LETTER FROM THE FRONT
Shared by Mallie Murray, mother of Captain Michael G. Murray II
National Observance to Mark Iraq Liberation Day Honoring Our Fallen Heroes
Arlington National Cemetery, Section 60
April 9, 2008

All,

I was out two weeks ago showing an agricultural specialist my area, which is a farming community. I am trying to get this community to make the switch from subsistence farming to cooperative farming to stimulate the business market. In short, I am trying to give them a lasting means of income and jobs. Anyway, we stopped to talk to a man about a combine and this guy walked up to me and just stared at me, he was very polite and did not say a word but would not take his eyes off of me.

I had the strangest feeling about this man, the way he looked at me, so I interrupted the conversation and introduced myself to him. He told me his name was Ismail and that all he wanted in the world was a pair of boots. I was surrounded by businessmen and farmers and I was amazed that when he spoke everyone went silent. I realized almost immediately that Ismail is mentally handicapped but something about the way he talked to me... let just say it affected me. I put my arm on his shoulder and told him I would get him a pair of boots and he said thank you and disappeared.

I went out later, found his home and measured his foot. He was very excited.

Yesterday I went to his home and delivered him two cases of chicken soup, which apparently he loves. I gave him 12 pairs of socks, my own personal flashlight, and a road guard vest. Ismail suffers from insomnia due to his illness and he wanders around the town at night. His feet were in very bad shape because he loses his sandals and just walks barefoot.

Now to the point. Sometimes we are called to do something, even if small, in order to make a difference. When I met Ismail I had a burning feeling that I was being told to do something and I mean an overwhelming feeling. When I delivered those shoes and put them on his feet he was so happy he burst into tears as did my interpreter and some of his family. I am tough so I just smiled (haha). When I was walking away my interpreter (in the pic) "Joe from Chicago" said I have to tell you something. "I am a Muslim and what you just did transcends all religions, God has blessed you today and you will be repaid for what you have done".

I wasn't looking for repayment, I think I was just answering a call, but the whole breaking religious barriers statement really hit home for me. Joe and I had a long discussion about how Muslim's believe in the same God and they believe in Jesus and the Bible and how terrorists have distorted the word of the Quran for their own use.

I have seen a lot of bad and screwed up things out here but yesterday made it one hell of a lot more bearable. Just like handing those kids the soccer balls.

I will only do this job for about two and a half more months and then I will move on to other things, but even though I miss my wife and babies so much and I want to come home so badly, I think I will walk away missing it but knowing I was given an opportunity to make a difference for people.

I felt I had to share that with someone.

Yall have a great weekend!

Captain Michael G. Murray II
Civil / Military Affairs Officer
Headquarters Battalion
2D Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

The following was written to Nick Coleman, columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune following Coleman's uninformed article regarding the Forest Lake School not allowing Vets for Freedom to speak to their students...The Star Trib did not print this...

Dear Mr. Coleman,

As the father, son, brother, brother-in-law, and friend of a soldier, I feel you have disrespected each of them, and every vet who has given you the right to write. Your article regarding the Vets For Freedom organization was an extremely disappointing read. If your job is to take a shot at freedom of speech, freedom to gather, freedom to console, freedom to hear, freedom to see, freedom to learn, and freedom to thank - you did your job. The Veterans For Freedom representatives have done their job, a job they were asked to do on behalf of the USA. As a citizen who has not served, I am proud to say it was an honor to meet each of them, as a guest of the Families United Gold Star families.

The idea that those who have raised their right hand, and pledged to protect, are unworthy of our support is in a word "disheartening". As I listened to them speak, it was not political, it could have been, had they chosen to, which they did not. It was a story of hope, of rebuilding, a desire to succeed, courage, duty, love of country, trust in each other, and in the belief of making a difference in the lives of strangers - their new friends in foreign lands. (In my house there is no such thing as strangers, they are only friends we have never met.) An education for anyone who had the "opportunity" to hear them.

I do not know the Principal of the school, and for him to be elevated as the villain in this situation is also disappointing. We are quick to blame, quick to criticize, quick to give status to those who protest. It is time we change the thinking about those who serve, the 1% of this country that allows the rest of the 99% (including myself), to live our lives. They give us the opportunity to disagree, to complain that the columnist is wrong or that the event could be perceived as political, that it has a hidden agenda or it is a teaching moment. They served for the rights of all of us, political or not, it was mishandled.

We use the terms of hero and celebrity very easily in this country. To me the hero is the young man or woman who yesterday, today, and hopefully again tomorrow, will get up in a strange land, with a strange language, with strange surroundings, and protect the strangers they have never met. We owe them more than what you and I have given them.

We owe all veterans in this country more respect. The Vets For Freedom representatives recognized, and elevated every veteran in the standing room only crowd, including those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. They each declined to be introduced as a Hero. Tears were shed, hugs were passed freely, friendship and healing were in great supply.

We see front page articles of actors and of the first round "Draft Choice" for every major league sports team. We invite them to our schools. We read of the substantial contracts they sign, the endorsements and the benefits they receive, because they can help others to be successful. We criticize some of these same athletes for walking off the field before the completion of their task. I choose to support those who have somewhat smaller contracts, the members of the "Home Town" team (Forest Lake, Savage, Burnsville, Hastings, Shakopee, Alexandria, Duluth, Pine City, need I go on?) who are still on the field, who feel they can succeed, who want to complete the task, and I believe in them.

In the military there is a saying that for those that wear the uniform, Freedom has a flavor the Protected will never know. As one of the protected I do not know that flavor, but to me, Freedom tastes pretty sweet, and for that I say thank you to all who serve, and have served. They deserved better. They have earned that right.

James "J.B." Ball

Sons of Iraq
A grassroots surge against al-Qaeda.

By Pete Hegseth
March 1, 2008

East Rashid, Baghdad — A young man wearing a tan shirt emblazoned with the Iraqi flag and with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder approaches the doorway of Saint John’s Church, peeks inside, and motions to the American G.I. sergeant standing next to me. They step outside and I watch as the Iraqi makes a sign of the cross, points to the building, and then points to the American’s M-4 rifle, and waves his hand. After a few seconds, the sergeant gets it: no weapons inside the church. The sergeant leaves his weapon with another soldier as he reenters.

Saint John’s — one of about two dozen Chaldean Catholic parish churches in Baghdad — is located in East Rashid, a Sunni neighborhood described by both Iraqi and American officers as “former al-Qaeda headquarters.” Church leaders manage a small but growing congregation of Iraqi Catholics, many of whom were able to attend their first Mass in years this past Christmas. The pews that day were also full of local Sunnis supporting their Christian neighbors, as well as invited Americans.

The story of Saint John’s is significant, and for the residents in this part of Al Doura it’s a return to normalcy. Chaldean Catholics have lived in this neighborhood for centuries, part of Baghdad’s complex tapestry. However the need to defend the church is a recent development — and in a way, an encouraging one. I was intrigued by the dozens of armed men in tan shirts standing in the streets near the church, as well as the hundreds I’ve seen in Baghdad so far. Who are these Sons of Iraq?

I step outside to find out more about the man in the tan shirt who persuaded the sergeant to disarm himself. He is a Sunni member of the Al Doura market area’s “Sons of Iraq” (formerly known as Concerned Local Citizens), the local security militia paid $10 per day to maintain order and to collect intelligence in their neighborhoods. Asked why he took it upon himself to enforce church rules (on a U.S. Army sergeant, no less!), he told me, “I respect the Christians here, they are my brothers.”

