More Communication from the troops

[Guest Cerebus]

I'm stationed in Baghdad, and we are a National Guard Unit from Kansas. I must say that our troop morale is much higher than I ever expected it to be. When I was on active duty, stationed at Ft. Sill, OK, the unit morale was in the toilet. We worked late nights and through lunch and it drove morale down even more because we didn't see the point in it. When this unit deployed I thought that I had seen the highest that our morale would be for the next year. However our morale only seemed to go up. Once we got to Kuwait we were anxious to get to Iraq. The low point of the deployment so far was at Kuwait where the training seemed tedious and redundant. Once we got to Baghdad our morale only went up from there. After being here for 9 months our morale is still high. Just today there was a group of us on the bus headed back to our Hooches (trailors) and someone got a package. The package contained a funny hat, a stick on mustache, and a bouncing balloon with the rubber band on it. Suddenly a song came on the AFN (Armed Forces Radio) station and just like that it became a party bus. The balloon was being bounced all over the bus everyone was dancing, and joking and singing along. There isn't one day that goes by that someone doesn't do something to make everyone laugh and smile. I can't speak for every unit, but as far as this unit goes we are very much a family. We count on each other for every thing. Especially our good spirits.

 

Robert D. Truitt

 

SGT

 

U.S. Army

 

John Kerry: 'Wrong War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time'

 

Me: Thanks - I'll keep that in mind on the flight over.

 

Dear Friends and Family,

 

Growing up in a middle class upbringing as I did, you are in a way shielded from the horrors of life and death in war. Such innocence and ignorance is almost apart of your skin. Yeah, you hear of countries with oppressed people, the unfair justices, and deaths of many in the wars of the past. But you never get to experience or see the effects of it all. Well, today I finally had my first experience.

 

On September 5th, 2004, at 1630, the ceremony for the deaths of PFC Nicholas M. Skinner and LCPL Alexander S. Arredondo was held. Walking to the formation, feeling the punishing heat and the combination of sand and rocks below my feet, I was not prepared for the display. Hearing the short testimonies of Marines talking about their brothers was undeniably moving. Standing there in formation, I couldn't help but think of their families and how honorably these men died. In the background, was a large mound of dirt with a huge wooden cross, complemented by two stands with the names, dates of birth, dates of their death, and pictures of them with family and friends. In front of this display, was the symbol of a fallen warrior: their

Kevlar helmets on top of the BUTT stock of their M16 with bayonet stuck in the ground, their dog tags with chain hanging from the handle of their weapon, and at the mussel of the M16, were the boots in which these Marines marched onto the battlefield.

 

After the ceremony, all of the Marines present, including myself, paid their respects by giving them an about face and a firm salute in front of their memorials. On the left, were the closest of friends to the fallen in which all the Marines gave them a firm handshake and/or a big hug. I couldn't help but shed tears watching all the Marines do this, because even though most of us weren't friends with these men, we Marines are all brothers and sisters. We all had to persevere the pain of fatigue in recruit training, the tyrannical raids of the Drill Instructors, and we all marched that parade deck on graduation day in which we earned the title of United States Marine.

 

No doubt about it, PFC Skinner and LCpl Arredondo are heroes and I will never forget their names as long as I shall live. Please pray for their families, it's the least we can do as Americans.

 

I miss you all and God bless you.

 

Semper Fi,

LCpl Heist USMC

 

If you want to read first hand accounts of military men and women in Iraq a good place to start is the Mudville Gazette and My War. There are others but those are the two I read on a daily basis.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

But they're not in Mikey Moore's book, so this must be a fake.

 

Didn't you post some letters from troops before -- I seem to remember posting one in that thread, too...

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

Who said these letters were fake?

[Guest GreatOne]

Troops SUPPORTING being over there.

 

Shocker to you, I know...............

[Justice 0]

Who said these letters were fake?

I don't think it's that the letters are fake. It's just that, well, 9 people out of 140,000 doesn't give us an accurate sentiment of the troops over there. Especially ones who want to send letters to Michael Moore.

 

I would, though, like to see their authenticity proven. I wouldn't put it past Moore to make up a few of them.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

Who said these letters were fake?

I don't think it's that the letters are fake. It's just that, well, 9 people out of 140,000 doesn't give us an accurate sentiment of the troops over there. Especially ones who want to send letters to Michael Moore.

 

I would, though, like to see their authenticity proven. I wouldn't put it past Moore to make up a few of them.

So it's just an assumption then. Ok, you don't trust Moore. Fine. It doesn't mean its ONLY 9. Thats an assumption too. There ARE alot of people who are against this war, world over. IS it so hard to imagine that some of them might be IN the military? Of course not. We'd solve this by getting some kind of poll, but from the military? Good luck.

[Justice 0]

Who said these letters were fake?

I don't think it's that the letters are fake. It's just that, well, 9 people out of 140,000 doesn't give us an accurate sentiment of the troops over there. Especially ones who want to send letters to Michael Moore.

 

I would, though, like to see their authenticity proven. I wouldn't put it past Moore to make up a few of them.

So it's just an assumption then. Ok, you don't trust Moore. Fine. It doesn't mean its ONLY 9. Thats an assumption too. There ARE alot of people who are against this war, world over. IS it so hard to imagine that some of them might be IN the military? Of course not. We'd solve this by getting some kind of poll, but from the military? Good luck.

I've talked to service men. I know service men. My friends know service men. NONE of them talk of anything like those letters mentioned. The way they were written, they seem questionable. There is so much of those letters that seems to be filled with propaganda, that it's way too convient to Moore's position. Do you have any proof that these letters are the rule and not the exception? Seriously, do you? Because, frankly, if the troops were THAT against it, you'd think that the media would be ALL over that story...

[Guest BDC]

Didn't Moore publicize one before that was deemed uncredible?

[Justice 0]

Didn't Moore publicize one before that was deemed uncredible?

Yeah. It was from the editor of a magazine who joined the military. He was a close buddy of Moore, if I remember correctly.

[Guest BDC]

My gf's brother is a lance corporal in the USMC. You'd think that in all the battallions he works with, he'd know of someone like this, right?

 

Nope.

 

They have, every one, said they believe what they're doing is right. They just get tired of 130 degree heat in the day and 40 degree nights.

 

That's pretty much what I said in the other thread. None of them question why they're deployed, they just get tired of the desert.

[NoCalMike 0]

well don't forget also, that F9/11 has now been airing in the middle east and regardless of how WE feel about it, I am sure it may have an effect on SOME troops, possibly. That alone could lead to some descent, and maybe could explain why they would email Moore to vent.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Oh, speaking of Mikey, while driving past the University of Shittsburgh there was a sign that said poor Mikey was sick and his show tonight was canned...

[Dr. Tom 0]

Maybe he ate an extra turkey and got food poisoning?

[Guest MikeSC]

Maybe he ate an extra turkey and got food poisoning?

You think one turkey can impact him?

 

That'd be like me pissing into the Pacific and the whole thing turning yellow.

-=Mike

[Guest INXS]

I don't think anyone is questioning that there are many troops over there, most likely the majority - that aren't opposed to the war and aren't having a blast.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Let me make sure I understand you:

 

You just said that most likely the majority of U.S. troops in the Mideast are in favor of the war and are "having a blast"?

 

I just want to make sure I got this right...

[Guest INXS]

Yep that's right..well perhaps 'having a blast' is a too strong description..but certainly not suffering low morale.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

Yeah, I bet they're having a real ball.

 

Fucking retard...