Posted on 01/11/2005 6:39:42 PM PST by GoldenOrchid
Iraq: The other side of the story
Teddybear clutching Iraqi girl saves American convoy Monday, January 10, 2005
Good works by American troops and their allies protecting our freedom in Iraq never find their way to the mainline media. Although virtually ignored by news outlets such as CNN and the New York Times, some of the out-of-the-news stories inspire a well of hope and inspiration.
One such moving story came from an ASA veteran in a regular letter written to a friend back home.
"…Just wanted to write to you and tell you another story about an experience we had over here," he wrote. "As you know, I asked for toys for the Iraqi children over here and several people (Americans that support us) sent them over by the box."
On each patrol some American troops take through the city, they take as many toys as will fit in their pockets, handing them out as they can.
It’s heartening for the young men and women of American forces to see the children take the toys and then run to show them off as if they were worth a million dollars.
Often ignored and harshly criticized by a liberal media, the troops are often homesick and missing their own kids.
Even so, they are as friendly as they can be to everyone they see–especially the often bewildered and frightened children.
"Most of them don’t have any idea what is going on and are utterly innocent in all of this," the Marine wrote his friend.
"On one such patrol, our lead security vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the street. This is never normal, and can be very unsafe, so the operators of vehicles lined up behind began to make radio inquiries of the personnel in the stopped vehicle.
"Troops in the stopped vehicle reported that there was a little girl sitting on the road, who was incredibly refusing to budge.
"The operator of the command vehicle instructed the lead to simply go around her, and to be kind and patient about it as they did.
"The street was wide enough to allow this maneuver and so soldiers waved to the little girl as they drove around her.
"As the vehicles went around her, I soon saw her sitting there and in her arms she was clutching a little teddybear that we had handed her a few patrols back," the Marine wrote in his letter. "Feeling an immediate connection to the girl, I radioed back that we were going to stop.
"The rest of the convoy paused and I got out to make sure she was okay. The little girl looked scared and concerned, but there was warmth in her eyes towards me. As I knelt down to talk to her, she moved over and pointed to a mine in the road. Immediately a cordon was set as the Marine convoy assumed a defensive posture around the site. The mine was destroyed."
A teddybear is a symbol of love the world over.
In his letter, the marine pointed out that "It was the heart of an American that sent that toy. It was the heart of an American that gave that toy to that little girl. It was the heart of an American that protected that convoy from that mine.
"Sure, she was a little Iraqi girl and she had no knowledge of purple mountains’ majesty or fruited plains. It was a heart of acceptance, of tolerance, of peace and grace–even through the inconveniences of conflict that saved the convoy from hitting that mine.
"Those attributes are what keep American hearts beating. She may have no affiliation at all with the United States, but she knows what it is to be brave and if we can continue to support her and her new government, she will know what it is to be free.
"Isn’t that what Americans are, the free and the brave?
"If you sent over a toy, or if you are a Marine (U.S. Service member), you took part in this. You are the reason that Iraq has to believe in a better future.
"Thank you so much for supporting us and for supporting our cause over here.
"Semper Fi."
The letter, which arrived through the mail on December 18, 2004, was, as far as is known, never published anywhere in the mainline media.
Yet deeds like this carried out by the American Service and their allies feed the human soul.
God bless America!
Watch for more stories from the troops in Iraq in this special corner of Canada Free Press.
I heard this story about a month ago.
Yes, I had heard this story before but I personally have not run it through Snopes to see if it is true.
This is not true. Notice there is no name associated with the person who is claiming that this happened.
It has been posted quite a few times already.
This reminds me of a story one of the soldiers told us last week. They were on a convoy somewhere in Iraq. There was one soldier who handed out little stuffed monkey toys to the little kids. As the convoy was moving along, there was a little Iraqi girl, about 5, sitting in in middle of the road, in the way of the convoy. They stopped and asked their leader what they should do. They were told to just drive around her. As the last vehicle was maneuvering around her, the soldier who handed out the toy monkeys was in that vehicle, and told the driver to stop, because that little girl was holding one of his toys. He got out, walked up to her, and she started pointing to the ground next to her, just crying. He got one of the people who check for ied's and sure enough, there was one buried right next to her. This little girl saved some soldiers that day.
A FRiend of mine sent this story to me in an e-mail. Wonderful story. Glad to know about Canadian Free Press.
A great story nonetheless.
I have 20 teddy bears I will be sending to Operation Crayon. 10 will go next week, and 10 two weeks after that. Plus, I will be sending 11 beanie babies and 1 teddy bear tomorrow. I got them courtesy of Freepers JustAmy and FriendAnn in Fresno.
I saw it this morning. On an earlier thread.
What's the address to Operation Crayon, or whom would I ask?
This article was posted a couple days back, but that's ok.
It is nice to hear a good news story. I can picture the little sweet girl, wide eyed, holding her teddy bear. Love has no bounderies. Perhaps some day that little girl will run for public office, perhaps be a doctor, whatever. Then again, perhaps she will tackle the job of child rearing.
As far as good things coming out of Canada. Despite the things over the years that have come between the stars and stripes and the oak leaf. Surely there is a close to permenant bond.
To many same ideals to seperate the two countries. Party ideologies change. Long lasting bonds of training and fighting world wars, and hold sacred many democratic ideals amoung them freedom for all, tend to bond nations. As many in the lower 48 see so many wrongs in our country and hope for refreshing new beginnings, I am sure when it is all said and done, we wish the same for our partners to our north.
1) This email is from an FSO who just returned from several days in Banda Aceh:The sailors on the Lincoln also put together their own money to buy toys and stuffed animals from the ship's store, which they brought to the USAID/IOM tent. They were given to children who were brought in.
An IOM worker pointed out one 15-year-old girl hugging one of the stuffed bears. The worker explained that she had no one to hug, as she had lost all of her family, but at least she could hug the bear.
We went over to talk to her for a while. Attached to the bear was a note:
"With love, from YN2 Arellano, USS Abraham Lincoln"
I hope that Yeoman Arellano knows that through this small act, he has brought some measure of comfort into a young girl's life.
"I have 20 teddy bears I will be sending to Operation Crayon. 10 will go next week, and 10 two weeks after that. Plus, I will be sending 11 beanie babies and 1 teddy bear tomorrow."
I have read articles at the Marine OIF site and elsewhere on occasions where as our soldiers and Marines go to towns, hamlets, and hand out toys, pencils,paper, books, silly erasers, candy, rebuild or fix up their school houses and medical clinics, that often is mentioned the adults peer on with approval and "kind gestures", un-afraid.
Every little thing sent for the small ones cannot help but continue helping many Iraqi's get over the idea that we are their to conquere them or worse. Perhaps one of your "little gifts of love" sent over there will lead to yet another Iraqi child or adult pointing to some bad guys and result in their capture. Goodness prevents darkness from taking hold if dished out in good measures.
Great story.
I hope you're right! Thanks!
teddybearHYPHENclutching Iraqi girl!
the original headline conjures a TRULY surreal image.
I've been seeing some great posts from them lately. Good to see some Caadians are on the side of the angels.
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