitally important, because it is Iraqis, after all, who must build and secure their own nation.
Today, some 100 Iraqi army battalions of several hundred troops each are in the fight, and 49 control their own battle space. About 75 percent of all military operations in the country include Iraqi security forces, and nearly half of those are independently Iraqi-planned, Iraqi-conducted and Iraqi-led. Iraqi security forces have a greater ability than coalition troops to detect a foreign terrorist's accent, identify local suspects and use force without increasing a feeling of occupation. It was these Iraqi forces -- not U.S. or coalition troops -- that enforced curfews and contained the violence after the attack on the Golden Dome Shrine in Samarra. To be sure, violence of various stripes continues to slow Iraq's progress. But the coalition is doing everything possible to see this effort succeed and is making adjustments as appropriate.
The rationale for a free and democratic Iraq is as compelling today as it was three years ago. A free and stable Iraq will not attack its neighbors, will not conspire with terrorists, will not pay rewards to the families of suicide bombers and will not seek to kill Americans.
Though there are those who will never be convinced that the cause in Iraq is worth the costs, anyone looking realistically at the world today -- at the terrorist threat we face -- can come to only one conclusion: Now is the time for resolve, not retreat.
Consider that if we retreat now, there is every reason to believe Saddamists and terrorists will fill the vacuum -- and the free world might not have the will to face them again. Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis. It would be as great a disgrace as if we had asked the liberated nations of Eastern Europe to return to Soviet domination because it was too hard or too tough or we didn't have the patience to work with them as they built free countries.
What we need to understand is that the vast majority of the Iraqi people want the coalition to succeed. They want better futures for themselves and their families. They do not want the extremists to win. And they are risking their lives every day to secure their country.
That is well worth remembering on this anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Posted by Deb at 01:31 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 04, 2006
History and heroism in unexpected places
Last week, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld addressed the Army War College to a historical look at heroism of ordinary Americans. Here's a major snippet from his speech:Some of the passengers on that airplane, Flight 93, did not think of themselves as heroes or history makers when they boarded that plane on a Tuesday morning en route to San Francisco, and undoubtedly never heard of a place called Shanksville or a man named Mohammed Attah, and they never expected to be saying into their telephones, air phones, that:Read the rest, including his answers to some excellent questions, here.
"The plane's been hijacked."
"I'm calling to say goodbye." or the final comment,
"Let's roll."
On that day, the terrorists brought their fight to our shores and to our people. And in Shanksville, Pennsylvania -- over that quiet field -- Americans, our fellow citizens, began to fight back.
I suspect Americans will always remember where they were on September 11, 2001, when 3,000 lost their lives. Think of the questions that were asked and I suppose in some cases they're still being asked today.
Who were these people who were attacking us?
What do they want?
How can they be stopped?
I'd like to comment on those questions today.
The enemy we face may be the most brutal in our history. They currently lack only the means -- not the desire -- to kill and murder millions of innocent people with weapons vastly more powerful than boarding passes and box cutters.
Before September 11, 2001, there was somewhat of a misunderstanding in America about terrorists and in some circles I suppose there still is today. Even today, some folks view terrorists as criminals, not as combatants -- some even consider them victims. Some seem to think that the years before September 11th were decades of peace, but that is not so.
Though we think of September 11th as the first day in the Global War on Terror, it wasn't the first day for the enemy. Extremists had declared war on free people decades ago. In 20 years terrorists attacked and killed Americans more than 20 times including the bombing at:
The U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983;
The Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983;
Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerby, Scotland, in 1988;
The New York World Trade Center the first time in 1993;
A military compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1995;
Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996;
U.S. Embassies in Kenya, Tanzania in 1998; and then
The war ship USS Cole in Yemen in 2000.
During those decades the West was ambivalent about how to counter extremist ideology and that type of aggression. As a result, terrorists became increasingly bolder. We should have learned the timeless truth -- that weakness is provocative.
