Fighting a War

Fighting a War.

I read a wonderful poem today at A Soldier’s Perspective. I would like to post it here as well. I consider it a warrior’s prayer.

May God bless those in harms way
And may he enlighten those objectors
Who never sacrificed their own personal time or comforts
For the freedoms they enjoy the most
Unknown

I also read an open letter to America on the blog, 2Slick's Forum. This letter not only made me feel as patriotic as I did in the 60’s when I joined the Army, I urge all to read it. It also tells the world the truth. Everyone should read it, copy it and send it to their congressman. I have asked the blogger if I can post the letter here.

A few notes and updates today. First, I see the Screaming Eagles, 101st Airborne Back in Action in the sand box, Iraq. The world should feel a little safer now. God Bless, and be safe.

This one just caught my eye and brought a lot of anger to me. I read it at the Chicago Tribune site: Attitude shifts on Iraq pullout. White House seems willing to conceive of future drawdown. Folks, it really is a simple matter. If someone is going to dedicate troops, resources, funds to fighting a war, then you must do it 100%. It is simple as that. Why are we always the ones to leave before something is done? As we speak Saddam Hussein, once the hunted bad guy, still claims to be the president of Iraq and immune to prosecution. Interesting is it not? Here is a guy responsible for the outright murder of his own people and wants to be treated as a president. I don’t think so, and neither does most other people.

Let me say that I too cry inside each time I read of a death or wounding in Iraq or Afghanistan. It tears me up. As a vet it may hit me a little harder, but as a vet I understand. They have a job to do and by God, they are doing it. And yes, I want the troops home, but not until the mission is complete. Why are we playing politics as usual with a war? I know there are many readers who could post multiple checklists why they should be home. But that is not it folks. We have to finish a job. Do you realize what the terrorists think and say each time they read of our petty politics and arguments regarding bring them home? They already know we will leave. To them it is simply a matter of time. Wait us out, create damage, havoc and unknown and they feel we will leave. Why are we playing right into their hands?

Yes, we need a timeline, yes we need an exit strategy, but not until the job is done. Look at our past history of pullouts. Somalia, Mogadishu, the fiasco that went on there. If you did not read the book, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden, then I’m sure you saw the move of the same title. We never finished the job! We lost lives, and that was the ultimate sin in this day of technology. We lost them because they had no means of support or backup except for those brave crews in the Little Bird A/MH-6 gunships that kept them alive through the night. When it was over did we go back and get our man? Did the military get him back? Politics did and then we left. We left a mission that we never completed. If not for the Delta, and Rangers involved and the support they received it could have been worse. But we had our best there and they did their job. If this had been any other military from any other country it could have gone a lot worse. But again, we had our best, they did their best and as vets like to say; all gave some and some gave all.

I recall when this occurred a newsbreak caught my attention of it. The reporter was standing with the battle far behind, I could hear the chatter from the Little Birds as he was saying what had happened. I knew all hell was breaking loose. I knew the Rangers and Delta were in the fight of their life. I was glued to the set, listening to newsbreaks until it was over.

Then we left and today it is still the hellhole we found, starving, death, it is the same. We left and nothing changed. What changed? We lost brave men and did nothing about it that is about all that happened; pure and simple.

The terrorists know our methods of pulling out. Why do you think Usama bin Laden called us paper tigers? We need to complete the mission. We need to allow our troops to do what they were trained to do. We have to be the tiger we are and not a paper tiger.