I originally posted this on December 15th. Perhaps you missed it.
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For those of you without a direct personal connection to the war in Iraq, I thought I'd share this. I spent last Friday with a buddy of mine who is stationed in Iraq and is home on a 15 day leave. He goes back on Friday. Danny is a forty-four year old master sergeant in an Army maintenance unit responsible for keeping our combat vehicles and heavy equipment moving. He's been in Iraq since last March and this was his first trip home to see his wife and kids.
After nine months away in that hell hole, Danny is fit, energetic and in good spirits. When he first arrived in Iraq, he needed about a ten day adjustment period for his body to be able to deal with the climate and conditions. Some days this summer rose to 150 degrees and most places have no shade. The food is rotten, the water is trucked in, and the creatures crawling around on the ground would make many people gag.
So Danny, what about the mission? Do you still believe in it after being on the front lines?
“More than ever!” he asserted. Yep, he is more gung ho than I’ve ever seen him. According to him, the coalition soldiers are unified and dedicated to the mission of helping the Iraqi people and rebuilding their country. According to him, every single day, something great happens in Iraq. Whether it’s food and water being brought to a starving neighborhood, sick children being transported to a hospital, a road or bridge opening, a power plant coming on line, or enemy soldiers being captured or killed, everything is moving in the right direction. And the locals know it. Daily, he gets hugs and salutes from grateful Iraqis as he rides on the roads.
So what about the attacks and continued insurgency? He says they’ll stop as we flush out hidden Baathists, Fedeyeen and al Qaeda. Al Qaeda? Danny says the country is absolutely crawling with al Qaeda. They’re everywhere. One cell was based right outside his compound -- until it was discovered. (Those terrorists are now hunting for their virgins.) He told of one attack where al Qaeda shot an Iraqi civilian, cut his chest open and planted a bomb in it, and then left the body face down on the side of the road. When our MPs came along to collect the body, it went off, killing one and injuring the other.
Danny thinks there are better, more aggressive, ways to hasten the elimination of these parasites, but the military has been infected with a rash of political correctness which has slowed the process down.
Danny said the attacks from Baathists and Fedeyeen should die down a few weeks after Saddam is found. (Remember, this was last Friday.) Asked when he thought Saddam will be found, he presciently stated, “soon, very soon. We’re closing in on him.” (In talking to him yesterday, his only regret about his leave is that he wasn’t with his men when Saddam was captured. He’ll be back soon enough.)
Danny says there is bravery in abundance. For example, a certain South Korean unit in his area is responsible for searching neighborhoods for sick children, treating or transporting them and attending to the needs of the parents. This unit has only light cover (our MPs) and spends many days dodging Baathists and al Qaeda. Then there are the translators, locals who volunteer to help the coalition forces deal with the language barrier every day. More of them will emerge when the threats pass.
Danny’s opinion of George Bush has risen even higher since he’s been in Iraq. He says the military is 100% behind this president, with a unanimous belief that their work there is life saving and rewarding. (Several members of his unit turned down the 15 day holiday leave because they were needed in their jobs.) Bush's Thanksgiving surprise was a great morale booster, even though the soldiers didn’t need one. Danny says the good that is being done every day for the people of Iraq is all the boost they need.
Danny is going back to Iraq on Friday. He’ll be there til May and, God willing, will join his kids back here for the spring sports seasons. |
