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May 21, 2004
First class travel
Think back to your last cross-country or international flight. Now, compare your experience with this group of Devil Dogs.
They are the proud Rhinos of Marine Wing Support Squadron-374 en route to the sandbox. Nineteen hours in the air. No smiling flight attendants. No reclining chairs. No in-flight movie. Some of them might bring a CD player with headphones or a portable DVD player - they'll watch as long as the batteries hold out. Others play cards or talk about home and family - everything they're leaving behind for the next seven months.
I'm flying to California to spend Memorial Day weekend visiting my son and his wife at Twentynine Palms. Coach seating will seem like an absolute luxury in comparison.
Posted by Deb at 01:44 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
Tribute to our Troops
Jarhead Dad sent this link to an excellent slideshow of our deployed troops. Click and wait for it to load. If you're on a dial-up, you'll have time to get coffee, take the dog out, and change laundry loads.
It's worth the wait.
Posted by Deb at 01:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 20, 2004
Update from Iraq
I attend troop support rallies whenever possible. Usually, I'm standing on one side of the street with my poster, my flag, and my knowledge that our troops are an awesome fighting force. On the other side are anti-war protesters who occasionally jaywalk to explain earnestly that they really do support the troops and the best way to do that is to bring them home because they are against the war. Ho hum. The next time, I'm printing copies of this letter to hand out. USMC Major Ben Connable says it much better than I can. (Via Instapundit.)
This is my third deployment with the 1st Marine Division to the Middle East.This is the third time I've heard the quavering cries of the talking heads predicting failure and calling for withdrawal.
This is the third time I find myself shaking my head in disbelief.
Setbacks and tragedy are part and parcel of war and must be accepted on the battlefield. We can and will achieve our goals in Iraq.
Waiting for war in the Saudi Arabian desert as a young corporal in 1991, I recall reading news clippings portending massive tank battles, fiery death from Saddam Hussein's "flame trenches" and bitter defeat at the hands of the fourth-largest army in the world. My platoon was told to expect 75% casualties. Being Marines and, therefore, naturally cocky, we still felt pretty good about our abilities.
The panicky predictions failed to come true. The flame trenches sputtered. Nobody from my platoon died. Strength, ingenuity and willpower won the day. Crushing the fourth-largest army in the world in four days seemed to crush the doubts back home.
Twelve years passed, during which time America was faced with frustrating actions in Somalia and the Balkans. Doubt had begun to creep back into public debate.
In the spring of last year, I was a Marine captain, back with the division for Operation Iraqi Freedom. As I waited for war in the desert, just 100 miles to the north from our stepping-off point in 1991, I was again subjected to the panicky analyses of talking heads. There weren't enough troops to do the job, the oil fields would be destroyed, we couldn't fight in urban terrain, our offensive would grind to a halt, and we should expect more than 10,000 casualties.
Remembering my experience in Desert Storm, I took these assessments with a grain of salt. As a staff officer in the division command post, I was able to follow the larger battle as we moved forward. I knew that our tempo was keeping the enemy on his heels and that our plan would lead us to victory.
But war is never clean and simple. Mourning our losses quietly, the Marines drove to Baghdad, then to Tikrit, liberating the Iraqi people while losing fewer men than were lost in Desert Storm.
In May of last year, I was sitting with some fellow officers back in Diwaniyah, Iraq, the offensive successful and the country liberated from Saddam. I received a copy of a March 30 U.S. newspaper on Iraq in an old package that had finally made its way to the front. The stories: horror in Nasariyah, faltering supply lines and demonstrations in Cairo. The mood of the paper was impenetrably gloomy, and predictions of disaster abounded. The offensive was stalled; everyone was running out of supplies; we would be forced to withdraw.
The Arab world was about to ignite into a fireball of rage, and the Middle East was on the verge of collapse. If I had read those stories on March 30, I would have had a tough time either restraining my laughter or, conversely, falling into a funk. I was concerned about the bizarre kaleidoscope image of Iraq presented to the American people by writers viewing the world through a soda straw.
Returning to Iraq this past February, I knew that the Marines had a tremendous opportunity to follow through on our promises to the Iraqi people.
Believing in the mission, many Marines volunteered to return. I again found myself in the division headquarters.
Click Continue Reading for the rest of the story.
Just weeks ago, I read that the supply lines were cut, ammunition and food were dwindling, the "Sunni Triangle" was exploding, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was leading a widespread Shiite revolt, and the country was nearing civil war.As I write this, the supply lines are open, there's plenty of ammunition and food, the Sunni Triangle is back to status quo, and Sadr is marginalized in Najaf. Once again, dire predictions of failure and disaster have been dismissed by American willpower and military professionalism.
War is inherently ugly and dramatic. I don't blame reporters for focusing on the burning vehicles, the mutilated bodies or the personal tragedies. The editors have little choice but to print the photos from the Abu Ghraib prison and the tales of the insurgency in Fallujah. These things sell news and remind us of the sober reality of our commitment to the Iraqi people. The actions of our armed forces are rightfully subject to scrutiny.