Prior to my trip, I was worried the Sons of Iraq would consist only of former Sunni insurgents, recklessly roaming their neighborhoods — armed, but without uniforms — on the dime of U.S. taxpayers. I was off target — as most pundits have been — and leave Iraq convinced that the “Sons” must play a key role in securing Iraq’s future. Some 91,000 have been stationed on Iraqi streets since the Anbar Awakening occurred in the fall of 2006, constituting a grassroots Iraqi surge of equal importance to our own.

Admittedly, I only observed the Sons (I’m told there are “Daughters of Iraq” as well) in southeast Baghdad, but after speaking candidly with senior American officials, I have little reason to believe that their composition and motives vary drastically elsewhere. Most importantly, the variance that does exist is a reflection of Iraq’s diverse population. All Sons of Iraq and their leadership are required to be residents of the neighborhoods they protect and are not allowed to enforce law outside their assigned area or to conduct offensive operations.

Over 11,000 Sons of Iraq (two thirds of them Sunni, one-third Shia) operate in southern Baghdad alone, and I watched them man checkpoints and interact with local residents. Every prospective Son of Iraq is fingerprinted and receives a retinal scan, after which they are screened through national and local security databases — both American and Iraqi. This process ensures that, while their ranks may include some former insurgents, the Sons are purged of hard-core fighters, foreign fighters, and insurgent leaders.

One Son of Iraq told me, “A few of my friends joined al-Qaeda, and now they are dead or captured. I never did, and this gives me a chance to keep al-Qaeda from coming back.”

Their task is to maintain checkpoints in their area, and report any insurgent or criminal activity to Iraqi and American forces. I pressed several American commanders hard: “Do you have a problem with rogue elements within the movement?” Surprisingly, there is very little. Early in the movement, some units — especially in Anbar Province — sought and killed al-Qaeda members. But today, anyone who conducts offensive operations or shows any sectarian tendencies is quickly fired and disarmed.

The importance of these forces can hardly be overstated. After American and national Iraqi forces clear an area of insurgents, the Sons of Iraq remain to hold the neighborhood and protect the population, driving out the final remnants of resistance.

This is only step one, of course: Iraqis must eventually secure themselves, especially if American force levels are reduced prematurely. The sectarian violence of 2006 and 2007 left such deep scars and inherent mistrust of outsiders, that national-level Iraqi security forces are scarcely tolerated, let alone trusted. With time, this mistrust will fade. But in the near term — which is most important — the local Sons provide the trusted and local indigenous forces needed to maintain security gains and ensure insurgents don’t reconstitute. Counterinsurgency 101.

The Sons are not nearly as well trained as their Iraqi army and police counterparts, but to a man, they expect to eventually become formally recognized as trained Iraqi police. They want to serve their country in uniform and — as soon as conditions permit — without consideration of sectarian background. For me, the encounter at the church was a window into the non-sectarian history Iraqis tell me they are fiercely proud of, and eager to regain.

American units are working doggedly to facilitate the transition of Sons of Iraq into the Iraqi police, but the process is slow. One Son of Iraq told me, “As long as I can feed my family, I will continue fighting for my neighborhood as a Son of Iraq. I hope to join the Iraqi police very soon. But I submitted my paperwork months ago, and have heard nothing.” The central Shia government is dragging its feet on most of the 11,000 applicants — who, when approved, will be paid by the Iraqi government, rather than the Coalition. But discerning American commanders believe the groundswell of security and prosperity in Sunni areas will eventually convince the Shia government to approve and employ more Iraqi police.

That said, limited police allocations and stringent (and sometimes sectarian) requirements at the national level will prevent many Sons of Iraq from becoming Iraqi police. This is a serious problem, and both Iraqi and American leaders realize it. In southeast Baghdad, Colonel Ricky Gibbs and his staff are working hand-in-hand with Iraqi leaders to institute local Civil Service Departments that will absorb this flow and provide comparable payment for stable vocations. As Col. Gibbs observes, “With security coming around, now we need a surge in services.”

I’ve seen similar projects fail in the past, but for the first time in four years, the neighborhoods are secure enough that all interested parties — the Iraqi government, the State Department, USAID, the NGOs, and the U.S. military — are all finally at the table and prepared to make progress. More importantly, local Iraqi leaders are leading the effort to ensure that any American plan is ultimately sustainable. Our ability to integrate Sons of Iraq into the police force and simultaneously help Iraqis provide alternative jobs will determine whether we translate recent drastic security gains into permanent stability.

In the near-term, the signs of success at the street level are obvious, with Sunnis protecting Christians and working alongside Shia police units. Al-Qaeda’s former headquarters in Al Doura hasn’t seen a significant attack in months, and I walked freely through the neighborhood, unarmed and with limited protection, for the better part of two days.

So, next time you hear antiwar groups say “We are arming Sunni militias who will turn their guns on us,” throw the facts back at them. The young men I met are sick of the violence and have said “enough!” They want safe streets for their families and neighbors. The Sons of Iraq are not an end state, but they are a significant step forward in America’s complex counterinsurgency fight.

— Captain Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006, is executive director of Vets for Freedom. He's currently back in Iraq covering the surge for NRO.

A Neighborhood, Reborn
Seeing Baghdad again, for the first time.

By Pete Hegseth
February 28, 2008

Al Doura, Baghdad — As I step out of the humvee into the street, I have two facts in mind: I’ve been here before; and this time, I don’t have a weapon.

Recalling the tension of my first patrol in this neighborhood as a platoon leader, my five senses are sharp. The dusty road below greets my boots, some of the smells are eerily familiar, and the sound of idling humvees is my only comfort. My head swivels to scan the street. My hands are naked without an M-4, so I find the nearest soldier.

Soon — as a young child approaches — the wary familiarity gives way to fascination. I may be in the same geographic location, but I’m not in the same neighborhood. This is not Al Doura, at least not as I knew it. Where did all these people and shops come from? Where is all the trash, and the open sewage? Where is the fear — the deep-seated fear?

Children approach, as they usually do — but today it’s not just children. Young men walk up, initiating conversation. Women cross the street between our humvees, seemingly unaware of the GIs. The people are friendly, but not assertively so. Our presence is natural, almost routine. My inner tension clashes with the calm scene unfolding around me.

I take a few steps into the middle of an intersection with a clear view in all directions. Along the main thoroughfare, my immediate surroundings are replicated: block after block of shops and bustling residents. The side streets that I remember as sewage-clogged gutters are clean and teeming with construction and activity.

This is not Al Doura. The Al Doura I knew was the heart of sectarian violence, with daily body counts in the dozens. As I keep walking, I pass a busy car wash, and then a fitness center where young men pump iron and tear-outs of Muscle Fitness adorn the walls. We pass two new playgrounds, where boys clamber up and down slides and beautiful little girls play with dolls. A cart vendor offers me a bag of freshly popped popcorn — but I decline and have some falafel instead.

Increasingly relaxed and curious, I duck into side streets. One leads me to a buzzing recreation center, where soldiers are challenged to a game of pool. In the next room, teenage boys fight it out in the computer game “Medal of Honor” (which my little brother plays constantly). The World War II battle simulator heats up as we enter: the “German” I’m watching turns a virtual corner and lobs a grenade at an “American.” We all burst out laughing. That’s as much hostility as my patrol would face this day.

The entire time, we have only nominal security. It was disconcerting at first — I would never have come here unarmed two years ago — but the commander I’m walking with eases my concerns: the people are our security. The neighborhood residents trust the Americans, as well as the “Sons of Iraq” (or CLCs, as the Army calls them: Concerned Local Citizens) — local residents who provide security for the neighborhood. In a place where al-Qaeda dominated just eight months ago, today they couldn’t buy a bag of popcorn.

The unit’s commander — Lieutenant Colonel James Crider — clarifies the new situation in Doura, “We made a deliberate attempt to engage the people and soon enough, when they realized we weren’t going anywhere, that’s when they started talking to us.”

