Local Boy Doing Good
When I was reading in the local paper this morning I came across this letter to the Editor. It touched me, so I decided to share it with ya'll. This guy is from my hometown.
A View From Iraq
I have been reading articles in The Daily Democrat online that suggest the support for our troops and our war in Iraq is fading or is lost. I am here to say that ... well, it's OK. It's OK because you can bet your life that we still support you.
All 138,000 of us support the citizens of [this] County and every other county in our 50 states. We do it without the support of many of you and that's OK. We do it because somebody had to.
We do it because we want to. We do it for our mothers and fathers, our wives and our brothers and sisters. We do it for reasons that most of you will never know or understand. They are not reasons that most of you make "sacrifices" for.
They are not for an extra day off or more money. We don't have 401k plans or overtime. We don't have sick days. We have leadership, discipline and honor. We have heart and valor. In the end it is obvious that we have each other. By each other I mean every man or women who has defended this great country.
The country where you can sit in the comfort of your home, knowing that enemies from other countries are not going to attack your city with soldiers and take away your rights. Do any of you know why they won't? Well it isn't because they are afraid of what you may say in some overrated poll. No it's us, the military. They know that if they dared attack our cities we would not only fight, but we would fight with such vengeance that no man has ever seen.
I am a former citizen of [this town]. I say former as I joined the Army in 1990 after graduating from [the local] High School.
Since then I have traveled this world. I have been to Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungarian, Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and more places that I can't spell or pronounce. I have been to all these places and every time I assemble in them all I can think about is how great it would be to be home in the states.
I have made real sacrifices in my life. Giving up better money to stay in a fight another day. Giving up stability in my life to lead one more soldier, knowing that one soldier could be something great. I've given up more than most of you will ever have. I'm not your stereotypical soldier. I have a degree, top secret clearance and have more experience in real life police situations than some entire police departments combined. This is my second time in Iraq. I served in Desert Storm as an MP. I was 19 then and had the same views of the military as now. I have never been a person who feels unappreciated. I don't need your support to complete my mission. All I need is the support of my family, which I have.
Go ahead and continue to put our war down and trash it as you will. But just remember that we will still support you no matter what you say. We will continue to fight and die if necessary.
We wouldn't have it any other way. You can believe that we don't sit around polling ourselves as to how we feel or how high on the complainometer we rate. We are warriors and you are not. End of story. We are willing to die for what we believe in. That is real! As real as it gets. So when you see us on the street be aware that we know who you are. Don't be afraid, we hold no grudges. We are just happy to be back in the country we fought for. See that's sacrifice.
So feel free to poll all you want. Go out and join Cindy Sheehan's crusade. It won't change the fact that we are here until the job is done and that's still a ways away.
But if you really want to help, lend your support to someone in the military other than me. Like I said before I'm supported by my family. Maybe Sheehan's son could use some support, his support has forgotten who her son was and that he volunteered for this mission, but what can you expect from a newly non-elected politician.
Wherever he is now he could use some support from people who care. So let your support for him and the others like him be heard. It's a tough time right now, but again we wouldn't have it any other way.
- Jerry Frasier is an Army "special agent," stationed at Camp Slayer, Iraq. He reports that his father, is a two-time Vietnam veteran and now retired California police officer; and his mother, works at the County Courthouse.
posted by Audrey @ 9:48 AM
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