I am not ignorant of the political issues, either. But as a professional, I have the luxury of putting politics aside and focusing on the task at hand. Protecting people from terrorists and criminals while building schools and lasting friendships is a good mission, no matter what brush it's tarred with.
Nothing any talking head will say can deter me or my fellow Marines from caring about the people of Iraq, or take away from the sacrifices of our comrades. Fear in the face of adversity is human nature, and many people who take the counsel of their fears speak today. We are not deaf to their cries; neither do we take heed. All we ask is that Americans stand by us by supporting not just the troops, but also the mission.
We'll take care of the rest.
We know that. It's one reason we can sleep soundly here, because you are standing watch there. Thank you, Major Connable, and please tell your troops that you all have our support. Unconditional support.
Posted by Deb at 10:16 AM | Comments (3)
Desert Mail Call
Mail means motivation to our troops. Letters from home are saved and read over and over again. Here, 1/6 Marines sort mail that arrived at their location via a resupply convoy. Even though they are in the middle of Afghanistan in a combat operation, mail is a priority and the Marines received their mail mere days after it arrived in country.
Show your support and appreciation to our troops deployed overseas by sending notes, letters, postcards and drawings to “Desert Mail Call”. This effort is designed to allow the communities across the country to directly impact the morale, welfare, and pride of the Marines and other service-members stationed abroad. Mail will be added to care packages and sent periodically to the troops via Marine Corps Community Services in 29 Palms. If you have 10 minutes to write a letter or send a card, it would bring a touch of home to those who are far away.
Please send your mail to:
P.O. Box 6145
Twentynine Palms, CA 92278
Posted by Deb at 10:04 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 19, 2004
What the media won't tell you about Iraq
This missive came from a Marine officer in Iraq, and was dated 5/17/04.
There is no way to spin it, the past ten days have been tough. I had hoped to email everyone this week with news about my amazing trip to Egypt as it was truly a vacation of a lifetime. However, as is often the case in Iraq, events of the past ten days have caused me to change course this week and offer the war zone perspective of the tragic series of events that have transpired. Egypt will have to wait until later.A little more than one week ago the world awoke to the shocking and graphic images of the horrific treatment of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of their U.S. captors at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. Global condemnation was swift and the Arab street was whipped into a mad frenzy as anti-western television stations ran the photos nonstop 24 -7. No other message would penetrate for days. No manner of reconstruction successes or steps towards sovereignty would seal the rift that these terrible photos had opened in the hearts and minds of many in the Middle East. To many, it was hard proof of what they had already believed about the United States all along.
Within days, the President apologized to the world for the horrendous acts of a few misguided soldiers that cast a dark shadow on all of their 135,000 compatriots. The Department of Defense announced that it would put together a system of compensation to repay victims of the abuses and the United States Congress launched into full investigative mode.
And while these steps may seem impressive after the fact, it is important to remember that they pale in comparison to the full-fledged investigations the military had launched months earlier as soon as the allegations began to surface.
In January a young Army specialist became aware of the illegal actions in the prison and did his duty in reporting them to his senior commanders. 24 hours later an investigation was authorized. The day after that, it was announced from Baghdad that an investigation had been launched into allegations of mistreatment. No cover up. No foot dragging and no pressure from the media, they originally learned of the allegations from the military.
General Sanchez then launched a criminal investigation immediately and asked for an administrative review of procedures at the Abu Ghraib facility. These investigations have so far resulted in criminal or administrative actions against at least 12 individuals, including the relief of the prison chain of command and criminal referrals of several soldiers directly involved in abuse. General Courts-Martial will be convened as early as next week as charges have already been brought against a handful of the soldiers involved in the outrageous acts.
Unfortunately, with the election season now upon us, there are those in Washington who see political gold in professing their righteous indignation. As the volume of their shrill voices continues to drown out reason, many have lost sight of the real story here.
Donald Rumsfeld said it best last week when he testified before the United States Senate. ?Judge us by our actions,? said the Secretary of Defense. ?Watch how Americans, watch how a democracy deals with wrongdoing and scandal and the pain of acknowledging and correcting our own mistakes and weaknesses. And then after they have seen America in action -- then ask those who preach resentment and hatred of America if our behavior doesn?t prove the lies in the falsehood and slander they speak about our people and way of life. Above all, ask them if the willingness of Americans to acknowledge their own failures before humanity doesn?t light the world as surely as the great ideas and beliefs that first made this nation a beacon of hope and liberty to all who strive to be free.?
And believe it or not, this is exactly what has happened. Iraqi media, almost unbelievably, have in recent days begun to editorialized astonishment at how the United States has responded. No covers ups. No denials. The President of the United States, the world?s most powerful man, formally apologized to the people of Iraq. The U.S. Congress grilled a senior member of the Administration and all the while the U.S. media was allowed to report on the unfolding story with full freedom and access.