Beginning in June, while bullets were still flying, Crider’s squadron held sit-down meetings with every family in Doura, walking house-to-house over the course of several months to forge personal relationships. This approach — combined with a 24/7 presence in the neighborhoods — eventually crippled al-Qaeda. LTC Crider notes, “Al-Qaeda had no idea who was ratting them out, because we went into every house.” The relationships they fostered from these meetings provided intelligence that allowed the unit to detain al-Qaeda members who were thriving on American ignorance and hiding in plain sight. One of Crider’s lieutenants adds, “It was a battle of intel — and we won.”

These gains, however, were costly. In their first 30 days in Doura, the unit was attacked over 50 times. On the very streets we’re walking today, LTC Crider has lost nine good men, with dozens more injured. But the unit persisted — honoring the sacrifices of their brethren — and has not been attacked in their sector since September 27. As compelling testimony to the unit’s dedication to the task, LTC Crider’s squadron had the highest reenlistment rate in all of Baghdad in 2007, exceeding their goal by over 500 percent.

As we walk, we see scars of the neighborhood’s violent recent past — bombed-out homes pepper the area and bullet-sprayed walls are everywhere. Some power wires dangle out of place. All is not perfect — but signs of life keep finding us. As we reach the end of the block, three young males approach, all looking for work and eager to join the “Sons of Iraq.” This is typical, Crider informs me, and the unit jots down their names.

LTC Crider and his soldiers understand that the security gains, though real, are still tenuous — if alternatives to insurgency are not soon in place. The unit has given out hundreds of business micro-loans, many of which were used for street-front stores. They fund only local contractors, who hire local workers to pick up trash, fix sewage pipes, and provide electricity. The people of Doura themselves are rebuilding Doura — with the U.S. Army’s help.

Before going to lunch with a local leader, I stop and talk with Omar, the owner of a small grocery. He’s clean-shaven, well dressed, and roughly my age. He moved to Doura about two years ago (when my unit was here), after being displaced from his town by the Mahdi Army.

I ask him why hadn’t he joined al-Qaeda either to expel Americans or retaliate against the Shia. He replied, “Because al-Qaeda kills civilians, including my aunt and three cousins.” His uncle was a local contractor — an offense to al-Qaeda, punishable by the killing of his wife and daughters. Omar speaks candidly of the U.S. presence here: “Americans have made many mistakes, but now they are fixing them. . . . If Americans leave now, it will be a disaster.”

The most telling aspect of our conversation is where it takes place — on the street, out in the open, and among Omar’s fellow residents. He is not afraid, and vows to fight al-Qaeda if they ever return. I ask him why, of all places, he decided to move to Doura at the height of the violence here. “Because they are good people,” he answers.

It was then that I realized I had never really been to this place — I just thought I had. This is the real Al Doura, a neighborhood and a people reborn — thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of LTC Crider and his men. Today, I saw Al Doura for the first time.

— Captain Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006, is executive director of Vets for Freedom. He's back in Iraq for the next week to cover the surge for NRO.

Lessons on the Long War
Understanding the stakes and strategy in Iraq.

By Pete Hegseth
February 26, 2008

Baghdad, Iraq — The Democratic leadership in Congress haven’t got their facts straight on Iraq. They continue in failing to account for the surge’s dramatic success here, and persist in using a public rhetoric stubbornly suited to conditions in the past. This week, Democrats will bring two bills to the Senate floor whose aim is to immediately redeploy U.S. troops out of Iraq under the mistaken notion that doing so will serve our broader (and presumably, legitimate) fight against al-Qaeda. If success against al-Qaeda is the goal, Senators Russell Feingold, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama need to catch up on their reading and acquire all the relevant facts. I know two important books that are a good place to start.

While traveling to Baghdad, I had plenty of downtime to re-read large portions of House to House, Staff Sergeant David Bellavia’s memoir of urban combat in Fallujah, and the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual authored by General David Petraeus and (new Vets for Freedom board member) Lieutenant Colonel John Nagl. The two books highlight fundamental aspects of the Iraq war today — and are must-reads for anyone who wants to understand the enemy we face and the strategy we’re currently employing against them, with great success.

Congressional Medal of Honor nominee David Bellavia’s first-person account of deadly hand-to-hand combat in Iraq paints a realistic and detailed picture of the enemy he faced in Fallujah — what he called “an insurgent global all-star team” that included “Chechen snipers, Filipino machine gunners, Pakistani mortar men, and Saudi suicide bombers.” The insurgents were not ordinary Iraqis fighting for their freedom against an invading power — but international Islamic militants supported by al-Qaeda. “They seek not only to destroy us here in Iraq, but to destroy American power and influence everywhere. They revile our culture and want it swept clear, replaced with Sharia law.” If only certain U.S. Senators truly understood the global nature of our vicious enemy in Iraq.

The second book outlines the military doctrine behind our counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq — and is a testament to military adaptation and leadership. In the military theater, Petraeus’s manual calls for “securing and controlling the local populace,” but also for “providing essential services” and “supporting government reforms and reconstruction projects” — all of which requires “a high ratio of security forces to the protected population” (i.e., enough troops). Meanwhile, on the home front, the manual warns that “protracted counterinsurgency operations are hard to sustain. The effort requires a firm political will and substantial patience by the government, its people, and the countries providing support.” In light of today’s Senate fights, these words are painfully prescient.

The extent to which our military and government can internalize and implement the lessons these books provide will determine whether or not we succeed in Iraq and in the broader war on terror. On this score, the Democratic leadership in Congress doesn’t seem to have done their homework.

Later today, Senators Feingold and Reid will introduce two bills whose ostensible goal is to force the administration to “re-focus on our top national-security threat — al-Qaeda and its affiliates.” Senator Obama — the Democrats’ leading man — will vote “yes” on both bills.

The first bill would mandate that national-security leaders create “a comprehensive strategy to combat and defeat al Qaeda globally.” An excellent idea: We all want to defeat al-Qaeda wherever they exist — Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, everywhere. America needs a more comprehensive military, political, and cultural strategy to deal with modern Islamic radicalism, which promises to be a Long War (as Maj. Gen. John Batiste and I have argued in the Washington Post).

But it’s not 2003 anymore. Given the fact that today we are facing a determined al-Qaeda effort to destabilize Iraq, wouldn’t any rational person include Iraq in their list of places where al-Qaeda must be defeated? Not Obama, Feingold, and Reid, who believe “we need to safely [i.e., immediately] redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq.” Whatever misgivings these senators may have felt about the invasion of Iraq in the first place, today we are there. And so is al-Qaeda. Any “strategy to combat and defeat al Qaeda globally” must begin there.

The second bill entails an immediate timeline for troop withdrawal, regardless of conditions on the ground. The supporting evidence for this approach is thin — “the key to ending [the violence] is political reconciliation, not a huge U.S. troop presence.” When Senate Democrats refuse to recognize the gains we’ve already made, it’s impossible for them to understand the way counterinsurgency warfare develops.

Contrary to Senator Obama’s assertion that Sunni sheiks in Anbar Province rose up against al-Qaeda because of the Democrats’ midterm election victory (yes, he actually said that), the reason for the “Sunni Awakening” was a commitment of troops in patrol bases throughout Ramadi (reported first by Wade Zirkle and Sgt. Bellavia in July of 2006 — months before the midterm elections), followed by an increase in troops and sustained commitment throughout Anbar and Iraq in 2007.

In fact, the recipe for success in Iraq can be found in the pages of the manual authored by the general commanding Baghdad today. We’ve committed more troops, protected the population, and helped restore basic services. The result: local and national political reconciliation that eventually means a quicker redeployment of U.S. forces and a more stable and friendly Iraqi state.

