Apparently, you grow 'em 'pretty straight and tall' round your neck-o-the-woods, Ma'am. Congratulations!!!!
...The country needs more like 'em.
Posted on 01/30/2005 4:07:58 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
Major Larson has been in Iraq with an Army Reserve Unit. Major Larson is an Iowa Senator and past Chairman of the Iowa Republican Party.
"Dear Friend,
Thank you for your friendship, prayers, and the support you have given our troops in Iraq. My long journey has come to an end, and I will be returning to the United States very soon.
Our higher headquarters has scheduled a welcome home ceremony on February 10th or 11th, 10:00 a.m. at the Hotel Ft. Des Moines, located at 10th and Walnut Ave in Des Moines. I will send you the final date as soon as possible.
I would like to introduce you to the great men and women of our command. I am honored to have served in the company of these soldiers who left their families to bring freedom and democracy to a people they didn't know in a country they had never seen.
Without doubt, this has been a year of tremendous achievement and tragic loss in Iraq. The Coalition Forces have made great progress in moving Iraq towards democracy. With elections less than 12 hours away, we are anxious to see the culmination of our hard work.
Iraqis are freedom loving people that are extremely thankful for all of the sacrifices we have made for them. Like us, they want to live in peace, have good schools for their children, good paying jobs, and the opportunity to improve their lives. Democracy represents that opportunity.
The enemy of freedom in Iraq is made up of elements of Saddam Hussein's regime that lived like kings and religious extremists who are categorically opposed to individual liberty. Iraq's oil wealth mirrors that of Saudi Arabia's. Billions of dollars in oil revenue allowed Saddam Hussein and the enemy to live as modern day Egyptian pharaohs. They ruled with an iron fist, killing over a million of their own people.
During this year, I have met Iraqis who have been tortured and had their entire families killed by Saddam's regime. This is why freedom, democracy, and the elections tomorrow are so important to the people of Iraq.
In addition to my legal responsibilities, I spearheaded our command's humanitarian mission and supervised the construction of 12 new schools, 3 city halls, 2 water treatment facilities, a veterinarian clinic, and the renovation of a rural community's electrical infrastructure. No longer will the children we helped attend school in a windowless, mud brick building. Other units have built hundreds of schools, health clinics, water-treatment systems to improve the quality of life in Iraq.
I thank Americans for their support of Operation Iraqi Hope. We received approximately $100,000 in school and medical supplies from over 25 states. Churches, service clubs, Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts, and even new Americans learning English as a second language in Texas joined to help the children of Iraq. The donated school supplies were distributed to 17,000 Iraqi children. I will never forget the excitement in their eyes as they received pencils, pens, and spiral notebooks. Thank you for making this possible.
During our recent transfer of command ceremony, a MEDEVAC helicopter flew over head carrying an injured soldier to the base hospital. It was a reminder of the great sacrifices made by our soldiers. My prayers remain with the families of the three soldiers and three Marines from our command who paid the ultimate price. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. Please keep our troops in your prayers.
Shortly, I will return to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Having spent a year in the combat zone, those words have taken on a much more personal and powerful meaning for me. We are a nation rich with opportunity to better our lives and to live freely.
God bless,
Major Chuck Larson Command Judge Advocate 372nd Engineer Group"
I went to college with Chuck. Solid fella. Will be good to have him home.
Thank you for the ping!!
Great article ~ thanks Tonk!
Well, Iowa GOP could sure use his vote! Oficially 25-25!
Well, Iowa GOP could sure use his vote! Oficially 25-25!
Bump!
Thanks, Tonk. You're a real asset.
Charles Sr. and Chuck Jr. are great Americans.
And a FINE ping it was.
Tell him welcome home for me. I don't have the words to express just how proud I am of the people serving in Iraq, and what they are doing and how they are doing it.
Truly they are doing the Lords work.
We're anxious to have them home but we're proud of them and all our troops around the world. You can tell Major Larson is very proud of all the men and women and the work they've done.
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