?Why does Arab media fail at self criticism and why can?t Arab human rights NGOs pressure Arab governments the way their counterparts do in America?? asked the host of satellite news channel al-Arabiya?s (one of the harshest critics of the United States) ?Spotlight? news program. The follow up commentary was even more astounding, given the source. ?The Americans exposed their own scandal, queried the officials and got the American Government to accept responsibility for the actions of its soldiers,? stated the host before asking her guests why this sort of open and responsive action isn?t taken in the Arab world.One of the largest newspapers in the Pan-Arab world raised the stakes even higher yesterday with this editorial comment: ?Bush has apologized and claimed that democratic regimes make mistakes, but that the guilty will be punished?What happened at Abu Ghuraib is not surprising as there are many stories of horror inside Arab jails. The abuses that the Arab governments condemn at Abu Ghuraib are nothing compared to what happens in these governments? jails. Will the Arab regimes go on TV and apologize to their people in the same way President Bush did??
My colleague who heads our Arab media unit here in Baghdad called these statements nothing short of revolutionary for the Middle East media. And while they may not seem that profound on the surface, they are threads of a far greater, and still unfolding, story. Yes, the horrific actions of a few have tainted the good work of the many. But they have unwittingly done something else. The events of the past several days have given democracy a global stage within which to prove its worth.
In all their lives, the citizens of Iraq never heard Saddam Hussein apologize. Not once. Not when he gassed more than 10,000 of his own people on an April morning a decade ago. Not when he dragged 300,000 men, women and children from their homes in the dead of night to be driven into the desert and summarily executed and buried in mass, unmarked graves. And not after decades of war and isolation that left a once prosperous land completely crippled and devoid of even the most basic of freedoms.
No, the first time the people of this land ever heard an apology it came from the leader of the world?s oldest democracy. He was apologizing on behalf of a nation that had spent more than $100 billion to liberate their country from a brutal tyrant. He was apologizing on behalf of a people that sacrificed more than 700 sons and daughters to bring freedom and hope to a region devoid of such notions. He was apologizing because in this instance, we were wrong.
Judge us by our actions admonished Secretary Rumsfeld, and judge us they are. And while the verdict is still out, the signs are optimistic.
Having traveled outside of Iraq to Kuwait and Egypt during the height of the news coverage last week, I can understand why many in the United States believe this scandal to be a destructive blow to the Coalition?s efforts. Government run satellite news channels have hyped this sad moment for all its worth. From Saudi Arabia and Iran to Indonesia and Syria, the outcries of injustice have been deafening.
Oddly enough, however, the response in Iraq has been much more even-keeled. Reporters ask what will be done to bring justice to those soldiers who participated in these outrages and what form of compensation will be paid to the victims, and so on. To be sure they are angry, but they also know that despite the gruesome nature of the photos, they pale in comparison to the brutality of the former regime.Much to my surprise, I can honestly say that the people of Iraq were equally, if not in some cases more, disgusted by this week?s brutal murder and decapitation of Nicholas Berg ostensibly carried out in the name of God. Much as we are now finally beginning to see with Sadr and his militia, Iraqis are fed up with those that would insight violence in their communities through horrific acts of violence. Condemnation of Mr. Berg?s murder has been widespread and now, moderate clerics in Najaf have denounced Sadr and demanded his withdrawal from the Holy City. His militia are pillaging stores and markets and terrorizing local Iraqis much like an unchecked street gang. His fifteen minutes are up.
What happened at Abu Ghraib will haunt the United States for many years to come. For those who already despised the United States it provided fuel for their long simmering hatred. For those on the fence, it made our work that much harder. One thing is for certain, in less than 50 days the Iraqi people will have an opportunity to finally judge the intentions of the United States. Many here, betrayed by decades of lies and lost dreams, simply do not believe that we will transfer sovereignty back to the people of this land.
The fear and distrust of the West that Saddam Hussein sowed into the minds of every Iraqi during his three decades of tyrannical rule will not easily be overcome. The transfer of power on June 30th will signal far more than just the birth of a new democratic nation. By following through on our promise of sovereignty, we will do more to unravel generations of mistrust than any job programs or reconstruction projects could ever hope to accomplish.
Don?t believe everything that you read in the papers or see on television. Things have not unraveled in Iraq. To be sure our work is now a little harder, but then, anything worth doing isn?t easy.
God bless my friends, I miss everyone more than you can possibly imagine. I cannot wait until I get home in less than 7 weeks.
Posted by at 02:10 PM | Comments (2)
No Better Friend
| Our Marines are no better friend on the homefront too. Here, Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Silvers, a hospital corpsman assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, evaluates a young girl who was injured while playing outside her school.
Silvers was part of a Marine vehicle convoy that stopped to aid the girl while driving though the area during the MEU's Training in an Urban Environment Exercise (TRUEX) May 9. |
My own son spent the last two weeks training at March AFB. If you saw a FOX news clip of a tall handsome Marine dressed in Iraqi garb (he calls it a "mandress") and carrying a spear - that was my son. And simulated battlefield injuries are taken seriously. At one point, he was hit by a simulated morter and rescued from the field of battle by his brother Marines. The Navy Corpsmen diagnosed him with a "protruding bone from the face" and sent him off to be fixed. Preparing for war is serious business with these men, and they do not take it lightly.
