YOU LIKE THE IRAQ WAR SO MUCH, YOU GO FIGHT IT!

Today's post will be short but not without great substance and heart. Just a few words of TRUTH from a distraught Father of a slain military son. Many people see these horrible, needless deaths as just figures on a military website or in a news article but behind the numbers are families and loved ones suffering their losses in great pain. I've said this before and I will keep saying it until this unnecessary war has ended. IT'S TIME TO STOP THE SADNESS CREATED BY BUSH'S WAR, SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND BRING THEM BACK FROM THIS IRRELEVANT WAR! The Iraqi people want this and so do we, the majority of the American people! And to those who still support Bush's war...JOIN THE MILITARY, PACK YOUR BAGS AND REPLACE ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO STOP THE ABSURDITY AND COME HOME!

Please read the article below forwarded to me from a cyber friend. thinkingblue

You like this war in Iraq so much, you go fight it.

I was directed to the Dayton Daily News blog by a friend, to see the local reaction to Cindy Sheehan's arrest at the State of the Union Address. There were the usual exchanges of pro and anti-Cindy posts, and some who must have been psychic, because they purported to speak for Casey, and most of which were rendered irrelevant when it was announced the next day that what had happened to Cindy had all been a mistake. But tucked into the words flying around was a post simply listed as "by Marine dad." It said:

February 1, 2006 08:02 PM
~~~I am a former Marine father of a Marine killed in Iraq. If my son died while chasing down bin Laden maybe I could sleep better at night. Why don’t all you gung ho crazies who want war in Iraq just sign up and request orders to Al Anbar province as soon as possible. You like this war in Iraq so much, you go fight it.

I was stopped in my tracks, and knew I needed to reply to this person to express my condolences to him and his family. It wasn't long before I received a reply.

I love my lost son. I love my lost America. I don't recognize us now.

I read his words and was nearly moved to tears by what he wrote:

I thank you very much for your kind letter. I do indeed have many friends and family who grieve deeply with me and who provide support.

I was led to the DDN blog via links. I don't particularly care to write responses like I did to the wind--its really rather meaningless. But, it does give me a little relief after I hear or read of yet another arm chair hero cheering on the war in Iraq. You are definitely right it is the wrong war in the wrong place. I opposed it prior to the start and now have researched more about just how this whole thing went down. The manipulations of truth, outright personal whim useage of the military forces, blockage of any voice of diplomatic reason, and the sickening stomping on any citizen opposition by the Bush People has just angered me so much. I love my lost son. I love my lost America. I don't recognize us now.

Thank you for your time. Peace,

He signed his full name, so I went to icasualties.org and looked for the last name, and came up with his son's name, and saw that he had just died this past October:

Cpl. __________, 25,
of Lewis, N.Y., died Oct. 21 [2005] from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the vicinity of Haqlaniyah, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4^th Force Reconnaissance Battalion, 4^th Marine Division, Reno, Nev. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2^nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force

(There were 5 killed that day)

I felt I wanted to share his moving words with others, so I wrote back to him and asked:

...May I share (anonymously, of course) some of your words? They are so moving, and I believe that the only way to motivate people to wake up and care about what happens over there is to make the loss of troops more than a number, to wake people up to the fact that these are real people -- sons and daughters, mothers and fathers who are dying daily...

http://humanclub.org/mfsodayton.htm

Not much later, I received this reply:

You most certainly can. One condition--tell me how to join MFSO.

D. M. D.
former Captain, USMC
father of Cpl S. M. D., USMCR
KIA Haqlaniyah, Iraq 21 Oct 2005

I sent him the web addresses for MFSO and GSFSO, and he replied he had received them and thanked me. I have more to share about other moving exchanges from the last day or so (one from another former Marine), but I'll close this one for now. As Mother Jones said, "Pray for the dead, but work like hell for the living."

Beth
Mother of Gulf War Vet
Mother of Coast Guard "Coastie"
Mother-in-law of active duty Air Force officer
Proud member of Military Families Speak Out
http://humanclub.org/mfsodayton.htm

CAROLYNCONNECTION.COM

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Warning very Graphic REAL PICTURES OF WAR

CAROLYNCONNETION - I've got a mind and I'm going to use it!
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