Consider how they boasted of their murder of innocent people in the Khobar compound in Saudi Arabia. In their words,
"I went into an American's office and called him. When he turned to me I shot him in the head and his head exploded. We entered another office and found one infidel from South Africa and our brother Hussein slit his throat. We found a Swedish infidel and brother Nim cut off his head and put it at the gate so it could be seen by all entering and exiting."
On September 11th, they accomplished their most daring attack on our shores, and in the years since no part of the world has really been spared from their attacks:
In Russia terrorists held school children hostage, some as young as 20 months old; killed 186.
In Israel they hid a grenade under a baby.
In Iraq, according to the Mayor of Kalifar, they placed explosives inside the corpses of children in order to kill grieving parents coming to recover their bodies.
In Pakistan the Islamic extremists beheaded a Wall Street Journal reporter. They killed him because he was Jewish and because he was American. They bound his hands, they set up their video recorder, they sawed off his head on camera. His widow was pregnant with a son he would never see.
Those attacks, like September 11th -- were not random acts of violence. They were for a purpose and the purpose was to terrorize. If you think about it, people tend to think that the purpose of terrorism is to kill people. It really isn't. It's to terrorize, to alter behavior. In pursuit of a world where clerics issue binding edicts, where children are indoctrinated into violence and hate.
After the September 11th attacks the United States fashioned a very large global Coalition who worked together to protect our people and protect their people. This Coalition is probably the largest in the history of the world, with some 80 or 90 countries working together to make it more difficult for terrorists to do everything they need to do to be successful. More difficult to train, to recruit, to raise money, to establish sanctuaries, to acquire weapons, to cross borders, communicate.
But the strategy must do a great deal more to reduce the lure of the extremist ideology, like standing with those moderate Muslims advocating peaceful change, freedom and tolerance.
Progress is being made. Afghanistan has gone from a country where the government protected terrorists and imprisoned women, to one that imprisons terrorists and protects women. Iraq has gone from Saddam's mass graves to mass participation in democratic elections. A recent survey showed that a large and growing number of Muslims believe that free systems can work in their country.
The extremists see these changes and they're desperate to prevent that progress. One suspects that the terrorists preferred the battles before September 11th, when they were often the only ones on the offensive.
Today there are some who want America to go back on the defensive -- to the strategy that failed before September 11th. They say that a retreat from Iraq would provide an American escape from the violence. However, we know that any reprieve would short lived. To the terrorists, the West would remain the great Satan. The war that the terrorists began would continue. And free people would continue to be their target.
From time to time one hears the claim that terrorists' acts are reactions to particular American policy. That's not so. Their violence preceded by many years operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. And their violence will not stop until their ideology is confronted by the values millions on every continent take for granted. The ideas that liberated moderate Muslims are risking their lives every day to defend -- including free systems, individual rights.
We must recognize this and steel ourselves for the long struggle ahead.
Today's debate is probably the most significant division is between those who realize that we are in fact a nation at war, and those who do not realize that fact.
Of course, those in the Department of Defense are under no illusions. We serve in a building that came under attack. A building whose bricks were charred, whose employees had to escape by crawling through smoke, when that fuel-laden jet was flown into the offices and took some 189 people's lives.
We do not of course know what the thoughts were of those people on that airplane that crashed into Shanksville, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, or the last thoughts of the innocent men and women that were killed. Some I'm sure worried about their families. Before that last plunge to earth over Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at least one passenger on Flight 93 prayed the 23rd Psalm over the phone with a stranger -- an operator he had found while trying to reach his wife. Together they took comfort in the passage that speaks of "still waters" and "green pastures."
Those passengers rest peacefully today and our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines -- which many of you will command -- are doing everything possible to keep other Americans from again having to experience the heartbreak and terror of September 11th.
It's up to all of us -- military and civilian -- to commit ourselves to be patient in supporting history's great and necessary task -- aware that the enemy will not simply go away.