Posted by Deb at 06:46 AM | Comments (3)
E-mail from Fallujah
Another e-mail, this time from a USMC Captain in the 1MARDIV:
As you all probably know by now, we are turning Fallujah over to the Iraqis. This will give us an opportunity to focus on other areas, and hopefully to build a new Iraqi Army with some of the folks that are feeling alienated right now. We're all painfully aware of the various issues associated with this move, but there's no point in discussing them. We'll make this work, just like we make everything else work to the best of our ability. The Marines fought hard in Fallujah and took a lot of very evil people out of the fight. That effort, and the associated loss of Marine lives, was not in vain. We're already seeing a significant decrease in the enemy's ability to attack our forces. The supply lines are open again and everything is flowing freely through the country. Their efforts to cut us off in order to break our willpower failed. The Iraqi people are tired of the enemy and they are turning them over to us left and right.I'm going to discuss a subject that I know does not apply to most of you...
We're reading that everyone back home is starting to lose faith in our efforts in Iraq. The last CBS poll put the numbers under 50% for the first time. I know that doesn't mean a loss in support for the troops, but supporting "the troops" while not supporting the mission doesn't do much for us. If we're over here for nothing then vague "support the troops" statements carry little weight. The Marines are in high spirits. The troops in Fallujah are doing what Marines do best, and they're true professionals.
Everyone else is driving forward, wondering what all the fuss back home is all about. We don't feel that we're losing anything - in fact, we're finally addressing issues that should have been addressed some time ago. The world seems to have forgotten what war looks like. It's not supposed to be pretty and happy. Force is used to kill those who are perpetrating evil on the people of Iraq. The images need to be put in perspective, something the news agencies just don't have time for.
It would be interesting to see someone track all the dire accounts and predictions that were issued over the past three weeks to see if they've been accurate. I read reports that we were cut off and couldn't get supplies. Reality: Not true, they failed. A popular revolution was taking place in the south and Sadr was leading a new Shia revolt. Reality: Not true. Shia militia are killing Sadr's folks in Najaf because they don't respect him and they're sick of him. He's the same buffoon he was last month. Fallujah would ignite the Arab world (how many times have we heard that one). Reality: Despite the best efforts of Al-Jazira to make us look like Atilla the Hun, there has been no explosion of populist anger. The same problems exist that existed last month - no better, no worse.
Please pass the word that we're doing great and the Marines are victorious in every battle. The enemy is a disconcerted, disparate group of disenfranchised dissemblers who have little power outside the realm of localized intimidation and the support of complicit al-Jazira reporters.
We will be able to settle this place down and help the Iraqi people back on their feet if we're able to ignore the hysteria on T.V. and recall the national willpower we had in the 1940's. What happened to our country? Have we really become so addled and weak-willed that we can't stick something out through a little rough patch?
I have faith that we'll get the backing we need to finish our work in Iraq. Please have that faith with me and support our mission as much as you support our Marines.
Posted by Deb at 06:26 AM | Comments (2)
May 18, 2004
Buckles and Bottles
Heard on Charlie Rose tonight:
Joseph Califano, who served as a policy expert during LBJ's administration related how the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, examined the separate and cumbersome purchasing procedures of the armed forces and decided that a centralized purchasing operation would streamline the process.
A committee, led by Califano studied the problem, prepared a report, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived to provide input. At one point, belts for each branch of the services - Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps were displayed on pegboards and McNamara demanded to know what was so different about the various belts.
No response from the Army, Air Force, or Navy. The USMC General spoke up, "Mr. Secretary, the Marine Corps belt buckle is the only one that can be used as a bottle opener."
End of discussion.
Posted by Deb at 12:13 AM
A new way to network
In early April, the Marines made a request for television recording, editing, and broadcasting equipment from Spirit of America. Three weeks later, Jim Hake and the Spirit of America delivered $82,267 of video production and broadcasting equpment to Camp Pendleton. Today, the last of it arrived in Iraq. That is an incredible accomplishment.
The result of this effort will be a new voice of freedom in Iraq. Currently, most Iraqis get their news from Al Jazeera, hardly an unbiased source. Opening independent media sources will provide information about positive as well as negative viewpoints. The only requirement is that the stations refrain from anti-Coalition force propaganda. Iraqis will finally be able to hear a balanced news source.
However, Jim cautions:
While - like you - I am eager to hear these stations are up and running, it's important to keep in mind that all the gear is going into a war zone. The security situation changes unpredictably and plans change. Thus, I'd expect some delay. There may be even bad news. It's a war of ideas there as much as an armed conflict. Those fighting against us understand the danger that these stations (and free, unintimidated media) present to their agenda. One can assume they will resist them at some point. These are my thoughts. I'm not speaking for the Marines. I hope I'm wrong.
