Posted on 12/09/2005 6:58:08 PM PST by Swordmaker
Hello my family and friends,
The date is now 1 December 2005, and I am writing my next to last letter. My deployment is now winding down. It is so hard to believe that it has almost been a year and a half since I started on this arduous journey. This deployment has been a whirlwind of emotions and roller coasters. It has made me a stronger person both physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I have seen so many positive changes since we first put boots on ground here. Neighborhoods have changed their attitudes on a whole. We can see this as we patrol through them. What was once hard right Shia areas, now wave and we see smiles towards us where there weren’t 6 months ago. Even the Sunni areas have become friendlier towards coalition forces. As the elections grow nearer, we are finding that patriotism level is picking up. They see that they CAN make changes and have a say in the government. I believe that the overall process will take up to 3 generations, to be where it should be, but it is such a huge start. I have said in the past, that I am not here for the adults, but it is the children which will make the mindset change. After evaluating the last year, I recant that statement. Yes, it will still take 3 generations however, the adults are changing. I have seen it.
3 days ago, the new SPTT Team arrived. This is another team of soldiers who will be replacing us with our duties and I hope will carry their mission with the same commitment as my team did. I am beginning to feel an empty pit in my stomach. Soon, I will be loosing many friends that I have come to look at as brothers. The Iraqi’s which we have lived with, trained, broke bread with, fought beside, will eventually become a distant memory. I will for ever hold them in my heart, as they have showed me their heart and their commitment, not only placing themselves at great risk, but their families’ lively hood at risk. Sometimes I wonder, “If the roles were reversed, would I do the same?” It is not un-common for them to be followed home, and executed with their families. There is no way for me to express my gratitude and awe at these “ragtag” soldiers. Their resolve and commitment to duty and country is one that I wish, we as Americans had. It is easy for us to sit back and criticize this war and play armchair Commander in Chief without seeing what I have seen.
The date is now 2 Dec 05
Today is the start of a large operation for our Battalion Area of Operation. The insurgents have been coming into Baghdad from this area and we have been getting hit hard not only in the city, but in the area. My Public Order Battalion has moved into a compound that one of Saddams’ assistants used to live in. It is just off of the river, and at one time had been a beautiful place, to include the largest waterfall fountain that I have ever seen in the back yard. This compound also used to be a stronghold for the local Mujahadeen (Terrorist group). The place was initially a total mess, and had been blown up at one time by what appeared to be a M-1 Tank round. On the first day, all of the Jundi (Soldiers) were doing nothing but standing around and or cleaning the place from debris. No one was working on sandbags or improving their security positions. Then after awhile of seeing that the Lieutenant was not organizing any work detail, I called all 30 of them around me and gave them a speech about what they were here for, and why it was necessary to run this Checkpoint properly. I told them that the terrorist now know that they are here, and would be trying to kill them. It was amazing. They immediately began to work as if Allah himself was standing there. Within 2 hours, they had about 1000 sandbags filled. At that point, we left the location, and headed back to our base. It was not 15 minutes later, and a call came over the radio, that the compound was under Mortar attack. We turned around, and went back to the compound, and arrived just as the fires ceased. The look in their eyes, was definitely one that I will never forget. It was one of appreciation and fear rolled into one.
The following day, we were enroute to the Compound once again, and received word that they were under attack from Machine guns and other small arms fire. As we drove down the street to the location, I noticed a lot of running around, and realized that they were carrying other soldiers towards us. It was then that we realized that there were several who had been shot. After “Doc” began to assess each patient, I called for a U.S. Helicopter MEDEVAC, to assist with the evacuation of the wounded. About 10 minutes later, the chopper arrived and the injured were loaded up and taken to the hospital for treatment. All of them will make it just fine. My hat goes off to the Medical Personnel and pilots who risk their lives daily to assist with the wounded. Without them, we would have so many more KIA’s.
4 Dec 05
Today, we have been driving around, doing Check Point Assessments. Our function is to look at all of my Iraqi Units area of responsibilities, and to see if they are running them properly. As we were at this one checkpoint, a very old grandmother walked up to us, and through our interpreter, she asked us for help. Her 5 year old grand daughter had been hit with Mortar fragments as the insurgents were trying to hit the checkpoint, several days earlier and had her poor little stomach ripped open. I immediately grabbed our medic, and we went about 100 meters from the checkpoint to the little shanty which the lived. They brought the poor little girl out, and she (Safeir) was terrified. After a few minutes of trying to get her to calm down, “Grandmother” finally held her arms down so “Doc” could take a look. As we lifted up her shirt, I could see a large dirty bandage covering her entire stomach, from chest to navel. Apparently, when it had happened, my checkpoint soldiers loaded the little girl up in their white and blue trucks, and rushed her to the local hospital, where they had stapled her wound up. Several days later is when we found her. The wound had been healing but was beginning to show signs of infection. “Doc” immediately started to work on here, and removed 19 staples. We then bandaged her up, gave them bottled water to wash the wound and bactericide ointment. Then out came the Soccer balls, pencils, and candy for her brothers and sisters. Man, their eyes lit up, and they followed us back to our trucks.
