Columnist Sends Tribute to Deploying Troops ~ DoD reposts "Dear American Soldier"

DoD ~ Defend America ^ | Dec. 27, 2003 | Michelle Malkin

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Columnist Sends Tribute to Deploying Troops
By Michelle Malkin / Creators Syndicate Inc.
Author Michelle Malkin penned this column as U.S. service members deployed to Southwest Asia earlier this year. Now, as the U.S. military prepares for its second major rotation, Malkin’s words continue to ring true. This column is reprinted by permission of Michelle Malkin and Creators Syndicate, Inc.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear American soldier, You don't know me, but I know who you are, and I will not forget. You are deploying from Fort Carson and Fort Hood and Fort Bliss and Fort Stewart. You hail from Middletown and Middleboro and Greenville and Redding and Thousand Oaks and Maple Tree. You are white, black, brown and yellow—but always Americans first. You are with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team and the 10th Combat Support Hospital and the 571st Air Ambulance Medical Evacuation Company. You are with the 1st Cavalry Division and the 3rd Infantry Division and the "Iron Horse" 4th Infantry Division. You are Black Knights with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment. You are engineers, drivers and medics in the 13th Corps Support Command. Your motto is "We Will," "Steadfast and Loyal," "Swift and Deadly," "Always Prepared," "First to Fight," and "No Task Too Tough." You will be joined overseas by thousands of sailors and Marines on the USS Boxer and USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Cleveland and USS Dubuque and USS Anchorage and USS Comstock and USS Pearl Harbor. You will get support in the Gulf from an airborne infantry brigade, a squadron of F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters, and two squadrons of F-16CJ radar-jamming fighters. You have friends on the USS Constellation in the Persian Gulf, and the USS Harry S. Truman in the Mediterranean Sea, and the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln stationed at Perth, Australia, and the USNS Yano en route to the Red Sea, and the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on its way to a training mission in the Pacific. You have classmates and colleagues and cousins who died at the Pentagon and in the Twin Towers on September 11. You have buddies who took bullets over the past year in Afghanistan and Kuwait and the Philippines during Operation Enduring Freedom. You have uncles and brothers and fathers and grandfathers who sacrificed their lives in past wars.	Their deaths haunt you. Their heroism inspires you. Their footsteps beckon and you cannot resist. You have wives who are tough as nails and husbands who are enormously proud. You have toddlers who know the colors of the American flag and grade-schoolers who have memorized Army verses like these: The hardest job, the dirtiest job Since ever war began Is picking 'em up and laying 'em down The job of an infantryman No mission too difficult No sacrifice too great Our duty to the nation Is the first we're here to state Our doughboys come from Brooklyn Our gunners from Vermont Our signals from Fort Monmouth Our engineers DuPont Against the foes of freedom We fight for liberty We make no peace with tyrants On land or on the sea As you pack your green Army duffel bags, press your desert camouflage fatigues, polish your boots and kiss your families goodbye, please take these words with you: Thank you. Thank you for answering the call to arms. Thank you for being fit and young and brave and willing. Thank you for loving freedom enough to put your own life on the line to defend it. Pay no attention to Sean Penn and Sheryl Crow and Baghdad Babs. Tune out the half-naked loonies and Flower Power leftovers. Stand tall. Fight hard. And know that there are legions of Americans who are boundlessly grateful for what you have volunteered to do. We know who you are. We will not forget. And we will pray every day for your safe return. Hoo-ah!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 Dear American soldier ~ TownHall.com  | 1/22/03 | Michelle Malkin ~ FR thread

[cake_crumb]

EXCELLENT!

BUMP!!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

DoD brought back Michelle Malkin's pre-Iraq classic send off letter to our troops to share with the thousands of men and women who will be heading into harm's way over the coming months.

If you know anyone serving, please consider sharing this. The Veterans and troops and loved ones of those serving will thank you.

You might consider sharing it with a civilian who doesn't know anyone serving, and is influenced, as we are, by his culture.

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[GrandmaPatriot]

Mark for safe keeping.

[elbucko]

Whatever official reason is given on why we send our troops to foreign lands, the reason that they always go is to make the world safe for America.

God bless those with boots on.

[SAMWolf]

Support the Troops Bump

[CheneyChick]

Bookmarked. Thanks Ragtime!!

Cheers! CC :)

[blackie]

DoD reposts "Dear American Soldier" ~ Big Bump!


Be Well ~ Be Armed ~ Be Safe ~ Molon Labe!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

This one was for you. Happy New Year, CC! (^:

 

Bless our troops!

[VOA]

just a ping...the lead article might be of interest before you get started on those letters...

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[windchime]

Michelle Malkin says it so well!