Yes, there is an element of risk. However there is also incredible potential to bring a voice of balance and reason to the citizens of Iraq. This is a risk worth taking.
Here's a message from Marine LtCol John Lutkenhouse about the media equipment:
Jim,Here is the link to the story and photos we just put together regarding the arrival of the TV/radio equipment. PAO has also edited some of the video we took into a news clip that I think is pretty good. Just need to decide on the best way to get it to you.
As far as next steps, we are coordinating with Harris Corp (the folks who are providing the support to IMN) to send reps our way who can add their expertise as we travel out to the stations and distribute the gear. This would include two of their engineers and an IMN cameraman who will document our visits and report on the Spirit of America equipment we donate. We will also use some of the equipment for the local AM radio station that we are moving onto our camp from an outlying base. We will be integrating our efforts with Harris Corp's strategic plan in order to make sure we give the right type of equipment to the right sites (i.e. avoid giving video production equipment to a TV station that is not designated as a production site). Keeping in mind the required combat assets to get around our AO, as it looks right now we should able to hit all of the stations within the next 2-3 weeks. In conjunction with this, we will continue to engage the media leadership in Al Anbar (station managers, etc) in order to build relationships that will foster trust and cooperation. In fact, we are even exploring mentoring programs to help these broadcasters think and operate as independent news organizations/media enterprises. Case in point, one of the things we are finding is that their reporters don't really know how to be reporters (ask questions, think critically, and dig for the truth). As you well know, one of the legacies of the former regime is the pervasive fear that effects the decisions of Iraqis in all walks of life.
As such, we are taking 'baby steps' to encourage both media professionals and local governments (town councils) to see the benefits of getting information to the public, to be seen making decisions in council, and to develop the instincts of an open society.
The end state here is to give the Iraqis in Al Anbar an open and independent broadcast media that will present the truth and serve as an alternative to the biased reporting from the likes of Al Jazeera. At the same time, this will also gain us access to the airwaves across our entire zone in order to help ensure that our message gets out. I will keep you and the folks back home posted as we move forward. Thanks again to you and to the donors who are generously supporting our efforts.
SF,
John
There's more coming - stay tuned.
Posted by Deb at 12:06 AM | Comments (1)
May 17, 2004
Call for Recipes
Claudia Thomas, another proud Marine Corps Mom is putting together a recipe book to raise funds for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) and the Woman Marine Association (WMA). If you have a favorite recipe - or two or three - that you'd like to share for a very worthy cause, please write or type it on a form that can be downloaded here. All recipes must be submitted on this form in order to keep the cookbook publishers happy.
For instructions on where to mail the completed forms and to order cookbooks - $15 plus $3 shipping - contact Claudia at ProudUSMCmom@aol.com. I'm sending in a couple of recipes that have taken first place in recipe contests and that I have not shared previously. It's for a great cause - share your recipes and then order the cookbook! Or, just order the cookbook. It's all good.
Here's Claudia's story:
Click on Continue Reading to find out what Claudia has to say:
My son joined the Marines about four and a half years ago. In one of his first ''drill letters", there was a note asking for spouses to volunteer for the Key Volunteer Network I didn't call, but hung on to the letter for a month. Finally, I called. I explained that I knew that they had asked for spouses, and I was "just" a Mom, but I recognized how hard it is to get anyone to volunteer for things these days and if they ever needed help I would be more than willing. It turned out that I was the only one who called! (It also turned out that the Key Volunteer Network is NOT limited to spouses.) For approximately two years, our KVN consisted of the person who had originally asked for help and myself.Since that time I have recruited and trained a number of volunteers to assist me in my duties. Interestingly enough, my hardest working and most dependable volunteers are Moms as well! The Key Volunteer Network, and our various positions within it, are created and mandated by Marine Corps Orders. We have many responsibilities, and if you would like more info on it, just let me know.
I am the Key Volunteer Coordinator for the Marine Wing Support Group-47. I keep my team quite active. I do like to do fundraisers to support our local Marines and originally that is what I thought this idea would be. While still in my own investigative and planning stages of this, I realized that this project could be used to generate donations to organizations that help our service men and women when they need it most. Rather than use this endeavor to raise money for a Family Day event or a Birthday Ball, I thought that it had the potential to really make a difference in some lives. I researched nonprofits that benefit our military families and found that these two in particular provide the services that, if I could, I would want to be able to do. For example, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) is an organization that families can turn to in extreme financial crisis. Can you imagine, after serving your country, you fall into hard times and can't afford funeral expenses, or your family has no money for food, what if you faced being thrown out into the street with your children? What if there is a medical emergency but you can't get help because you don't have the financial resources? I believe that WE owe it to those who have served our country to help them out. By raising money to donate to the NMCRS I/WE can do that, and, isn't that awesome?
The Women?s Marine Association (WMA) has programs that include taking care of patients in the VA Hospitals, sending packages to our troops overseas, finding "adoptive parents" for Marines overseas who have no one back home writing to them, scholarship programs for our Marines? children. These are all things I would love to do myself but no one person can do it all. I can, though, come up with this cookbook idea, convince my team to participate, and then use every possible avenue to spread the word.