We should all want this. But immediate withdrawal would mean the former (redeployment), without the latter (stability) — leaving behind a failed and bitter Iraqi state, vulnerable to coercion from outside groups, and ripe for radicalization. Read the manual, it’s all there.

For Obama, Feingold, and Reid to support such dangerous legislation requires a “willing suspension of disbelief” that ignores facts on the ground, and the progress the surge has enabled. They continue to sing off of last year’s song sheet.

As for “victory” in Iraq, which most Democratic senators (and even some Republicans) callously dismiss, I once again cite the Counterinsurgency Field Manual: “Victory [in any counterinsurgency] is achieved when the populace consents to the government’s legitimacy and stops actively and passively supporting the insurgency.”

I’ll leave it to you to decide where passive support for al-Qaeda still persists.

— Captain Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006, is executive director of Vets for Freedom. He's back in Iraq for the next week to cover the surge for NRO.

Fewer Bodies on the Ground
If peace flowers in Iraq, but no one's there to report on it, is it still news?
By Pete Hegseth
February 24, 2008

American Air Base, Kuwait — On September 30, I wrote a piece for National Review Online called “The Sounds of Silence” which pointed out that the mainstream media’s coverage of events in Iraq had dropped off significantly.

There were two possible reasons for this lull. First, General David Petraeus had delivered his long-awaited testimony before Congress two weeks earlier, earning 24-hour news coverage for days. Following this, news outlets were eager to move to another topic — Iraq fatigue may have set in.

The second and more likely reason for this silence was that the news out of Iraq in the weeks following Petraeus’s report was largely positive. And in war coverage, as on the local news, if it bleeds, it leads. Explosions and killings drive headlines; safety and success aren’t newsworthy — or, at best, show up on page A17.

The second scenario was the more likely because, had the explosions and killings continued — had events on the ground put the lie to Petraeus’s positive testimony about progress in Iraq — the media would have been quick to seize on the contradiction. “General Betray-Us” would have been his title in the news section of the New York Times, not just in the paid advertising on its pages.

Yes, there was “Iraq fatigue” in the media following his report, but it’s hard to believe the New York Times would not have mustered the strength to report a resurgence by al-Qaeda or failures by American forces, had those occurred.

For quite some time, the mainstream media trumpeted the narrative of inevitable defeat in Iraq. General Petraeus’s testimony — and the facts it outlined — disrupted this narrative. Facing an acute case of “writer’s block,” the storyteller refused to change his story, and instead, fell silent.

As dishonest as this silence is, it’s still better than the public statements of the Democratic leadership in Congress, who persist in spreading the false narrative of inevitable defeat in Iraq. Senator Harry Reid, for instance, continues to poison public opinion with inaccurate descriptions of al-Qaeda’s growing strength — months after the surge’s success had become widely reported and recognized. Apparently, Reid never got the memo.

The relative media silence I noted in September continued — and intensified — throughout October and November. As the good news from Iraq increased (American combat deaths down, and overall violence plummeting) the corresponding news coverage from Iraq decreased. How, could this be? It couldn’t all be media bias, could it?

Well, as I sit here in Kuwait, waiting for a flight to Baghdad, I’ve been chewing the fat with two sergeants from the Army’s Public Affairs Office (PAO). And early in our conversation, one of them remarked, “the flow of journalists coming through here has been a bit slow lately.” So I asked what the flow has looked like over the past year.

He pulled up the statistics, and sure enough, they tell a story. There was a significant increase of journalists headed to Iraq in late August 2007, reaching an apex in early September. Following the Petraeus hearings, there was a sharp decline — over 65 percent — in the number journalists making the trip from Kuwait into Iraq in late September, October, and November. Then the numbers climbed back up in December and January.

These numbers aren’t definitive, because most of the major outlets have a Baghdad bureau and send reporters directly to Baghdad, rather than through Kuwait. However, the likes of Fox News Channel, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and Atlanta-Journal Constitution have all come through the PAO in Kuwait. These sergeants have their finger on the pulse of media interest in Iraq. And that interest is weakening, even as our prognosis for success improves.

If there’s no one there to cover the progress we’re making in Iraq, how will it reach the American people?

The media, en masse, will cover major events like General Petraeus’s testimony in September, and historic benchmarks like the one-year anniversary of the surge. But this is only periodic coverage; bombings and attacks win consistent coverage. Even in our interconnected world, without a body on the ground to report on the slow, steady, mundane progress we’re making, good news won’t make the news. Only dead bodies on the ground are front-page material.

Not a groundbreaking revelation, but a relevant one. The motto of the PAO section here in Kuwait is “Public Opinion Wins War” — and they’re mostly right. Soldiers and Marines on the front lines win wars, but they can’t do so without the support of their fellow citizens. To maintain that support, they need someone to tell their story.

NR editor Rich Lowry helped do just that in his recent report from Hamada. Now I hope to hitch a ride to Baghdad in a few hours, to do my part.

— Captain Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006, is executive director of Vets for Freedom. He's back in Iraq for the next week to cover the surge for NRO.

Golden Moments - Back in Iraq
by Pete Hegseth
February 22, 2008

Vets for Freedom members:
Tonight I leave for Iraq, where I will be reporting-first hand-on the progress there. I will be in Baghdad at FOB Falcon, the base my infantry platoon called "home" for three months in 2005. For a week, I will imbed with local infantry units, walking and driving the same streets I saw in 2005.

My goal is to report on the conditions on the ground-militarily, culturally, and politically. I will also keep a close eye on the status of Iraqi Security Forces, as well as how American units are implementing the counterinsurgency doctrine.

I will be writing for National Review Online, and will also post to the Vets for Freedom Troop Blog. My first piece-marking today's two- year anniversary of the Golden Mosque bombing in Samarra-is already up on NRO. Click here to read it, or see the text below.

General Petraeus and our fellow troops have made incredible progress in Iraq, and this trip is just one small part of trying to get the word out. The main effort-our National Heroes Tour and Vets on the Hill-is still to come...don't miss your chance to be a part of it.

Moving Out to Draw Fire,

Pete Hegseth
Executive Director
Vets for Freedom


Golden Moments
One bombing hastened a widespread rejection of al-Qaeda.

By Pete Hegseth

Two years ago today, the city of Samarra awoke to an enormous "boom," as al-Qaeda gunmen stormed the Al Askariya Shrine and blew up it's revered golden dome. With one barbaric act, the "Golden Mosque" was destroyed, along with its sectarian tradition.

Al-Qaeda perpetrated the bombing - on a universally revered Shiite mosque in a Sunni town - to stoke sectarian hatred and incite reprisals. Their twisted scheme worked; and within hours, violence spread throughout Iraq. On February 22, 2006, an already fragile Iraq burst at the seams.

Shia militias exploited the event to target Sunni mosques, and sic their death squads on Sunni innocents. Al-Qaeda, posing as defenders of Sunnis (and the faith?), retaliated with attacks on Shia groups, killing thousands of innocents with suicide bombers. Full-fledged civil war ensued.

Ill prepared, both strategically and tactically, the American military had no comprehensive plan to stem the violence. The mosque bombing, more than any other event during my time in Iraq, underscored this fact.

I was one of four Americans in the Samarra mayor's office the night of the bombing, as city leaders, elders, and religious leaders gathered to discuss the tragic event. City leaders came prepared to reach out in cooperation, knowing full well that such an egregious offense against Islam - perpetrated by al-Qaeda criminals - could be a unifying event in all-Sunni Samarra.

Caught off guard by this approach, the American leadership in the room stubbornly continued to insist on "finding the bad guys." Oh, the missed opportunity.

In that office, and in the months to come throughout Iraq, unconventional and asymmetrical warfare proved too much for America's conventional "kill and capture" approach. The insurgency used human bombs and chopped off heads, while the American military continued to hunker down on large bases, deploying only for large-scale maneuvers that netted few insurgents.

The violence, and the environment that allowed it, persisted well beyond my time in Baghdad and Samarra, and by early 2007, Iraq was on the brink of total collapse. American casualties were at near-record levels, dozens of disfigured Iraqi bodies appeared on the streets of Baghdad every morning, and substantial political progress - locally and nationally - was almost nonexistent.

Two years later - recalling that time, everything from the terror on people's faces, to the scent in the air - the lessons we learned then are lessons we must remember now, on the second anniversary of the attack.

The bombing of the Golden Mosque brought down the dome of an ancient shrine but, in a twisted way, it also hastened a widespread rejection of al-Qaeda that ultimately led to the lowering of barriers between the U.S. and local leaders, thus providing the building blocks of our current progress in Iraq. The seeds of success are sometimes sown in the darkest moments.

The counterinsurgency strategy we are using with great success in Iraq today should have been implemented from the beginning of the war - or at least by 2006. Doing so would have saved countless American and Iraqi lives.

That said, the Samarra mosque bombing fully exposed the ugly underbelly of al-Qaeda and radical Shia militias to the Iraqi people, providing a frightening glimpse into what a fanatical post-American regime might look like. Saddam was ruthless, but al-Qaeda is soulless.

This post-bombing realization - combined with General Petraeus's counterinsurgency strategy and an additional 30,000 troops - created a dynamic on the ground that changed the war. The Iraqi people stood up against violent extremists, and the Americans were finally able to support them by substantively improving conditions at the street level.

This combination has proved lethal for al-Qaeda, as well as radical Shia elements, namely Moqtada Al Sadr who today extended his ceasefire for another six months, more out of weakness than strategic value - his top lieutenants and militia leaders are dead.

Over the past year, violent attacks throughout Iraq are down over 65 percent, sectarian violence is down over 90 percent, Iraqi security forces are truly taking the lead in operations, and - thank God - American casualties are near all-time lows.

These dramatic security improvements have - as intended - created an environment in which Iraqi political leaders can reconcile. The result: De-Baathification law - passed. Provincial election law - passed. Amnesty law - passed. $50 billion budget - passed. With much more in the pipeline.

More importantly, at the local level, Iraqis have banded together to protect their neighborhoods and start the process of truly rebuilding Iraq. Markets are flourishing, shops have reopened, and in former al-Qaeda strongholds, girls are going back to school.

This is the story of Iraq two years after the Samarra bombing.

2006 was the year of al-Qaeda and civil war, 2007 the year of America's "re-liberation" of Iraq, and 2008 promises to be the year of Iraqi progress. Make no mistake about it, there will be more setbacks - some dramatic - but a continued American commitment in Iraq has incredible potential.

But don't just take my word for it today. For the next ten days I will be back in Iraq to cover these developments firsthand. I will walk the same streets I walked as an infantry platoon leader in 2005, and will report back on National Review Online. Stay tuned.

Pete Hegseth, who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006, is executive director of Vets for Freedom.

My son Dan was talking to the Marine recruiters at his high school and was fascinated. My husband and I were very scared of the military and so Dan agreed to wait until he had finished his first year of college to go to Parris Island. He did well at boot camp and signed up to be a Reservist, finish college and be an officer when he graduated. But his heart was no longer in school - all he could talk about was the Marines so he dropped out of school, came home and attended a local community college part-time while he was in the Reserves. He kept begging the Marines to let him join full-time but he had signed his name on the dotted line to become an officer after completing college. The Marines finally gave him an honorable discharge if he joined another branch of the military. Within a week, he joined the Army full-time and was sent to a base in California after completing advanced training. He joined the Army Reserves when he returned home.

Dan went on to serve several tours of duty in the Middle East. He is now in Iraq on his third tour and will retire in three years with 20 years of service. His first tour was especially difficult in 2003 when the Military was first entering Iraq and he was stationed in Kuwait. My husband had recently been diagnosed with cancer but he assured Dan that he would be fine. Needless to say, the cancer got worse and Dan was called home by the Red Cross a few months later to visit with his father for a few days before he died. I have no other family here in South Carolina (Dan's older brother lives in Delaware with his wife and children) so Dan was given an early discharge to help me.

A year and a half later the Army called again and Dan went to Afghanistan for 14 months. Last May he left for additional training in Wisconsin and has been in Iraq since August. He is due home in late May or early June.

I am very proud of Dan and his accomplishments. He wants to go back to college - he finished an AA degree at Greenville Tech in diesel mechanics - but he wants to transfer some additional math and science courses to Clemson when he returns home.

The Blue Star Mothers have been a wonderful resource for me since I have so few family members or friends who have children in the military. The incidents in Berkeley and Toledo are infuriating to me also. I was born in Sacramento and my father was in WW II stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. I have two brothers living in San Jose (near San Francisco) and a sister in Sacramento. The liberal anti-war fever in northern California is awful and I will never live in that area though I visit about once a year. Fortunately my siblings support Dan in his military career and one brother is a VP at one of Lockheed-Martin's military facilities in the Bay area so he knows the military well.

Bea - Dan's mom

This story reminded me of my proud days in Green. It also helped me to remember how hard my recruiter worked to get me prepared, tested and signed up for the military job I was interested in.

The Army didn't want me as a 95B (Military Police) because my past, well, had some color to it. I insisted and so my recruiter did as well. I completed the Military Police School @ Ft. McClellan in Anniston, Alabama in 1982.

My uncle, Sam they called him, must have not appreciated it because he sent a motley crew bent on making me regret my decision. But I made it through much in part to a letter of encouragement from my recruiter about midway through. One of only three letters I received during the whole of my Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (MP School).

How much I have to be thankful for. I had been on the wrong road at nearly top speed. The Army changed my life.

I never did meet uncle Sam face to face but heard him mentioned regularly for the next 8 years To my shame, I don't remember my recruiters name.

Jeff

We hear about it on the news every day, occurring in some far off place filled with daily horrors that people from our own country have chosen to face. No, I’m not talking about OJ Simpson’s house; I’m talking about the War in Iraq. However, the situation there is ANYTHING but funny. People are killed in the line of service every day in this middle eastern country, protecting the lives of its citizens in the hope of restoring order and peace. Each day, improvised explosive devices wreak havoc on our convoys, insurgents suicide bomb mosques and U.S. bases, and in general turn this country into a literal living hell. Though even with all of this seemingly unbearable conflict, people who took refuge because of conflict in their hometown, such as Baghdad, are now returning to their homes. Why do people return to this nightmarish situation after seeking safe refuge? The answer is easy: because of the kindness and support our troops exert onto a country in conflict. And likewise, we must support them as well.

To fully appreciate why people are returning to cities in Iraq, we must look at the situation beforehand which caused them to evacuate in the first place. During Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, his “subjugates” were forced into a life of absolute misery. If a member of your family disagreed with the decisions of the dictator’s Baath party, he or she would be dragged off and lynched in front of the entire town to show that intolerance is not acceptable, then slowly kill off the remaining family members. On that note, females were not allowed to even show their faces in public, much less vote, which was not standard for anybody in the country. In addition to the public murders and civil inadequacies, there have been hundreds of mass grave sites found across the Iraqi desert, where thousands of people met their deaths at the hands of Saddam’s military force. If you weren’t lucky enough to be killed by the machine gunners, though, don’t have any doubts about your death: you would endure the slow painful death of being buried under several tons of dirt and slowly suffocating to death as the bulldozers cover the lifeless bodies of your family and loved ones. This speech would take several hours if I were to explain how absolutely disgusting that dictatorship was in a small amount of detail, but for now, let’s fast forward to the modern day. The United States military patrols almost every corner of Iraq now, and despite the IEDs and suicide bombers, it is far more peaceful than before liberation. Presently, if an Iraqi woman wishes to show her face in public, she can now do so without the fear of execution, and all citizens can vote to establish any leader in their society which they feels will represent their interests best, and already have demonstrated a great willingness to vote in the last Iraq election. Overall, the Iraqi people have been exercising their new freedoms and the vast majority is pleased with the new government.

So the job is done, right? So we can pull out our troops, right? WRONG. As many have stated before, such as Eric Hydrick, “U.S. troops need to stay in Iraq until job is complete.” The job is not done, as Iraq does not currently have a sustainable military and police force trained for service yet. Coalition forces are currently working on training Iraqi troops and bringing them into battles, but their training and preparation is not complete. In addition, we cannot leave Iraq at the current time, as it is on the brink of a civil war between the Sunni and Shiite factions of the Islamic religion. Until this situation stabilizes and the Iraqi government can hold its own against insurgents and groups such as Al-Qaida, the newly formed Iraqi government and military force needs our help to maintain stability in the region.

There also remains the issue of negativity towards our troops who are valiantly serving our country, giving their lives to the preservation of freedom not only in our own country, but in others as well. Most simply view military personnel as people from our country who have gone to a far off place to fight in a war that they may or may not support. This viewpoint would be fine if it were not for the small percentage of U.S. citizens who ostracize the troops for their actions, taking a similar stance to that of the war in Vietnam, disrespecting our military in general with phrases such as, “murderers,” “baby killers,” and the like. It is absolutely incredible to me how people can show such inconsideration for those who are risking everything for countries that they have never even visited before! Furthermore, a group exists called “Families United,” which is a conglomeration of families who have banded together after their child or children have joined the armed services or even been killed in combat. I have met several of these families, and what they had to share with me was absolutely amazing. Despite all of the stories that we hear about on the news about our soldiers murdering innocent Iraqis for no reason, the ones I heard of from there committed no such deeds. Not only that, but the last phone call or letter that many of those soldiers’ parents received was simply asking for more boxes of crayons or colored pencils and drawing paper, as the Iraqi children, quote, “Loved to make art!” When not focused on commands from their officers, these men and women were asking their families to ship out simple items for these children to give them something fun in such a hard time. They were thinking of others, putting their own desires far out of the picture. Two parents who had lost their son also made a trip back to Iraq to visit some of the Iraqi residents there. When they arrived, they were welcomed into a woman’s house who greeted them with phrases such as, “God bless America,” and “God Bless President Bush,” but when they were inside she showed them a picture of her family, being her husband and children. They had all been killed by insurgents, just like their soldier son. The couple from Families United showed the woman their son’s picture on a card stating who he was, when he died, and other information and the Iraqi woman took the card from them, placed it in the same picture frame as her family, and said, “Your son is now my son too.” These are the types of positive, supportive and powerful stories that never make it to the news, being too focused on the negative aspects of our military presence in the middle east. We never hear about the soldiers who died only after telling their families to send out crafts for the Iraqi children to create. We never hear about the woman who thanked a soldier’s family and included their son in her own children. We never hear about the massive amounts of armed forces in Iraq whose missions have been diverted to providing humanitarian support for citizens in the country. All we are told about is death, killing, and alleged murders.

However, I am here making this speech to inform you that our troops are NOT baby killers, that they are not murderers, and that they are not mindless savages. These people, with families like you and me, are quite the opposite. They all know the risk of entering service, and will die for the United States and even will die for the freedom of other countries as well. Because of their sacrifices, we MUST at least be capable of honoring them and their mission, right? Every person in this country, whether they be Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Liberal, must understand that our troops need moral support from all of us, and that we must focus on the positive aspect of this war, rather than degrade the image of our military personnel. Whether it may just be standing up for the pledge of allegiance or giving a speech like mine, I ask you to please do at least one thing: Come to the realization that you are an American, and our soldiers are as well.


Speech written by David Moore (10th grade Speech & Debate team)
La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad, CA 92009

Our National Anthem in Iraq
For those of us who are unaware, at a military theater, the National Anthem is played before every movie.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From a Chaplain in Iraq:

I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3," here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped
to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature.

All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem the music stopped. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of
course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand
at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped.

What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start.

But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, Then a dozen, and quickly
the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:

"And the rockets red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

Remember them as they fight for you! Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and
abroad.. For many have already paid the ultimate price......

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins on 5/14/07 LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Bagdad.

On November 21 the Ron Griffin families met at Ft. Benning to celebrating the graduation of Kyle Griffin from Boot Camp. East Coast Ron (ECR) from New Jersey came to remember when his son graduated and West Coast Ron (WCR) from California came to celebrate his son's graduation. As part of this celebration, a new bond was also forged - the bond of our families with Ft. Benning. We were there in support of all the families who had sons graduating and in support of their very special heros. Families United will be making an effort to reach out to each boot camp graduation at Ft. Benning, and as we learn from this experience, we will work to reach out to each boot camp graduation across this country. These are the heros. They know the risks, they know they'll be going to war, yet they selflessly raise their hand and say "send me".

Here is the report from the graduation on November 21, Ft. Benning, Georgia. 2-54. With permission from WTVM 9 news, Columbua, GA.

Thanksgiving was spent with family and friends and remembering our heroes, those fallen, those serving and those who have served. I opened the following video this morning and it says all that I would say to you today. Merrilee, Shrek's mom

A Thanksgiving Message presented by The Military Support Group

Caribou Coffee
Highway 610 and Zane Avenue, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
(763) 488-1506

November 26 to December 1, 2007
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Bring a friend and enjoy Christmas music from Glen Miller and the band of the AAF Training Command!"

Purchase a pound of fresh Caribou Coffee Beans and donate it to our local Minnesota Troops and you will get a free drink! Our Service representatives will deliver it to them. Help bring a cup of cheer and a little bit of home to those serving."

Please go direct to the link to check out this amazing story by Michael Yon.

A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from “Chosen” Company 2-12 Infantry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John’s, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope.

The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. ” Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers...

Please use the Link above to be taken directly to the Tribute. Turn your volume on for the music.

Thank you, Gary, for this moving tribute to our Veterans.

Website of the tributes is: Connection Pointe Military Support Group

November 12, 2007

For the past 6 years, Golden Corral has been honoring the US Military with a free “thank you” dinner and beverage at any Golden Corral restaurant on Military Appreciation Monday (first Monday after Veteran’s Day). This year, Golden Corral has designated Monday, November 12, 2007, from 5 to 9 pm, to honor any person who has ever served in the United States Military.

From the first Military Appreciation Monday in 2001 to the present, Golden Corral has donated 1.5 million free “thank you” meals and $1.9 million dollars to the Disabled American Veterans.

Between November 1 and November 12, 2007, the Disabled American Veterans Organization will accept contributions to be used in the local and state DAV chapters

A Pensacola Hero and His Family Who Survived Pearl Harbor
by Nelson O. Ottenhausen, President, Patriot Media, Inc.

December 7, 2007 marks the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, an attack that started World War II. Ninety-five-year-old Joseph C. Engel, his wife Angie of 70 years and their first child Joe Jr. survived that fateful Sunday sixty-six years ago and the events of his survival as he recalls them are written in his autobiography, Flight of the Silver Eagle.

“After leaving church we could see the bombing and strafing of our hangers. The Marine at the main gate shouted, ‘You’re not going to bring your family in here, can’t you see we’re under attack?’ I told Angie to go to the beach and stay there until it was over. She took the car, went to our quarters on base to get some blankets and food before going to the beach and I headed for the hanger. On the way down, I was intercepted by an officer and told to report to the armory. I was provided a .30 caliber rifle, ammunition and a 1918 vintage helmet.”

Joe survived the attack, but many of his fellow sailors were either wounded or killed. He tells how the sailors dyed their white uniforms in coffee to make them brown so as not to be conspicuous from the air and how he helped find and rescue other survivors.

“Before going to sleep that night I said, ‘We have a lot of our Fleet and Army Air Force at Pearl and we will surely retaliate in the morning.’ Little did I know the status of these units.”

For three weeks, Joe was on constant flight patrol and had no contact with his wife and child. When he returned to his family, Joe immediately sent them back to the United States by air fearing a submarine attack on shipping.

Joe Engel started his military career by enlisting in the Navy in 1931 and in 1937 took his flight training as a Chief Petty Officer. After receiving his wings, his assignments took him throughout the world and during his time while on active duty, he flew over two-dozen types of aircraft. Two of the aircraft actually flown by Joe, a F8F-2P Grumman Bearcat Fleet Photo Trainer and a R4D-8 Douglas Twin Engine Transport, are now on display at the Naval Air Station Museum, Pensacola, Florida.

He is a founding member of the Silver Eagle Association an organization of Naval Aviation Pilots (NAP), enlisted men trained to fly prior to and during World War II. A little over 5000 enlisted men were awarded the Navy pilot’s golden wings during this period and in 1947, the US Congress discontinued this flight-training program.

Like many of the enlisted flying veterans of World War II, CPO Engel stayed on in the Navy eventually becoming a commissioned officer and served until the war ended then continued on to serve in Korea and other areas of military service. He retired from the Navy in 1961 at the rank of Commander. Among his awards and significant achievements while in service are three Distinguished Service Crosses and six Air Medals.

Joe Engel and his wife Angie now live in Pensacola, Florida where they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on February 6, 2007. The day of their anniversary, they received a letter personally signed by Vice President of the United Sates Dick Cheney congratulating them on 70 years of marriage and wishing them well.

When asked how he and his wife were able to stay together for so long during the many hardship separations, he said, “Angie’s love and commitment along with our faith kept us together. The tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil and wine is what has kept us alive.”

In 2004, Joe and Angie survived Hurricane Ivan but lost the home they lived in for forty years and had to live with one of their four sons for a while. Joe was able to save his flight logs, a computer, the original manuscript of his autobiography and a few other items before the storm hit. He later wrote, “We were able to survive the Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II and Ivan. It’s part of our journey.”

Joe Engel and men like him who survived Pearl Harbor and then went on to fight in World War II are heroes of the first magnitude. Thank you for your service and God bless you.

Commander Engel’s autobiography, Flight of the Silver Eagle is available at www.patriotmediainc.com

An editorial for Veteran’s Day by Mr. John Lemon, SMSgt USAFR (Ret.)

A couple of years ago, I met an elderly gentleman who seemed to be lost and I stopped to help him. What I received in return was a wonderful life story of a man who had lived his life to the fullest. His name was Bud Williams. He was born and raised in Fillmore, Utah. He was raised on a farm in the 1920's. When the great depression hit, he like so many others took off to find work. He told me stories about traveling in boxcars that were crowded with men looking for work to survive. He said he worked on cattle ranches in Nevada, and the shipping docks in Long Beach, California. When he found work in Idaho, he said that the crop dusters were just appearing on the scene.

He learned to fly one of those new machines called an airplane. Then he decided to join the army. When they found out he could fly he got a posting as a flight instructor. He found himself in Hawaii at Hickam Field. He said he was learning to fly the new P-40's that had just arrived there. That was in the days of the post-WWI army. They were afraid the Japanese who lived on the Island would try to sabotage the planes. Therefore, they parked them close together. They wanted them wingtip to wingtip so that they looked good in formation when the brass came around to inspect them. Well, we all know what happened when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. Those pretty formations merely acted as dominoes and every plane was destroyed.

Before Pearl Harbor, however, he got transferred to Clark Field in the Philippines to help train on their planes there. That was in 1939. However, the brass didn't want their planes moved. So they took one out to Cavite Point to practice their flight maneuvers, touch and goes, and so forth. Well he was there when the Japanese attacked the Philippines on December 8, 12 hours after Pearl Harbor. He was whisked away in the cover of darkness with McArthur's entourage to Australia. From there he made it back to Washington to testify in the Senate about the operations fiasco at Clark Field and Corrigador Island.

After that, he went to Randolph Field in Texas to train but then they transferred him eventually to the 101st Airborne to prepare for the landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. He jumped with his guys and they were able to gain control of a junction where they cornered the Germans so they couldn't attack the troops who were landing down on the beach. He said they were able to get some artillery and fire on the Germans and kept them hunkered down until the rest caught up to them. He told me about the Battle of the Bulge and how the Germans shot those American prisoners in the field and burned them in a barn. Later, he said they captured some of the German SS who were responsible. They were trained killers he said. So they shot them like the dogs they were. He said the regular German soldier was all right, but he had no use for the SS.

He told me how he helped liberate one of the death camps. He couldn't remember the name. He said that he had to make a report and as he was writing, he began to cry. He said he cried so hard that the tears made his report almost illegible.

Later he went home and was driving truck. He said an officer came up to him and asked why he didn't read his mail. He come to find out that the army had sent his mail to his home in Kanosh, Utah and his step-mother had burned it all. She was against him joining the army in the first place for WWII and she wasn't going to let him go back in for the Korean War. Well, the officer gave him five days to get his affairs in order and report for duty in San Francisco. He did. He thought he might get a desk job in Washington, DC. However, they told him to think about it while he was on the ship bound for Korea. He helped rescue the troops who were held down at the Battle of Chosun Reservoir, known as the “Frozen Chosun.” When he returned from Korea, he got out. They wanted to recall him for Vietnam but he'd had enough. He resigned his commission and called it quits. He'd been in since he was 16 and he figured he was too old at almost 40 years old to go to Vietnam.

He went to the University of Utah and got his degree. He worked and lived in Bountiful from 1956 on. I'm not sure what he did but he eventually got married. He lost his wife a few years ago so he's alone now. He wanted to move to Hurricane to get out of the cold weather. When I met him, he was looking for an address for a house for sale.

I asked him if he had written his stories down. He said he had. But his daughter or granddaughter didn't believe his stories and tossed the papers. When he said that, he reminded me of all of the old WWII vets I have worked with in the American Legion. Dave Young, was also at the Battle of the Bulge and liberated Death Camps. Doyle Smith was in the North Africa and Italy Campaigns. There was Jim Carroll, who was at the Battles for Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Philippines. Glade Horner was at the Battle for Okinawa. Rex Barrett flew B-17’s over Europe and Brother Stew flew B-24’s over Ploesti, Romania. There were others I knew while I was growing up in Tridell, Utah. Mr. Pratt, my fifth grade school teacher, was on the Bataan Death March. Hallie Hobbs used to work for my Uncle Rae Goodrich. He suffered shell shock so bad we had to get his attention before we talked to him. We learned never to sneak up on him. There are others whose stories are just as important but too numerous to list in this editorial.

Most of these guys, when they came home, tried to tell people what they had seen and done in the war. Most of their friends and family thought they were "damned liars," so they shut up and stopped talking about their experiences. When I came along and joined the American Legion, I had a chance to talk to many of these veterans. They told me that for the first time in many, many years, they found someone who knew how they felt. Who understood what they had gone through and who didn't call them "damned liars!"

