GIs have made things better in Iraq

The Boston Globe ^ | 9/14/2003 | Amy Connell

[Radix]

I HAVE been serving in Iraq for over five months now as a soldier in the 2d Battalion of the 503d Airborne Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the "Rock." We entered the country at midnight on March 26; 1,000 of my fellow soldiers and I parachuted from 10 jumbo jets (known as C17s) onto a cold, muddy field in Bashur in northern Iraq. This parachute operation was the US Army's only combat jump of the war and opened up the northern front. Things have changed tremendously for our battalion since those first cold, wet weeks spent in Bashur. On April 10, our battalion conducted an attack south into the oil rich town of Kirkuk, the city that has since become our home away from home and the focus of our security and development efforts.

[Radix]

I was surprised to see a letter of this nature printed in todays Boston Globe

[Radix]

Ping.

[MEG33]

Great letter but I am stunned that the Boston Globe published it,too.

[ThreePuttinDude]

Great find Radix......and from the Boston Globe....go figure

[ThreePuttinDude]

Sorry RG....I should have scrolled down farther before posting......

[TEXOKIE]

BUMP!! Just sent this one out to my email list!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Oh, man, you can ping me a dozen times for a letter like this one. Thanks for the post, Radix!

Kirkuk is a hot and dusty city of just over a million people. The majority of the city has welcomed our presence with open arms. After five months here, the people still come running from their homes into the 110-degree heat waving at us as our troops drive by on daily patrols of the city.

Winning hearts and minds, ping!

If you want on or off my pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it's a high volume ping list on good days (most days are good days).

8 Unapologetically Pro-Coalition News Links and Articles

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Pro Military News Article PING

Radix : Thank You for posting this thread.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Excellent find.

[The Mayor]

Thanks for the Ping and Letter!

[Consort]

I was surprised to see a letter of this nature printed in todays Boston Globe

For every good article like this, how many bad articles will follow until the next good article appears?

[windchime]

Great letter bump!

[Delta 21]

Sure sounds like a quagmire to me!!

[SkyPilot]

For the United States (read: GW Bus) to be successful in transforming Iraq into a bastion of democracy and economic vitality in the Middle East is the absolute worst nightmare of the mainstream media, Democrats, Hollywood nitwits, and leftists of all stripes.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[.cnI redruM]

I am as well. Is the press becoming embarrassed by it's own poor performance? Would the coverage become more accurate and fair if we reembedded some of them?

[blackie]

Winning hearts and minds ~ Bump!

[fatima]

bump.

[anniegetyourgun]

I was wondering if the heat had broken yet. I guess not.

I have a civilian friend who has also just been sent over (with others) to help in the rebuilding. I'm jealous - wish I could go.

[anymouse]

ping

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the ping anymouse. Nice to see some real news coming out of Iraq instead of just the news the Press wants to push.

[Mr Rogers]

The last summer I spent in Saudi, it was early Sep when the thermometer finally dipped below 100 - at 5AM. I believe the temps will drop significantly by Nov.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Tonkin, a graphic of my own!? Wow. Thank you!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I'm jealous - wish I could go.

Thank you for that, annie. According to Chief in Baghdad on Friday, "the summer heat now subsiding, a cool breeze blowing outside and our AC on in the car, it was the perfect day for a tour of the city. Even in the heat of the afternoon, it was totally comfortable in our SUV."

Quagmire-free Friday, post 9-11. Sigh of thanks.

[CheneyChick]

Thanks for posting this!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

":Tonkin, a graphic of my own!?"

Yep! Use it all you want.
It will also be in the Canteen each day.
You have provided an excellent service by having
"the good news" in one easy access spot.
Thank You

[george wythe]

Kirkuk is a hot and dusty city of just over a million people. The majority of the city has welcomed our presence with open arms. After five months here, the people still come running from their homes into the 110-degree heat waving at us as our troops drive by on daily patrols of the city. Children smile and run up to shake hands, and in broken English shout, "thank you, mister."

Thank you for this great letter.

[ohioWfan]

Daytime highs around 100 and lows in the 80's at night....... a veritable cold snap........

[boxerblues]

My son is in the north and said one morning he felt chilled when the temp dropped into the upper 70's for a few minutes till the sun come up

[ohioWfan]

Thanks for this great story Radix!

Got it in an e-mail from a dear friend!

[mystery-ak]

Mike is already trying to round up heaters for their tents....I'm getting together a package full of Halloween decorations so he can decorate....next I'll work on Christmas.....he told me what he wanted for Christmas..a SAT phone..they only cost $1500-2000...fat chance....LOL

[Michael121]

Embarrased Press and Dems can't get over this.

[M0sby]

My husband said the same thing!
He is going to ABSOLUTLEY freeze when he goes outside at home! Our high today was 65- low was in the 40's...Almost 90 degrees colder than their high a few weeks ago!