My goal is to produce a beautiful cookbook with (approximately) 500 recipes, raise enough money through donations to cover the publishing cost (I am personally liable for that, it's my signature on the order form!), and sell at least one thousand copies. I know that it can be done if we all try our hardest. If we do just what I've outlined above, we will raise $15,000.00! If everyone really pushes these cookbooks we could make even more.
My son honors me by being a Marine. He will receive his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant on July 23rd, 2004. My son is a pilot. He will soon be going to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola for his flight school training. I do what I do to honor not only my son, but all our sons and daughters.There's no better cheerleader than a mom. Especially a Marine Corps Mom.
UPDATE: The downloaded Word document isn't working, so our wonderful webmaster first converted it to a PDF file and now he working on making it a fill-out form. Thanks, Sean!!
Posted by Deb at 01:24 AM | Comments (2)
Spirit of America at work in Camp Zadan
Operation: No Better Friend is winning hearts in Camp Zadan, Iraq with the help of the Spirit of America Foundation . . . and a few good Marines.
Before his Marines deployed last February, LtCol Giles Kyser, commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, wrote this, in a letter to the families of his men:
The Battalion is returning to Iraq to help its good people build a future full of the same promise that we have been blessed with as Americans. This will be a difficult and dangerous mission and your Marines are very aware of the challenges that face them. Your Marines are also ready! The demanding training they completed during the past three months prepared them exceptionally well to meet those challenges head-on, and I am supremely confident in their ability to execute the broad range of tasks before them.Your Warlord will be conducting what has become known as ?SASO? of Stability and Security Operations. He will conduct offensive and defensive operations as well as civil affairs and humanitarian operations designed to create the conditions for the people of Iraq to get back on their feet. You should be extremely proud of your Marine or Sailor because the mission they will accomplish is a noble one? in the finest traditions of our nation. Through his efforts, your Warlord will be writing yet another chapter in the magnificent legacy of the Naval Service. Those who would challenge us have underestimated the capability and resolve of the Warlords. They do not know what you know?that these men are of the same stock that won at places like Belleau Wood, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Dai Do, Grenada, Kuwait and Al Kut. Our enemies will also come to recognize, that these men are also fathers, sons, brothers and husbands whose capability as warriors is exceeded only by their compassion for humanity.
Here's a demonstration of that compassion:
2/2 Marines distribute school supplies donated by Spirit of America to kids in Zadan. 
LtCol Kyser chats with a young girl as part of an outreach to let the locals know the Marines are there to help.
Lt Col Kyser hands out coloring books to the local kids.
USMC photos by Cpl. Shawn C. RhodesBesides winning over the children, the Marines demonstrated how they plan to help the rest of the town. Here's some information from Cpl Rhodes:
Even though the battalion was only in the camp for a few days, the message of the Coalition's intent of helping the Iraqi people got out. Marines passed out leaflets offering phone numbers for Iraqis to seek help for getting clean water."An ongoing project is helping the local water treatment plant," Dubois said.
Clean water is scarce in many rural areas of Iraq. Water treatment became a project where Marines quickly became involved.
"We've found a lack of good drinking water to be the number one complaint," said Maj. Mark P. DeVito, a Civil Affairs Group leader from San Diego. "We're putting $50,000 into the water plant. Because the people want to see immediate effects, we're giving 50,000-gallon water bladders to different towns so they have a way to get water immediately."
DeVito explained that Iraqis in the area were pro-Coalition at one time, but without seeing their surroundings improve, their minds changed. The Marines plan to leverage their assistance to gain back trust through upgrading conditions.
In addition to the water plant, CAG is also working to organize a street cleanup. Hiring people to go through the town and pick up trash not only cleans up the area but also creates jobs.
"Because we're out there in the towns every day, we see what needs to get done," DeVito said. "We become familiar to the people and they give us information about insurgents or weapons caches."
When my son was in Najaf last year, he spent many hours providing street security and standing post. He said that Iraqis would come up to his guard station and report where ammunition was stored or that attacks were planned. From May through October last year, no Marines were lost to hostile action, largely due to the level of trust and cooperation achieved by all levels of leadership. Handing out a pack of school supplies, or hiring an unemployed Iraqi to clean up his city is a small thing in isolation. The cumulative effect can be great. And, if you haven't donated already, consider giving to Spirit of America. It's money well spent.
