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No one is safe
12 OCTOBER 2006 BAGHDAD
If you ever track the news coming out of Iraq,
you would probably get a clear Idea of what’s going
around, and to narrow things up you would certainly reach
to a conclusion that nobody living inside the borders of
this country is safe.
I have seen things that if I post here even
though I post anonymously could get me in trouble.
I have seen convoys of death squads setting
up Mortar pipe in the middle of the road not 200 meters
from Iraqi Army Tanks and checkpoints! Firing round on other
neighborhoods for Hours!! Without any intervention by, neither
the Iraqi Army, the corrupt police, nor the U.S. forces....there
are units in these organizations that are corrupt to the
bone and need dissecting quickly.
Just to clarify things up, I respect the Police,
the Iraqi Army and the MoI Commando’s but there are
units in these organizations that are corrupt to the bone
and need dissecting quickly or this Nation would never rise
to its feet again.
P.S. the Security Operation “Forward
Together” going around Baghdad is a Joke.
Stopping facsism at home
02 JANUARY 2006 AUSTIN
I'm an Illinois mom of a 20 year old Marine
who is going to Iraq in March. Last summer, I went to Crawford
to stand with Cindy Sheehan and I went to DC in September
to protest the war. I came home and started a group that
protests the war every Saturday morning by the mall. We
number about 30 now and are dedicated to staying there until
the war ends.
It is so great to learn that there is a group
like yours in Texas. Bush gives your state a bad name, and
I must confess I had this stereotype of Texans as good ole
boys and right wing idiots. I am so awed by your website
and all the things you are doing. It gives me hope that
there are more of us than there are of them - if only we
can get the media to cover the things we do that unite us.
I will be looking at your website regularly now for ideas
and inspiration.
Please pray for my son. I truly believe in
the power of prayer. After all, the Christian right doesn't
have the corner on prayer - any more than they own the flag
or support our troops. (We wave flags every Sat. along with
our protest signs, and we sent packages to over 120 troops
in Iraq and Afghanistan for the holidays.)
Thanks again for your inspiration and let's
keep working to get Bush and his gang of thugs out of power
and get our troops out of this quagmire called the Iraq
War.
Xmas in Iraq
1300 26 DECEMBER 2004 IRAQ
Christmas here was gray
and rainy outside but we had our share of good cheer.
My Christmas present was unexpected. I logged
on to Yahoo messenger and found my children were up early
(before 6AM). My wife turned on the webcam and I was able
to watch my children open all their presents and they could
see me through my webcam. It was nice to be able to see
them and chat over the computer with my wife giving the
running commentary. One of the guys from my unit had a Santa
Outfit and mugged for the camera and the kids.
Later in the day we had a party down at the
clinic. It was good to get together with everyone and celebrate
the holiday.
Thanks for all the good wishes from everyone
back home. It means a lot to us here.
Merry Christmas from Iraq!
From Mosul
0920 15 NOVEMBER 2004 IRAQ
Mom & Dad,
It is with a heavy heart
that I write this. Yesterday marked one month since we left
home. Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life.
Yesterday we laid to rest a brother in arms. He was just
a kid, only 20, from Maryland. He was in B company, I didn't
know him well, but I'd seen him around. He was the first
KIA in 'Duece Four' in this war and, make no mistake, war
it is. I couldn't tell you about him until after his family
had been notified. At 1400 yesterday the memorial service
took place. The most difficult part was when his First Sergeant
called the final roll. The First Sergeant called the names
of each member of his squad and each answered in turn. Then
his name was called once, no response. Twice, no response.
A third time, no response. Then 'Taps' began to play accompanied
by the '21 gun salute'. We then filed by his helmet atop
his rifle, dog tags hanging from it, all of this behind
his boots and a picture of him, and each of us, individualy,
turned to his equipment and rendered a final salute.
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I know this is probably
harder for you to read than it was for me to write, hard
to believe though it is. There are some things I have been
putting off saying, something I can no longer do. I am a
SOLDIER. I am sworn to protect and defend and I will do
that until my last breath, be it in the military or after,
that is my calling. I have no desire to lose my life, but
it is a price I am willing to pay for 'putting foot to a**'
for my country in the name of freedom. I love you all more
than life itself, that's why I'm here.
Mosul is a cesspool of
insurgents, they will give us no peace. [D]aily we bring
the fight to their door. Before yesterday, even though we
were here, it still wasn't real. We were still shooting
at 'pop up targets' that can't hit back. Now they hit back.
They screwd up. Our innocence is gone. We will fight with
honor and obey the laws of war. We will go out of our way
to help the innocent, but there will be no mercy for those
who rise up against us or against their countrymen, for
them hell will be unleashed.
I'm sorry that these things
needed to be said, but you needed to know in case they ever
call my final roll. I love and miss you all very much and
I WILL be home before you know it. All my love, Dustin.
(Written by SSG Dustin
C. Holcomb who is with the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade
Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA, serving in Mosul.)
Trael
0920 15 NOVEMBER 2004 IRAQ
Mom & Dad,
It is with a heavy heart
that I write this. Yesterday marked one month since we left
home. Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life.
Yesterday we laid to rest a brother in arms. He was just
a kid, only 20, from Maryland. He was in B company, I didn't
know him well, but I'd seen him around. He was the first
KIA in 'Duece Four' in this war and, make no mistake, war
it is. I couldn't tell you about him until after his family
had been notified. At 1400 yesterday the memorial service
took place. The most difficult part was when his First Sergeant
called the final roll. The First Sergeant called the names
of each member of his squad and each answered in turn. Then
his name was called once, no response. Twice, no response.
A third time, no response. Then 'Taps' began to play accompanied
by the '21 gun salute'. We then filed by his helmet atop
his rifle, dog tags hanging from it, all of this behind
his boots and a picture of him, and each of us, individualy,
turned to his equipment and rendered a final salute.
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I know this is probably
harder for you to read than it was for me to write, hard
to believe though it is. There are some things I have been
putting off saying, something I can no longer do. I am a
SOLDIER. I am sworn to protect and defend and I will do
that until my last breath, be it in the military or after,
that is my calling. I have no desire to lose my life, but
it is a price I am willing to pay for 'putting foot to a**'
for my country in the name of freedom. I love you all more
than life itself, that's why I'm here.
Mosul is a cesspool of
insurgents, they will give us no peace. [D]aily we bring
the fight to their door. Before yesterday, even though we
were here, it still wasn't real. We were still shooting
at 'pop up targets' that can't hit back. Now they hit back.
They screwd up. Our innocence is gone. We will fight with
honor and obey the laws of war. We will go out of our way
to help the innocent, but there will be no mercy for those
who rise up against us or against their countrymen, for
them hell will be unleashed.
I'm sorry that these things
needed to be said, but you needed to know in case they ever
call my final roll. I love and miss you all very much and
I WILL be home before you know it. All my love, Dustin.
(Written by SSG Dustin
C. Holcomb who is with the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade
Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA, serving in Mosul.)
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---------------Mike Luckovich,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution