A Soldier Comes Home (And is robbed and disrespected)

politicsla.com/ ^ | 04/16/04 | Christopher Tidmore

[KQQL]

Upon questioning, I learned that the gentleman was a sergeant recently returned from Iraq. On a four-hour layover in New Orleans, he had been robbed and disrespected, yet he seemed surprisingly good-humored about the whole experience.

"I'm not mad. I just don't understand civilians anymore."

The sergeant, whose name I will reserve, had spent the last year hunting land mines with his unit in the deserts outside of Baghdad. An explosive expert who had served in both Gulf wars, he had been stationed all over the world in the past 12 years, making it back to the U.S. on only a few occasions. What was it like?” I queried.

"We're doing our job, and I feel good about it. I stay away from the politics. I mean, I've never found weapons of mass destruction. No one I know has. I wish they would level with us about that.

"Still, about 85% of the people are glad we got rid of Saddam. They don't like us occupying their country, but they are glad we got rid of him. I heard about one 14-year-old girl who Saddam and his son used -- and then killed."

[KQQL]

@

[Bogey78O]

New Orleans= Criminals, whores, and Democrats. Flee to the Northshore for a semblence of society.

[KQQL]

lol.

[DefCon]

A Soldier Comes Home

by Christopher Tidmore
PoliticsLA.com columnist
posted by April 16, 2004

"What the hell are you looking at?" the drunken man slurred in my direction.

"Nothing," I replied, neutrally turning away.

Easter evening was a cool, wet night, perfect for an evening introspective stroll. I did not expect my otherwise pleasant night to be disturbed by a cliché' of a drunken redneck convinced every man was making eyes at his equally intoxicated girlfriend.

"Let me ask you a question...What's his problem?" I turned.

The voice belonged to a bemused African-American gentleman. Together, we chuckled at the drunk's antics, as he weaved his way out of sight down the French Quarter's Moonwalk.

"I'll never understand it," the Black man said, shaking his head. "It's not what I'm used to. I mean, fifteen minutes ago, a kid put a gun in my face. Now this. It has seemed so strange since I've been back."

I could tell from his bearing that he was unused to more than just the streets of New Orleans.

"I'm just back from overseas," he said.

[rs79bm]

Were they having a John Kerry campaign rally there, or something???

[KQQL]

no...

[Indie]

I stay away from the politics. I mean, I've never found weapons of mass destruction. No one I know has. I wish they would level with us about that.

If I didn't know that the press were altruists and beyond moral reproach, I'd say this was "writer's license" and embellishment [an outright lie].

[Feiny]

good post. I enjoyed reading his article and am so very glad he was there to give that soldier some help.

[Wumpus Hunter]

"New Orleans= Criminals, whores, and Democrats."

You're being redundant.

(Democrats = criminals & whores)

[FITZ]

He's lucky --- there was a soldier here who just came back from Iraq, his family had come from California to pick him up and they were all killed by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the Interstate.

[Bogey78O]

Yea, but I like to stress my points.