Posted by Deb at 12:38 AM | Comments (1)
May 16, 2004
An Iraqi soldier's view of the American military
In this report, Mohammed (an Iraqi doctor) relates the story of his uncle who served in Saddam's army and is now being trained by the U.S. military for the new Iraqi Army
A relative of mine was forced as the millions of Iraqis to serve in Saddam’s army. He was poor and peaceful and couldn’t stand the humiliation and the torture that service meant. He lived in Baghdad and served in Basrah. He was paid about 10 thousand Iraqi Dinars a month, which equaled about 5 US $ at that time, while the ride from his place to his unit cost about 2 or 3 thousand Dinars. Above all he had to bribe the sergeants and the officers only to avoid the hell they could make his life there, as they could’ve made it a lot worse. Others more fortunate paid money to the officer in charge to stay at home and the officer would arrange it to look like they are serving. This may amount to 250-300 thousand Iraqi Dinars a month, and it was a very common practice at that time. And as tens of thousands of Iraqis, he decided to run away. He remained a fugitive for years, hiding from the eyes of the military police. He couldn’t see his family more than 2 or 3 times in the year. We helped him find a job and a place to hide where they couldn’t find him. Few days ago I was visiting his family to pay our respect in the 1st annual anniversary of his father’s death.When I saw my relative, and despite the nature of the occasion, I felt happy. Here’s a free man. I smiled as I said, “you must be very happy to be free again, and not fear the MP”. He said, "you can’t imagine! It’s like being born again. I’ve never felt so free before”. “But what are you doing for a living now? I hope you’ve found a job”. I asked. He smiled as he said, "I volunteered in the new army". “Really! I thought you’d never wear a uniform after that terrible experience” he replied "Oh no, this is entirely different". I said, “ I'm sure it is, but who convinced you to do so!? And when did that happen?” "A friend of mine who volunteered before I did told me some nice stuff that encouraged me to do the same, so I volunteered about a couple of months ago", he replied.
“So tell me about it, are you happy with this job?” I asked. "You can’t imagine! It’s nothing that we’ve learned or knew about the military life" he answered. “I expected it to be so, but can you tell me about it” I asked and I didn’t have to ask anymore, as my relative started talking excitedly without a stop. He said:
To find out what he said, click the Continue Reading link below:
"The most important thing is that this army has no retards or illiterate in it like the old one. Now education is an essential requirement when applying to serve in the new army and anyone who hasn’t finished high school at least has no place there. In fact most of the volunteers are college and technical institutes graduates.Everything is new, no more worn out dirty uniforms that only God knows how many people used before you, and they never minded about the size. This time they took our sizes and handed each one of us a new elegant uniform that’s worthy of an officer! It was a common scene, you know, that soldiers wander near their halls in their underwear after training hours. Some of them did that because they didn’t have much to wear when they wash their uniforms, but the majority did it out of custom. Now this is unacceptable, and everyone received a nice comfortable suit to wear after the training hours.
One of the officers said to us “you know what? One of the reasons you lose your wars is the boots you were wearing” He then handed each one of us a pair of those brand new boots that we could only dream of buying them in the old times, and said “Put these on and you’ll feel like you can fly” and it did feel almost like that!"
I knew exactly what my relative meant, as I had to wear those boots at Sadam’s times when they forced us to do a month of military training during our summer vacation in college, and they warned us that anyone who refused to do so would be expelled from his college. Wearing those inflexible rigid boots in that heat was more like a torture. They were my worst memory of that camp and caused me multiple painful sores that needed weeks to heal.
My relative’s face was glowing as he continued, "you can’t imagine how much valued we are and how much our religion and traditions are respected. When we pass by a mosque, the officer in charge shouts “no talk” until we pass the mosque by a considerable distance, and when one of the officers enters our hall, if he sees that one of us is praying he remains silent and order us to keep quite until our comrade finishes his prayer.
For the first time in my life, I feel I’m somebody. I’m not a trash as Saddam and his gang tried to make me believe” as he finished his last words his voice went faint as if he was chocking. I felt his pain and tried to change the course of our talk, “how much do you get paid” I asked, “Oh, pretty much, more than enough, thank God” “and what about your meals” I added and he said with a smile, “Oh you won’t believe it. Everything that we couldn’t get in our own homes before and that we only saw when the officers in the old army made a feast to honor a guest! I mean we have everything; meat is essential in every meal, vegetables, fruits apples and bananas. It’s still unbelievable to many of us!”
He went on, “One of the most important things that the Americans concentrate on in our training is physical fitness. A month ago I could hardly jog for one kilometer before falling to the ground exhausted and out of breath, and now I can run 4-5 kilometers without being exhausted.”
A frown crossed his face as he said “ I remember when they used to train us at the most hot hours of the day for hours without allowing us to rest for a while under a shade or drink any water, and when we get almost killed by thirst, we would be forced to drink from the dirty contaminated ditch water. Now we don’t even drink tap water! Each one of us gets more than enough an amount of that healthy bottled water everyday”
To some people this may mean little if anything, but my relative looked at it as something huge, and indeed, before the war, drinking bottled water was really a luxury that a very small percentage of Iraqis could afford. In my house we used to boil the tap water and cool it before drinking it, because we knew it was not safe and we couldn’t afford buying bottled water everyday.
