Sgt. Bowman's mother sent me this.
Being left behind
SGT Devin J. Bowman
82nd ABN DIV
Somewhere tonight, my men are fighting, yet I am not among them. They are battling foes that they can't see, and I am not there to show them the way. I was not left behind because of anything I did, but because I was needed here. I ache so much to be with my men, to be sharing their hardships but tonight, it can not be. They are fighting this fight so far away, yet I remain here with my family and friends. I'm going to be able to see my second child being born, but some of the men that are there will not see their first. I’m so proud of what they are doing, I see them on television, doing what we were trained to do. They are taking the fight to the enemy, and they are not backing down. They are fighting over there, but back here, there are people protesting what my men are doing. I can’t help but wonder, who gave these people the right to protest? What is so American about saying “It’s my right to protest what’s going on over there” ? The people we’re fighting against spill the innocent blood of their own people every day, but no one protests against it. People seem to forget where these American “rights” came from. What do you think would have happened if we let Hitler continue his horrific actions? Who knows what language we would be speaking today. We began this country on the premise of freedom. Freedom from oppression and from a country that wanted to tell us how we should live our lives. People forget that it isn’t the organizers that gives them the right to protest, it’s the soldiers. The soldiers that are over there right now giving everything they have so someday, God willing, we won’t have to protest. The soldiers that salute the flag every day and say “I’m not going to fail you, nothing is going to get past me, not now, not ever.” Before you protest against something, why don’t you get all the information? We’re not fighting to secure oil, or to occupy anything. We’re there because someone broke a promise to us, and they deliberately lied about it. This same person kills his own people because they are afraid of him. I, and all my men took an oath when we enlisted. We swore to protect our country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. These tyrants came to our country and killed innocent civilians, why aren’t you protesting against that? I don’t understand how you can not support the actions of your own country while turning a blind eye to the actions of the country we are trying to liberate. I was left behind because right now, my mission is a different one. I am an ambassador to the 82nd Airborne Division. I have been traveling all around the country talking to people, telling them what I can, and letting them know that everything is going to be ok. I want to be over there, but I’m not. I’m here, so I’m doing what I can. Every time some one says to me, “we’re so proud of you” or “keep up the good work”, I know they’re not talking to me. They’re talking to the soldiers over there, who are enduring hardships that you can’t even imagine, unless you’ve worn the uniform. Don’t ever forget, you may be missing one or two people, but they have to miss all of us that were left behind. If you know a soldier, police officer, fireman, or anyone that wears a uniform, past or present, thank them, because they’ve sacrificed so much for us, and we can’t let the ignorance of a few people deny them the respect and gratitude that they deserve for their service to our country.
Devin J. Bowman |