And aware that when future generations learn of places where freedom was defended, they will be told about a meeting hall in colonial Philadelphia, the battlefield of Gettysburg, the beaches at Normandy, and a quiet town, not far from here, called Shanksville.
So I thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for your courage and your dedication, the sacrifices you and your families have made to serve our country. I hope that you know our people thank you.
Posted by Deb at 01:04 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 13, 2006
Letter to the President from a Gold Star Dad

And, his father, Bud Clay understands the meaning of honor, reaching out of his grief to send this message to his son's Commander in Chief.
December 7, 2005 |
Marines are instructed to write a letter to their familes in case of their death while deployed. Mr. Clay included his son's last letter home with his message to President Bush.
MOM, DAD, KRISTIE, JODIE, KIMBERLY, ROBERT, KATY, RICHARD, AND MY LISA: |
Ssgt Clay's final wish: Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting.
I would love to see this father, who understands the true meaning of honor and who continues to support his son, given the same media attention given to Cindy Sheehan.
Thanks to Mary Helen who sent this along.
Posted by Deb at 01:06 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 08, 2006
Fair Winds and Following Seas to an American Hero
One definition of a hero is recognizing the right thing to do, and then doing it, no matter what the personal risk or cost. Hugh Thompson earned that title when he faced evil and stepped in to make a difference. John Donovan from Castle Argghhh! hosts a memorial this weekend for CW2 Turner, who died Thursday of cancer in a VA hospital.On March 16, 1968, American soldiers in My Lai killed more than 500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians. Many were children and senior citizens. And, the body count would have been higher if it weren't for the courage of Thompson and his crew who landed their helicopter in between American troops and the Vietnamese citizens who took shelter in a bunker.
From a CNN interview:
"We just noticed a vast number of dead bodies: old women, old men, babies, infants that were dead or wounded," said Thompson, who was 24 at the time. |
And, it was over 30 years before Thompson, Colburn and Andreotta were recognized for their heroism. In 1997, they each received the Soldier's Medal, an award for battlefield bravery that doesn't involve enemy conflict. Colburn and Thompson received their medals personally. Andreotta was killed in combat shortly after My Lai.
"What My Lai really means or what it stands for is choices that you make in your life and the outcomes, and if it signifies anything, it's that," Colburn said.

"My Lai was a very bad situation - one that I hope and pray never happens again, but there's some good that came out of it," Thompson said in a CNN interview. "If we can have any of our younger generation, our college students or whatever, high school, stop and think sometime in their life, 'This ain't right. I'm not gonna do it' and put their foot down and go with what's in their heart, it'll be worth it in the long run." |
And that lesson carries on. In an interview recently, Joint Chiefs Chair, USMC General Peter Pace reiterated his expectation for American troops:
"It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene to stop it. As an example of how to do it if you don't see it happening but you're told about it is exactly what happened a couple weeks ago. There's a report from an Iraqi to a U.S. commander that there was possibility of inhumane treatment in a particular facility. That U.S. commander got together with his Iraqi counterparts. They went together to the facility, found what they found, reported it to the Iraqi government, and the Iraqi government has taken ownership of that problem and is investigating it. So they did exactly what they should have done." |
My Lai is certainly a black mark on our military history. Thanks to heroes like Hugh Thompson, and leaders like General Pace, it will, hopefully, never be repeated. Choices and outcomes. Thompson made a courageous choice and it made a difference. In the end, that is all any of us can aspire to do.