“I feel I’m somebody now. I’m respected and get all what most people get. Do you believe that they threw one of the Iraqi officers out of the army because he used us to do him personal services, like carrying his bags, and when we complained about his behavior, they told him “ Do you see any of us, American officers use our soldiers? You can go home. You still have the mentality of the old regime and you can’t fit in this new army!” imagine that! They listen to our complains, we the soldiers, and bring us justice even if it involved the higher ranked officers. This had never happened in the old army.”
“But what about the dangers you are going to face when you graduate? You’ll face it everyday, and you’ll probably have to fight Iraqis. Have you thought about that? And how do you feel about it!?” I felt some regret as I asked this question, but it was too important to ignore.
My relative said, “Of course I thought about it!” He sighed as he continued, “Dangers were there since I was born; wars, MP chasing me for years, chaos…etc. These will not stop me from going on with my life, and I have a feeling that those thugs are the same people who oppressed me along with all the poor Iraqi soldiers. No, I’m not afraid of them and I’ll do my job. At least this time I know I’m doing the right thing and that my services will be appreciated” I looked at him admiringly as I said, “They are appreciated already! Congratulations, brother, for the new job and for being the free and new man you are”
When I left, I felt real hope in the new Iraqi army. Despite its terrible performance till now, one cannot be pessimistic after hearing the way this army is being formed and the way the soldiers look at it. I’m sure it’ll take time, but I’m also sure that we’ll definitely have an exceptionally efficient, small army with great morals and respect for the law and the institution they represent. An army that can preserve peace and order, and protect the constitution once the Iraqi people agree on one.
-By Mohammed
Posted by Deb at 11:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Latif urges support for U.S. troops
An online Boston Globe article, from embedded reporter Katarina Kratovac, reports that the Irai general appointed to lead Iraqi security forces in Fallujah has urged sheiks and tribal elders to support American efforts to bring stability and peace to Iraq.
''We can make them (Americans) use their rifles against us or we can make them build our country, it's your choice,'' Latif told a gathering of more than 40 sheiks, city council members and imams in an eastern Fallujah suburb.and
The venue offered a rare insight into Latif's interactions and influence over Fallujah elders. As he spoke, many sheiks nodded in approval and listened with reverence to his words. Later, they clasped his hands and patted Latif on the back.Latif, speaking in Arabic to the sheiks, defended the Marines and the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
''They were brought here by the acts of one coward who was hunted out of a rathole Saddam who disgraced us all,'' Latif said. ''Let us tell our children that these men (U.S. troops) came here to protect us."
''As President Bush said, they did not come here to occupy our land but to get rid of Saddam. We can help them leave by helping them do their job, or we can make them stay ten years and more by keeping fighting.''
Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, the Marine battalion commander, said, ''No truer words have been spoken here today than those by General Latif.''It worked in Najaf last year. I'm crossing my fingers that it will work in Fallujah now.
Posted by Deb at 11:37 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
E-mail from Iraq
The 2/7 Marines from 29 Palms have seen some fierce fighting since they arrived in February but, according to the battalion leadership, they've "turned the corner". We can't wait to welcome these guys home later this year. One of the Marines in this battalion went through high school, the DEP and boot camp with my son. They graduated the same day, went through SOI together and hoped to be assigned to the same unit. Jesse was sent to the 2/7 and my Shane flew to Iraq to join his 1/7 unit already in Iraq. Here is an update from the 2/7 battalion commander.
Battalion Update to Family and Friends of 2/7It seems like only yesterday that we were writing to all of you, but time flies here in Iraq, with the unit being so busy helping the Iraqis build a new future. It has been almost three weeks since we last updated you! Now is a great opportunity to update the family and friends of 2/7 and share some very positive news.
Since our return from operations east of here, quite a few constructive events have taken place?the most important is that we have gained much more support among the people in our corner of Iraq. The upbeat relations with the locals, Iraqi police, and families in the community are the result of continued hard work by your Marines and Sailors. In a sense, we have turned one corner in the maze that is Iraq. This is giving us a boost in already high morale.
The problems that the Iraqi people face are very complex, require patience, social energy, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to listen in order to solve these challenges. The majority of the problems your Marines face do not require us to use our military training. For instance, the simple act of relaxing and listening to someone who has been denied a free voice for more than 35 years goes a long way.
Watching the men and women of the battalion listen intently as a farmer, businessman, or grandfather discusses a problem, or simply ?vents,? goes a long way toward understanding the people we continue to meet each day. We remain convinced that the majority of the people we meet each day all yearn for the same things?safety, a secure family and home, as well as a job and respect. Your Marines and Sailors are helping deliver these things by providing security and assisting the Iraqi security forces in performing their jobs better. The road to rebuilding Iraq is far from complete, but we are encouraged each day by our experiences in the communities, towns, and cities we operate in and around. 2/7 is indeed winning; don?t let anyone tell you differently.
We think of those most important to us?our families at home?all the time. You give us the resolve to continue winning this fight. You have the toughest job in all of this. Thank you for sharing the courage.
Semper fidelis,
LtCol Phil Skuta and SgtMaj Dave Plaster
Posted by Deb at 06:38 AM | Comments (1)
