Iraq Soldiers Speak Out, Supporting Murtha...

On January 5, 2006, Congressman Murtha held a town hall meeting with Cong. Jim Moran (D-VA 08). The soldier who asked the first question served in Afghanistan and said that morale among troops is high and that he would gladly serve in Iraq today. His comment was the only one replayed by Fox News the next day. But the majority of soldiers in attendance spoke out against the current policy. Fox News did not broadcast their remarks. Here are some excerpts.



John Brumes, Infantry Sgt. US Army:
Everything that the Bush Adminstration told us about that mission in Iraq is absolutely incorrect. Furthermore, I'd like to say ... I came home to no job, no health insurance. Until we take care of this war, we can't take care of the problems that matter like health care. I've witnessed both ends... Congressman Murtha, I implore you to keep doing what you're doing.

John Powers, Capt. 1st Armored Division, served 12 months in Iraq:
The thing that hits me the most is the accountability. ... Where is the accountability for those men [who took us to war], as well as where is the accountability for Paul Bremmer, who misplaced millions of dollars and claims to keep accountability in the war zone?... I know that if we lost $500 we would be court marshaled. So where is the accountability for this leadership?
Garin Reppenhagen, served as a sniper in Iraq for a year in the First Infantry Division:

"My question is also about accountability. The soldiers that you see, Congressman Murtha, at the hospitals... those are my friends. After coming back, being a veteran, my question is why? Why did we go to this war, why the hell did it happen, why are we in this condition. A lot of soldiers are debating whether this war was fraudulent to begin with. And there doesn't seem to be a clear answer. A lot of Americans now are debating the fact over whether or not the war was fraudulent in the first place. How come there hasn't been an investigation on the fraudulent lead up to the war by this Administration?"

NOW, MY COMMENTS:
I don't think that those of us NOT in the military can ever truly understand the mindset of those IN the military. Perhaps we need to step back and really take a series look at what goes on in those families minds.

I think if you read the posting on the following site you can get a glimpse into what these familes are going through, what they think, and maybe, just maybe put yourself in thier shoes for a moment and understand how truly commited they are in their efforts, how truly commited their families are....

I've tried to keep an open mind to all viewpoints but I've had Bill O'Rielly on in the office the past few days in the background. David Letterman was wrong when he told him that "60% of what you say is crap!" I think it's closer to 70%. The issues are so much more complex than the soundbites, yet so many seem to have bought in to this rah-rah crap with out a real understanding of the situ.

CUT and Paste this link in YOUR BROWSER:
http://www.grunt.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=76966

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

President Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 191