Posted on 01/18/2007 9:50:59 PM PST by ganeshpuri89
IRVINE – Mark J. Daily's last e-mail to his family was brief.
"All is well," he wrote. "More war stories than I can fit in this e-mail. Having the time of my life!"
The 23-year-old was killed Monday when a bomb ripped through his military vehicle in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, officials said Wednesday.
Daily had been in Iraq for only three months.
Family and friends of the lifelong Irvine resident took some solace in his final message.
"He sincerely believed in what he was doing and wanted to finish the job and come home," Mark's father, John F. Daily, said in brief comments outside his home Wednesday.
He was too distraught to talk in detail about the Woodbridge High School graduate and the second of his four children – a young man who had been married for only 18 months and who joined the Army after the United States declared war on Iraq in 2003.
In a detailed, eloquent explanation of why he volunteered to go to Iraq, Mark wrote on a Web site that he felt compelled to do his part in trying to better a country plagued by interregional hatred and genocide.
"If you think the only way a person could bring themselves to volunteer for this war is through sheer desperation or blind obedience, then consider me the exception," he wrote.
"Don't forget that human beings have a responsibility to one another and that Americans will always have a responsibility to the oppressed," he added. "Don't overlook the obvious reasons to disagree with the war, but don't cheapen the moral aspects either."
Mark, a second lieutenant, recently had been reassigned to a riskier role in combat duty when an improvised explosive device killed him, relatives and the Department of Defense said Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Sunday, October 29, 2006-------------------Why I Joined:
This question has been asked of me so many times in so many different contexts that I thought it would be best if I wrote my reasons for joining the Army on my page for all to see. First, the more accurate question is why I volunteered to go to Iraq. After all, I joined the Army a week after we declared war on Saddam's government with the intention of going to Iraq. Now, after years of training and preparation, I am finally here.
Much has changed in the last three years. The criminal Ba'ath regime has been replaced by an insurgency fueled by Iraq's neighbors who hope to partition Iraq for their own ends. This is coupled with the ever present transnational militant Islamist movement which has seized upon Iraq as the greatest way to kill Americans, along with anyone else they happen to be standing near. What was once a paralyzed state of fear is now the staging ground for one of the largest transformations of power and ideology the Middle East has experienced since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to Iran, Syria, and other enlightened local actors, this transformation will be plagued by interregional hatred and genocide. And I am now in the center of this.
Is this why I joined?
Yes. Much has been said about America's intentions in overthrowing Saddam Hussein and seeking to establish a new state based upon political representation and individual rights. Many have framed the paradigm through which they view the conflict around one-word explanations such as "oil" or "terrorism," favoring the one which best serves their political persuasion. I did the same thing, and anyone who knew me before I joined knows that I am quite aware and at times sympathetic to the arguments against the war in Iraq. If you think the only way a person could bring themselves to volunteer for this war is through sheer desperation or blind obedience then consider me the exception (though there are countless like me).
I joined the fight because it occurred to me that many modern day "humanists" who claim to possess a genuine concern for human beings throughout the world are in fact quite content to allow their fellow "global citizens" to suffer under the most hideous state apparatuses and conditions. Their excuses used to be my excuses. When asked why we shouldn't confront the Ba'ath party, the Taliban or the various other tyrannies throughout this world, my answers would allude to vague notions of cultural tolerance (forcing women to wear a veil and stay indoors is such a quaint cultural tradition), the sanctity of national sovereignty (how eager we internationalists are to throw up borders to defend dictatorships!) or even a creeping suspicion of America's intentions. When all else failed, I would retreat to my fragile moral ecosystem that years of living in peace and liberty had provided me. I would write off war because civilian casualties were guaranteed, or temporary alliances with illiberal forces would be made, or tank fuel was toxic for the environment. My fellow "humanists" and I would relish contently in our self righteous declaration of opposition against all military campaigns against dictatorships, congratulating one another for refusing to taint that aforementioned fragile moral ecosystem that many still cradle with all the revolutionary tenacity of the members of Rage Against the Machine and Greenday. Others would point to America's historical support of Saddam Hussein, sighting it as hypocritical that we would now vilify him as a thug and a tyrant. Upon explaining that we did so to ward off the fiercely Islamist Iran, which was correctly identified as the greater threat at the time, eyes are rolled and hypocrisy is declared. Forgetting that America sided with Stalin to defeat Hitler, who was promptly confronted once the Nazis were destroyed, America's initial engagement with Saddam and other regional actors is identified as the ultimate argument against America's moral crusade.
And maybe it is. Maybe the reality of politics makes all political action inherently crude and immoral. Or maybe it is these adventures in philosophical masturbation that prevent people from ever taking any kind of effective action against men like Saddam Hussein. One thing is for certain, as disagreeable or as confusing as my decision to enter the fray may be, consider what peace vigils against genocide have accomplished lately. Consider that there are 19 year old soldiers from the Midwest who have never touched a college campus or a protest who have done more to uphold the universal legitimacy of representative government and individual rights by placing themselves between Iraqi voting lines and homicidal religious fanatics. Often times it is less about how clean your actions are and more about how pure your intentions are.
So that is why I joined. In the time it took for you to read this explanation, innocent people your age have suffered under the crushing misery of tyranny. Every tool of philosophical advancement and communication that we use to develop our opinions about this war are denied to countless human beings on this planet, many of whom live under the regimes that have, in my opinion, been legitimately targeted for destruction. Some have allowed their resentment of the President to stir silent applause for setbacks in Iraq. Others have ironically decried the war because it has tied up our forces and prevented them from confronting criminal regimes in Sudan, Uganda, and elsewhere.