[boxerblues]

I cant find any longterm weather forecast for the area that my son is in, but he did say that where they are the locals have told them that they get snow! how much I dont know.
My husband laughed at me yesterday I went shopping for all sorts of decorations and candy for Halloween and told him they were for the boys, he just shrugged his shoulders at me like I was nuts, mumbled something about they will have some fun items for target practice

[boxerblues]

I guess I better get my behind in gear and finish the afghans Ive been working on. Their blood must be as thin as water by now.

[WestPacSailor]

All of this is LIES! The Americans are dying in the thousands and hiding their dead bodies in unmarked mass graves! The holy warriors are driving the infidels from Iraq with the aid of the peace loving peoples of Iraq. In only a very few more days the imperialist occupiers will surrender and run like dogs before the jihad! All of this is true.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

a veritable cold snap

Never has it been so sweet to see the end of summer, huh. Cold snap, whoo hoo! (^;

[ohioWfan]

One of the Sergeants told his wife that he has to put blankets on at night because it gets down to 80 and he's COLD!

[McGavin999]

I think the media is beating a hasty retreat. Many of our soldiers are returning home and many of the hometown papers are carrying their stories. As the word begins to get around the American people are turning an angry eye to the American media asking why we had to wait so long to hear these things. You can't keep the truth buried forever.

[M0sby]

Their blood must be as thin as water by now.
I think you're right! Hubby told me that when he works the night shift inside the building it get's down to about 85 degrees and he's drinking the hot chocolate my sister sent him as a joke! :-) I don't know how to make afgans... but since he's my hubby, I'll think of something!!! :-)

[texasflower]

I don't know how many of ya'll saw this unit's jump into Iraq, but I saw it live and it was awesome. I was so proud of them. It was absolutely stunning to watch. I saw it on CNN. (sorry, I just did it that once, I promise!) I have thoroughly repented of that.

Anyway, these guys were something to watch.

[PhilDragoo]

HAVE TO ADMIT IT'S GETTING BETTER BUMP

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

"Their goal is to drive us out of Iraq before our work is done. They are mistaken, and they will fail. We will do what is necessary to win this victory in the war on terror." ~ Pres. Bush, 9/13 (again!)

New poll on FoxNews just now, almost 60% of the American people say we should spend what's necessary to stabilize Iraq. This after last week's "news" coverage.

Could be the American people are choosing not to believe the press? (^:

[boxerblues]

I don't know how to make afgans... but since he's my hubby, I'll think of something!!!

Its not hard to learn and its a good stress reliever. One needle, a string and a million little knots. I think of it as a noose around a terrorist head and hang him on each stitch.

[M0sby]

I think of it as a noose around a terrorist head and hang him on each stitch.
LOL

[clamboat]

Hey cowgirl, didn't it make you the least bit suspicious that you read the same letter posted here at least twice, claiming to be written by different people? I know you were pinged on both letters. Did it not make you the least bit suspicions that maybe, just maybe, these letters were part of a clumsy propaganda attempt?

I shouldn't say "attempt", because it sure worked on you. You spread the disinformation just like you were supposed to.

Maybe you can inform the same people that dozens of those letters are showing up in hometown newspapers all across the nation, claiming to be written by different people. And the soldiers who supposedly wrote them? They say they never wrote any letter like that. The attempt is being run by a group that has access to "hometown" information on the soldiers - like maybe the pentagon? Gee, ya think so? Only problem is some of the information is out-dated. Some soldiers say they they don't even live in their "hometown" any more, their parents have moved, but then the pentagon files aren't always updated so well.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

No, clamboat, I know that the troops are sharing the same stories, because you see we're in contact with the troops. YES, the articles often show up late in hometown papers and are passed around the internet....because the mainstream press has consistantly refused to print the truth and to listen to the troops.

This isn't Vietnam. Our troops have laptops, and access to satellite phones, and family members who put their welfare first.

Perhaps you should read THIS thread again. At least 4 military wives in contact with their husbands regularly and telling the truth.

Shame on you, clamboat. CNN and NBC and BBC are hanging out at the Palestine Hotel and the Ba'athist strongholds, handing our enemies their pens. Our enemies know exactly how to find them and how to use them.

I'll grant you that it is understandable that you're mistaken. OUR free (thanks to those who sacrificed for their freedom) press has been misleading the world daily from day one - around the world, 24/7 into most homes - including those local papers and local TV news shows through the 24/7 anti-war newswires.

You've been conned, clamboat. I haven't.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The Maryland study re. FoxNews is as biased and unprofessional as the press coverage of the war.

As for this letter, sorry, this latest dishonorable scheme of the press to get out of taking responsibility for the damage they did - and are doing - to our troops and the war effort with their skewed and inaccurate coverage isn't going to work.

Unlike Vietnam, Uncle Walter and Jane Fonda aren't controlling the soapbox today.

Our press can't silence our troops, and the millions of newly free Iraqis, with cell phone and internet access.

Until this press stops blaming others for their failure to inform, they deserve more than scorn for their scams. We can only hope each new campaign of lies costs them customers.

Our troops aren't reporters and shouldn't have to be. More than enough is already required of them - saving civilization, defending our freedom. They deserve far better from America's free (thanks to our troops past and present) press.