Posted by Deb at 01:17 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 06, 2006
Support the Troops by Supporting Their Mission
Recently a letter was sent from Iraq, written by a soldier currently deployed in Baghdad, to members of Congress who are publicly critical of the war effort. Read all of it here; but here are snippets worth reading by those who seek to gain partisan advantage by sniping at the mission of our deployed troops and their supporters.As you persist with your thoughts that this war cannot be won, consider the notion of past military victories: The First War with Iraq, the defense of South Vietnam, the landing at Inchon, Iwo Jima, the Second Battle of the Marne, Gettysburg, New Orleans, and Yorktown. What made these battles significant for American forces was not only the skillful tactics of the troops, it also consisted of the support of a political entity whose primary goal was to win, not to participate in petty, partisan politics. Nobody questioned President Franklin Roosevelt's strategy by saying we needed to pull out of World War II because he did not foresee the intensity of the Japanese on the South-Pacific islands. There was no doubt about fighting the Germans, even though they did not attack the U.S. Absent were the calls that President Woodrow Wilson engage in self-defeating reflection by apologizing for the brutality of trench-warfare. General George Washington held firm over a period of seven years in his overall strategy, despite early defeats. Yet, they all believed in what was right and their persistence proved successful. The fight for freedom is a relatively recent phenomenon, therefore, it is not widely accepted and it is a difficult process.The constant carping and criticism by Democratic leadership, who ignore the success stories coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan as related by military experts who see the day-to-day progress, is dangerously close to treason. Especially when journalists helpfully spin it some more. Cassandra, writing at TigerHawk's blog, cuts to the heart of this issue:
The American soldiers are not concerned about arguments that Saddam Hussein's payments to terrorists did not contribute to September 11th. They do not want to hear that Hussein's acquiescence to the presence of the barbarian Zarqawi in Iraq in 2001 was not a threat to our country. They are not going to analyze whether Hussein's "secular government" would ever conspire with religious fanatics to attack the U.S. More importantly, they do not consider the war in Iraq as a "distraction" from the efforts in Afghanistan. Yet, this is the anti-war mantra heard ever since the Islamo-fascists had the temerity to attack American troops. These are the same people who crashed jetliners into innocent Americans and you want to withdraw because they shoot back. What did you expect? This is war. Unfortunately, we were going to experience losses. Each loss is tragic, but each loss represents the yearning not to allow another innocent American to be attacked on U.S. soil ever again. Their lives were not lost in vain.
Never has a nation invaded another for the purpose of improving the style of government in the occupied land, while simultaneously respecting the lives and resources of the people. Naturally, there is a self-serving national security concern that is the overriding issue; however, the American military truly believes that it is also improving the lives of the Iraqi people. After three successful elections never before witnessed in this part of the world, American service-members have much to be proud of.
However, you portray the war as an imperialistic adventure along the lines of Napoleon. As Camillus saved Rome, you play the role of a present day Manlius. Envious of success, along with a desire to contradict the President at every opportunity, you conduct yourselves in ways that reflect your self-centered, degraded pursuit of power. How shallow it must be to sacrifice the honor of the American military and all of its accomplishments in Iraq at the altar of the 2006 and 2008 elections.
You constantly refer to the "failure" and "defeat" of Vietnam to justify your criticism of the current war. It is an unusual thought that you revel in the so-called defeat in Vietnam and optimistically predict the same self-induced conclusion in Iraq. To paraphrase John S. Mill: War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The degraded state of patriotic feeling, which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who cares about nothing more than himself is a selfish figure who has no chance at being free, unless provided by others better than himself.
When you criticize the President and the war effort, you are criticizing every service-member in this war. Please do not patronize the public with the often heard, "I support the troops, but I don't support the war." You cannot support the troops without supporting the war because their mission in life right now is to win the war, provide security for our country, and return home safely with honor.
However, you make that realization more difficult each passing day. Your talk of "there aren't enough troops", "the President lied", or, "we need a strategic withdrawal" is tiring and self-defeating, as well as contradictory. If you have legitimate concerns about achieving success in the war, perhaps you should discuss them with the President behind closed doors. Military exercises and combat operations require an analysis for lessons learned. Constructive criticism is expected and beneficial, but never is it acceptable when it is situated on the world stage for political purposes as it places the overall mission in danger.
When Colonel Danny Bubp, himself a Marine,