I simply decided that the time for candid discussions of the oppressed was over, and I joined.
In digesting this posting, please remember that America's commitment to overthrow Saddam Hussein and his sons existed before the current administration and would exist into our future children's lives had we not acted. Please remember that the problems that plague Iraq today were set in motion centuries ago and were up until now held back by the most cruel of cages. Don't forget that human beings have a responsibility to one another and that Americans will always have a responsibility to the oppressed. Don't overlook the obvious reasons to disagree with the war but don't cheapen the moral aspects either. Assisting a formerly oppressed population in converting their torn society into a plural, democratic one is dangerous and difficult business, especially when being attacked and sabotaged from literally every direction. So if you have anything to say to me at the end of this reading, let it at least include "Good Luck"
Mark Daily
God bless your soul soldier and thank you.
God Bless this Soldier and many more like him, who with the limited time here on Earth, choose to help our fellow humans and make the world a better place. You are so sorely needed.
Simple. Eloquent. Thorough.
The world lost a bright star when it lost this young man.
He understood what we are fighting for, far better than all the talking heads on television ever could.
I saved his post, and will pass it on to everyone I know.
May God hold him up, and bring peace to his family.
He was too distraught to talk in detail about the Woodbridge High School graduate and the second of his four children – a young man who had been married for only 18 months and who joined the Army after the United States declared war on Iraq in 2003.
No doubt Mark will be added to the anti-war rabble's displays, even though all of those who have died, did so for the exact opposite reason for such displays.
More blood and treasure will be required of us after Iraq, regardless of how it turns out. Pay now or pay much more later.
May God bless Mark, his wife, parents and siblings for such a sacrifice.
Impressive.
His eloquence and understanding coupled with his courage and valor is breathtaking.
Over at Lt. Daily's MySpace site, a friend of his left a message when he shipped out that his experience in Iraq would help him in his desire to be a journalist.
We could use more journos like him.
Officials ID four Bliss soldiers killed in Iraq
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
El Paso Times
Article Launched:01/18/2007 12:00:00 AM MST
[Sgt. Ian C. Anderson, 22, of Prairie Village, Kan.; Staff Sgt. John E. Cooper, 29, of Ewing, Ky.; 2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily, 23, of Irvine, Calif.; and Cpl. Matthew T. Grimm, 21, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.]
The Defense Department on Wednesday identified four Fort Bliss soldiers who were killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq.
The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, which is part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss, but none had family living in El Paso, said post spokeswoman Jean Offutt.
Killed were Sgt. Ian C. Anderson, 22, of Prairie Village, Kan.; Staff Sgt. John E. Cooper, 29, of Ewing, Ky.; 2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily, 23, of Irvine, Calif.; and Cpl. Matthew T. Grimm, 21, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Across the country, families were reeling, trying to come to grips with their loss. Friends expressed their grief on Web logs, and fellow soldiers attended a memorial for Sgt. Brent William Dunkleberger, 29, at Fort Bliss, who was the first 4-1 Cavalry soldier to die in Iraq.
Dunkleberger, of New Bloomfield, Pa., died Dec. 12 when his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during a convoy security mission in Mosul.
The Monday incident was the deadliest for Fort Bliss soldiers since 11 members of the 507th Maintenance Company died on March 23, 2003, in an ambush during the initial invasion of Iraq.
The four 4-1 Cavalry soldiers were deployed to Mosul in late October and early November with about 4,000 others sent to conduct stability and security operations.
Their duties include clearing roads of improvised explosive devices, capturing or eliminating insurgent forces, training Iraqi military and even repairing roads.
They were part of Task Force Lightning, which includes troops from many other units and operates in many regions of Iraq.
All four soldiers were posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. A memorial ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 21 at Sage Hall on Fort Bliss.
Anderson was an armor crewman who joined the Army in 2002 and also served in Korea. He attended Air Assault School, and his decorations included the Army Commendation and Army Good Conduct medals. He is survived by his wife and one child.
Cooper was an infantryman who joined the Army in 1995 and also served in Korea and Afghanistan.
He attended the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Air Assault School and earned the Army Achievement and the Army Good Conduct medals, among others.
Daily was an armor officer who joined the Army in 2005 and also served in Korea. He attended the Scout Platoon Leaders Course and the Armor Officer Basic and Airborne courses. He is survived by his wife.
Grimm was an Abrams tank crewman who entered the Army in 2004. He earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/military/ci_5034673
Every American should read this.
Why can't more people understand what this young hero saw so clearly?
These brave ones know that their sacrifice will be spit upon by many, but they will keep on doing their duty.
May the ones who discard this sacrifice so cheaply be turned so that they can see the truth.
And every Iraqi.
And every congressman/woman and Senator inside the Beltway and every parliamentarian inside the Green Zone.
What insight he had on the situation. Puts anything that Hillary has said since her return from Iraq to shame. She ought to hide her face.
May God bless our troops and comfort those who mourn our losses.
Patty - know you would not want to miss this.
"And every congressman/woman and Senator inside the Beltway and every parliamentarian inside the Green Zone."
Sometimes I wonder what it would take? What would it take for people like Kerry, Murtha, Pelosi, Boxer, Kennedy and all the fools like them and vote for them to understand?
What would it take?
Probably even the knife at their very own throats would not be enough.
God I will never understand them. Never.
They don't get it and never will. It's gone far beyond party bickering. Evil exists in this world and many in America serve it.
God speed Mark. Rest in Peace.
ping
God Bless all our Men and Women in service!
bump
Amen! bump
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