A couple of days later, we returned to check up on Safeir, and found her still afraid of us, only due to the pain memory of us removing her staples. The wound was almost entirely healed. At that point Grandmother began to cry, and thanked us for helping them. She told us that she wished that the God would take us back safe to our families without pain or injury. She also repeatedly thanked us for being in her country. We stocked them up with extra water, and Arabic packaged meals to help them out, and went on our way.
5 Dec 2005
Today was the last day of our “Right Seat” ride with the new SPTT Team. We have been taking this team with us, to show them the routes, and introduce them to the area in which they will be working. It is funny, because they seem so nervous. I reflect back on the way I was, and find that I was the same way. It must have been very humorous to the unit that I was relieving. The transition has gone wonderful, and it has just now hit me that this will be over soon. My team has now been made larger, as we are integrating another team to mine. I will now have 22 Soldiers, and we have been given a new mission to end with. Once again, I am back to the world of conventional forces doing a conventional mission. I actually hate it (grin). We will be conducting combat patrols now, and will have little interaction with the Iraqi’s. To finish the day, we went over to the 1st Battalion, Wolf Compound and I was reunited with the Wolves (You will remember them in my first several letters). They also have a change of mission and will be relocating to the other side of the country. It was a sad farewell for all of us, as this is the unit that I started with and had such a strong bond. I was able to break bread and finish it off with a large cup of Chi (Very sugary Tea) for the last time. I will miss them sorely.
As I look back, I realize that the only thing that is consistent in life is change. Either for good or bad, change happens. I am so very happy that I volunteered for this mission, and one day hope to come back to see the positive changes that I have been apart of. The area’s which I patrol, now have sewers systems being installed where there weren’t any before, running water to homes that were dry. Children attending school, who were not allowed to go to school due to their poverty level. Yes, we (I) have made a change in so many ways for the betterment of these people.
Well, I will end here. Please take a moment and reflect on all of the things that we have, yet take for granted. Think about all of the servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, without personal gain, and their families who no longer have them during these holidays and take the time for a moment of silence for them as you sit down with your families to enjoy your holidays. Please pray for our President, that God will guide him with his future decisions, as he will need future strength in his commitment and resolve to this cause.
Until next time,
SFC Greg Parkinson
(AKA; jmpmstr4u2)
"Hey Mom and Dad,
Everything is fine. Am on a 25 day mission, and was back for a sec to re-stock on ammo, etc. Please could you send this to Swordmaker. Thank you. I love you both. I will talk to you soon.
Greg"
She did, and here it is...
This should be sent to the President and every Member of Congress, especially the DemocRats.
Feel free to copy and email it to everyone you know. This needs to get out, unfiltered by the Main Stream (of P) Media. Let everyone know what our soldiers are actually experiencing... and that they have hope and pride in what they are and have accomplished!
PING!
Greg's Mom, Freeper SoldiersPrayingMom, is requesting special prayers from all of us to help get Greg safely through these last few months' of his deployment and his new assignment... and to bring him joyfully home to his family. Put him and his men specifically but all our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan on your church's prayer chains.
What unit is Greg attached to? I have been receiving a weekly newsletter from the CO of the 4th Brigade of the 3rd Infantry for several months now. (I am a friend of his parents.) They, too are about ready to deploy back to the U.S. after they turn over their duties to replacements. It would be cool if one of the people in his command was a freeper.
ping
How proud and happy you must be....I know the feeling when my son came back last January...God Bless You and Yours and have a Merry Christmas
That was wonderful, a tearjerker. So neat that the grandmother knew who would help her grandchild. And so wonderful of those young men to help the little girl and the gift of water and the toys for the kids.
Prayers for his safe return and for the safe return of his fellow soldiers.
"Please take a moment and reflect on all of the things that we have, yet take for granted. Think about all of the servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, without personal gain, and their families who no longer have them during these holidays and take the time for a moment of silence for them as you sit down with your families to enjoy your holidays. Please pray for our President, that God will guide him with his future decisions, as he will need future strength in his commitment and resolve to this cause." -- Greg
Prayers going up for this remarkable young man and his friends for a safe end to their tour of duty.
Thank you for sharing this e-mail from a remarkable man doing a remarkable (and history altering) job!!
May God continue to bless him and his Irai 'brothers'!
Thanks for the post. I'm assuming that Greg is still "with us." In that case, could I suggest something? The use of the term "last letter" may give readers an unfortunate incorrect impression about Greg' status, if you know what I mean. Maybe a title of simply "ANOTHER letter from Greg" or something like that, plus in parentheses "[x] days until he comes home"
Thanks.
That would be "Iraqi brothers"!
Sorry for scaring you... but that is what he calls it. He intends to write only one more letter from Iraq... but if the Admin Moderators agree, I am open to a change in headline...
Looks like they did! Thanks for the suggestion.
Great post! Fine, fine men!! I wish I was young again.
Thanks so much for posting. Please convey that our prayers are with them; they have all the respect we can muster; we honor their achievements; we share their joy; the deeds are theirs forever, the results will be cradled by God in eternity.
God Bless SFC Parkinson, his unit and his family. May he return home safe and soon !!
May you have a safe and Merry Christmas.
5.56mm
Sorry, Gals, he's happily married...
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