I was talking to my next door friends son, who recently returned for two
weeks from Rimadi, Iraq, and also spoke with his oldest on the phone the
same nite from Bagdad. These kids are 19 & 20 and they have seen more
crap then anyone should ever have to see. The youger one left the next
morn for a return trip to the same region the next day. After the
current body count of, God I don't know 90 or so this month alone do we
feel that we are gaining gorund here? My father served in WW II in the
pacific and, I was in during peace time but this feels like the sixty's
all over again. we are in a an unpopular war, protestors everywhere, and
some wondering if we are crazy. This kid spoke with more confidence and
bravery then any man I have ever spoken with. I have all the respect in
the world for him and all soldiers. I have son who is soon to be given
an assignment also and do not look forward to the long pauses of no word
from him, but to keep us free costs a price. I hope most sane people who
enjoy their freedoms know that. Well I'm done. Just wondering if anyone
else has any thoughts. Thanks.

well, I for one think that the men and women in Iraq, got stuck doing a
shit job in a profession that's difficult enough as it is when you are
FULLY practicing it. They are in a place they shouldn't be, when the
original reason for the foray into the middle east, is a wee bit farther
east than Iraq.
I may not support Bush's decision to go into Iraq, but nothing will
ever make me stop supporting the troops that are there.
I find it very upsetting when I see returning soldiers having to put up
with protesters or worse. These brave men and women didn't ask to go, it
was their job to go. The military is nothing but one of the tools of a
nation, and it is up to those that lead the country to use that tool
properly.
Please, let's give those soldiers that are returning or just on leave,
the welcome they deserve. They've had enough shit to deal with while
they were fighting and have likely seen things you or I couldn't imagine
or envision in our worst nightmare.
The most important thing to a soldier that is away, especially if he or
she is away at war, is HOME. Let's welcome them home like we should,
warmly, and thankful they came back. IF anyone has earned and deserved
it, it is them.

Thank You! I was wondering if anyone really cared. We need to
appreciate these brave men & women and the sacrifice they have given.
Thanks again Public Animal.

I'm the ex-wife of a Green Beret, and I live just outside Ft. Bragg, NC.

Some people have "a calling" to the military...an inborn sense of duty
to country. They take the oath to serve, and they do. They don't have
a choice in whether or not they support our Commander In Chief, but they
do what needs to be done.

Someone has to do it, and I'm thankful that we have WARRIORS willing to
fight and die to maintain our freedoms and that of other countries, as
well, even though alot of those countries are ungrateful and say they
never wanted our help.

War is ugly ~ but sometimes it's necessary. I'm not going to claim I
understand all the politics behind the decision to go to war or to
become involved in a conflict, but I support our troops in ALL of the
branches of the service who have the calling. None of them WANT to die,
but they understand that they may. And they still sign up and go.

I may not think highly of my former husband, but knowing him instilled
the warrior spirit in me. If I hadn't been past the cut-off age for
enlistment, I'd have joined, too.

Sometimes, a question just doesn't have a "black and white" answer...

Bless you KATTUDE and I know he's your ex but bless him too for his
sacrifice. My father gave his all and would not talk about it ever. When
we would ask him about it he would just sigh and change the subject. I
know he saw some things he took to his grave with him He did march
through Hiroshima 10 days after the bombing and said that nothing would
ever erase those things from his mind.

I have a soft spot in my heart for veterans..especially the front line
combat veterans.
I noticed you mentioned it was kinda reminiscent of the 60's..to some
degree I'd have to agree with you insofar as theres no leadership at the
top that has a clue what they're doing when it comes to playing soldier.
On the other hand, the army itself is reminiscent of the US army of WW2
in 1944-45.
During the last 6 months of the European war America threw some of it's
best and brightest young men into the battle. Many did not return. Now
in a lot of cases, after the war army combat veterans went on to become
business leaders, industrialists and because of their unique experience
had a different view of what America and freedom could and should be.
Many of those young men that fought nazism and defeated it developed new
inovations to existing technology or developed new technologies, or as
leaders, had the forsight to recognize a damn good opportunity.
How many young men that died before the end in Europe AND the Pacific
could have gone on to do the same and made the country even greater?
How many medical personnel were killed that could have gone on to
develop cures for diseases?
The US army today is much the same, it is a very bright and intelligent
soldier, for the most part, that serves today.
How many that have been killed in Iraq could have gone on to do great
things.
These are the things I think about when I think about combat vets.

In Iraq we technically won the war.

The Vietnamese pretty much stayed in Viet Nam - the Islamic terrorists
want nothing less than a world government under Islamic law - if we cut
and run, they will continue their tactics of terror and murder
throughout the world with a new found enthusiasm. Scary, eh?

We did win the war but we have to just gain the peace.

But. Unlike Vietnam, The U.S. can play the whole field. The U.S. was
limited to South Vietnam in the Vietnam civil war. The U.S. is also
going giving territory back to Iraq, so if the country falls apart, it
would be because the population would want it that way. By the second
quarter of next year, almost 100% of the U.S. forces in Iraq would be in
less than 20% of Iraq with the other 80% being governed soley by Iraq.