He That Shall Live This Day

Iraqis who voted have ink on their fingers. That's an
identifying mark - one that almost literally shoves
a finger in the eye of terror. 

From the Library of Congress' Veterans' History Project comes Experiencing War (Voices of War).


No man and no force can
abolish memory
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The book relates war through the eyes of 60 veterans and civilians caught up in the momentous conflicts of the 20th century. Richly illustrated with photographs, drawings, and paintings from the Project's own collections, Voices of War relives the totality of war in the words of the men and women who experienced it, through their oral history interviews, memoirs, diaries, and correspondence.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Ryan tells it like it is in Iraq over at Blackfive

What if domestic news outlets continually fed American readers headlines like: "Bloody Week on U.S. Highways: Some 700 Killed," or "More Than 900 Americans Die Weekly from Obesity-Related Diseases"? Both of these headlines might be true statistically, but do they really represent accurate pictures of the situations?... So, imagine being an American in Iraq right now.

I just read yet another distorted and grossly exaggerated story from a major news organization about the "failures" in the war in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a small fraction of the events in Iraq and more often than not, the events they cover are only the bad ones. Many of the journalists making public assessments about the progress of the war in Iraq are unqualified to do so, given their training and experience. The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international public support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.[Excerpt via Blogs for Bush]

While you're over at Blackfive, follow the link to Collection of Memories (final Iraq post)

From the Army Times
Gordon Trowbridge
Times staff writer
13 Jan 2005

BAGHDAD 'Teacup in hand, Army Capt. Dan Mark prepared to teach another lesson in what he calls "ninth-grade civics".'
For nearly an hour, Sheikh Alwan Shalal Talal al Kartani had dominated the discussion of Iraq's upcoming elections with a catalog of complaints against the interim Iraqi government: Lack of security, creeping Iranian influence, long gas-station lines, corrupt and ineffective police.
"The people are not satisfied with the election preparations," Alwan said through an interpreter. They worried about security; they worried about disorganization. And again, said the Sunni Muslim sheikh, they worried about influence by Iran's Shiite Muslims.
Perhaps, he said, the Jan. 30 voting could be delayed by three months, and perhaps some of the Iran-influenced members of the government could be eliminated in the meantime?
Then came the civics lesson. "If the people don't like the way the government is working right now, this election is their chance to fix it," said Mark, a troop commander in 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. "If they don't vote, the people they don't like will continue in power."
Read the rest here

Associated Press
December 30, 2004

Hopkinsville, KY - When Sgt. Jose Bermudez returned from Iraq early this year, he came home to a new baby and a troubled marriage.
"We were on the brink of divorce," Mandy Bermudez acknowledged as the couple ate lunch recently with their three children, all under age 3.
The Bermudezes were among 300 couples with the Fort Campbell-based 101st Airborne Division who have attended "marriage enrichment" seminars put on by the Army in hopes of saving war-ravaged relationships.
With studies showing divorce rates as high as about 20 percent over two years among couples where one spouse has been sent off to war, the Army is spending $2 million on a variety of marriage programs, including vouchers for romantic getaways to places like the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. {continued}

Also, see Family Ties That Bind

From Blackfive, via Michelle Malkin
30 Dec 2004

Wendy is a Marine Mom who's son is Iraq right now. Below is an email to her friends about the care packages they have been sending to Iraq:

To top off my son's email he was able to call yesterday!!! I've just been in absolutely the BEST mood. Not only did he call, but we were able to talk for a long time and it was so wonderful. He shared so many stories and had my laughing so hard. He wanted me to thank all his "Moms" and to let ya'll know that he and his fire team received their care packages and they were a wonderful morale booster. He said all of them had the Channel 11 footballs in their care package and they were out in the open area throwing the footballs around and other Marines were asking, "Hey where did ya'll get the footballs?" My son said at first they would all respond, "The Houston Marine Moms!". He said after awhile they were all laughing and they would just say "Our Moms".

He said they call the footballs their WMD's. I asked why and he said that when the lights go out at night they all throw them really hard at each other and just have the best time. He was laughing so hard sharing these stories with me. He had me rolling.

He told me how wonderful the care packages were and wanted me to tell everyone thank you.


Break time!

He said that one guy we'll call "Marine X" did get a girl care package and everyone was giving him a hard time. My son said, "Marine X got some really nice smelling lotion and everyone really likes it, so everytime he goes to sleep they steal it from him." I told my son I was really sorry about the mistake, and if he wanted I would send Marine X another package. He told me not to worry about Marine X because everytime I send something to him Marine X thinks it's for him too. He said when my husband and I sent the last care package Marine X came over to his cot picked up the box, started fishing through it, and said, "What'd we get this time?"

My son said they had the most fun with Marine X's package. He said he wasn't sure who we were sending the pack to, but the panties were size 20, and he said one of the guys got on top of the humvee and jumped off with the panties over his head and yelled, "Look at me, I'm an Airborne Ranger!!!!". He said one of the guys attached the panties to an antenna and it blew in the wind like a windsock. He said it entertained them for quite awhile.

Then of course, they had the tampons. When he brought this up my imagination was just running wild, but I let him continue. My son said they had to go on a mission and Marine X wanted the chapstick and lotion for the trip. He grabbed a bunch of the items out of his care package and got in the humvee. As luck would have it he grabbed the tampons, and My son said everyone was teasing him about "not forgetting his feminine hygiene products". My son said things were going well, and then the convoy was ambushed. He said a Marine in the convoy was shot. He said the wound was pretty clean, but it was deep. He said they were administering first aid but couldn't get the bleeding to slow down, and someone said, "Hey use Marine X's tampons". My son said they put the tampon in the wound. At this point my son profoundly told me, "Mom did you know that tampons expand?" "Well, yeah!". They successfully slowed the bleeding and got the guy medical attention. When they went to check on him later the surgeon told them, "You guys saved his life". If you hadn't stopped that bleeding he would have bled to death. My son said, "Mom, the tampons sent by the Marine Moms by mistake saved a Marine's life." At this point I asked him, "Well what did you do with the rest of the tampons?" He said, "Oh, we divided them up and we all have them in our flak jackets, and I kept two for our first aid kit".

I am absolutely amazed by the ingenuity of our Marines, and can't believe that something that started out as a mistake ended up saving someone's life. My sister said she doesn't believe in mistakes. She said that God had a plan all along. She believes that female care package was sent to Marine X to save our Marine. Either way ladies our efforts have boosted the morale of many Marines, provided much needed items for our troops, AND saved the lives of a Marine! God bless each of you for your efforts and hard work, and God bless our Marines!

Thank you

Wendy