We're losing these men now as they are getting up in years. With their passing, we are losing a treasure of stories. Some of them have, like Bud written them down. Most haven't. They say it does no good to dredge up the past. We should just let sleeping dogs lie. That's too bad because many of these men have stories of bravery, of laughter and tears, and somehow in spite of it all they survived when many of their comrades in arms didn't. Once they pass so will their stories and the world will be made severely impoverished by the loss. On this Veteran’s Day let’s make it point to listen to the stories of those who have served their country in the military. While we are losing the WWII vets every day, let’s not forget those who served in the Korean War, The Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, and the Middle East. Let’s help them write these down so that this important treasure isn’t lost forever.

Printed with permission of John Lemon

Our youngest son is currently stationed in Iraq and has lost several of his friends. He has wrote this poem to express how he feels and we wanted to share it with you.
Trina Amburgey, Blue Star Mom of Spc. Matthew Amburgey with 2nd Brigade, 4-31 Inf 10th Mountain Division


If I ever go to war Mom, Please don't be afraid.
There are some things I must do, To keep the promise that I made.
I'm sure there will be some heartache, And I know that you'll cry tears,
But your son is a Soldier now, Mom, There is nothing you should fear.

If I ever go to war Dad, I know that you'll be strong.
But you won't have to worry, Cause you taught me right from wrong.
You kept me firmly on the ground, yet still taught me how to fly.
Your son is a Soldier now Dad, I love you Hooah, Even if I die.

If I ever go to war Bro, There are some things I want to say.
You've always had my back, and I know it's my time to repay.
You'll always be my daybreak, through all of life's dark clouds,
Your brother is a Soldier now, Bro, I promise I'll make you proud.

If I ever go to war Sis, don't you worry bout me,
I always looked out for you, but I can't do that anymore,
Cause I'm a big bro to all in America.
I love you so much and you know that, Your brother is a soldier now Sis,
So wipe your eyes, I'll be fine even if I die.

If I ever go to war my Friends, We'll never be apart,
Though we may not meet again, I'll hold you in my heart.
Remember all the times we had, Don't let your memories cease,
Your friend is a Soldier now, Dear Friend, And I'll die to bring you peace.

And when I go to heaven, And see that pearly gate,
I'll gladly decline entrance, Then stand my post and wait.
I'm sorry Sir I can't come in, I'm sort of in a bind,
You see I'm still a Soldier Sir, So I can't leave them behind.

Iraqi soldiers donate $1,000 for wildfire aid

From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau

The Iraqi leadership at a military camp east of Baghdad gave the U.S. military a $1,000 check last week to aid victims of California's wildfires, the U.S. military said.

"In the months I've been here, I have never been so moved," Army Col. Darel Maxfield, the senior U.S. military official at Camp Besmaya, said in an e-mail.

The money was collected from Iraqi officers and enlisted soldiers at Besmaya.

Many of the Marines at that camp are from Camp Pendleton, a U.S. Marine Corps base about 38 miles north of downtown San Diego, California, he said.

Many of the worst fires have been in San Diego County, including the Witch and Harris fires.

Maxfield said the Iraqi leadership at the camp called a meeting Thursday evening to gather Iraqi soldiers and U.S.-led coalition members. The Iraqi commander there gave a short speech, thanking all his "American brothers" for their role in Iraq.

Read the entire story here...

I am SO proud of Families United Members who stood against this so-called "Code Pink." God bless you all!

I am a Vietnam veteran and now retired/disabled soldier. I know I, as a veteran, deeply appreciate your commitment and courage. I wish it would have been there for my generation. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Again, God bless you and your efforts. You are to be applauded.

Sincerely,
Rev. Frank
US Army, SFC (Ret.)

Click here to see story by Move America Forward

I received this email today in response to the July Newsletter encouraging our members to speak out...Perhaps this is what is in your heart as well...

Hi Merilee,

I am not a veteran of any war - however... my Dad and his brother, cousins, friends... were. I am also in support of not the war- but what must be completed to keep peace. I have been a registered Republican all my life and while I have been upset by how the Legislators have acted - I am in total support of the President.

I feel he is endeavoring to keep future attacks like the one that occurred on 9/11 off of our shores - out of our country. I feel he is placing himself in the way - becoming a lightning rod if you will - for our country. He is a very selfless person and with his time in office dwindling - he wants to make sure that the military does not take any heat for this war. Again... a very selfless act.

When I hear military - on the front - in the line of fire telling the people of the US that it would be the wrong thing to do - to bring our troops home - I have to support that. The media - quoting anyone but the troops serving or the President holds no weight with me.

I had been listening to a soldier, some time ago - being interviewed on NPR - who said he never watches the news anymore. When asked why - he said because it was so negative. He never had problems with people assaulting him, or threatening him. He felt that he was sent on a mission
- and had done his best to complete the mission.

Do I think everything was handled correctly? How would I know - I'm not there. Do I like war and losing the best and the brightest of our country? No more than the President does. However... it's something I feel that must be done, otherwise we will be vulnerable to things akin to what happened on 9/11. The world is a dangerous place, and up until that date - 5 years ago - we had been living a dream - we were very, very lucky. Now that reality is here - we have to be united, focused and work together. I wonder how many terrorists - who have access to local and world wide news, computers, etc laugh at us when they see us fighting with each other. They may not be attacking us directly - but they are still very much enjoying the fruits of their labor.

But... I have to have faith - have to keep my resolve to do what I can to keep safe. So... after this very long message - for which I apologize - I just wanted you to know - that even though I am not a war vet - I will call the Senators listed - I will not falsely identify myself as a vet but will state that I do support the surge, the President and the veterans. I don't like it - but it must be supported.

Thank you for letting me rant - thank you for this information.

Sincerely,

Sandy
Massachusetts

Defend America.Mil

For The Record – Defense Link

Iraq Fact Check – Responding to Key Myths

Heroes in the War on Terror – Defense Link

Michael Yon On-Line

The Weekly Standard

Vets for Freedom

I recently attended a showing of "Spiderman 3" here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorioum we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward.

The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start.

Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Soldiers

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,

o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?


It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

Chaplain Higgins, Thank You!

To our Soldiers and Marines serving this great country around the world...Thank You for your service!

God Bless America!

June 12, 2007 with Wayne Anderson

Wayne is headed to Iraq on his own dime to report more "good" news from the war. Listen to John Hines on KTLK 100.3 FM in the morning for live updates from Wayne while he's embedded with U.S. troops.

Here is Wayne's most recent e-mail to John:

CAMP ALI AL SALEM, Kuwait-The sky disappeared in Kuwait. A moment before, the sky was blue and bright and red hot. And then it was gone. The once bright-blue dome was now a dirty sliver, and you felt covered by a coffin.

This is a desert storm. It is a fast, awesome glimpse of what a Nuclear Winter might look like. This part of the world is full of truth, present and things to come.

But all in all, all else is well with me here. And I know things will be all right in the Middle East in general, for I saw a McCafe in the Kuwait International Airport. McCafe is McDonald's in the Mideast. And where ever you see the light of the golden aches, you know modern civilization is close at hand.

Seriously, what I'm doing is heading to Iraq to see first hand what is going on. Night after night I see an Iraq on TV and in the papers through the eyes of the media. I see what they want me to see; what they feel is important to see; what is news worthy.

And what they show me is the truth. The truth is bombs are detonating. The truth is there is a power grab. The truth is terrorists are killing man, woman and child. These are all true-but they are not the "whole truth."

What is the whole truth? I can report the daily truth of lots of murder, bloodshed, violent crime and poverty in a little city called Washington DC-our nation's capital. Not too long ago it was the murder capital of America. (Today Detroit holds that distinction.)

You can broadcast facts and figures in a variety of ways to show the "truth." But when day after night this view is all that is televise then the "whole truth" is denied. And even unconsciously, it is being suppressed.

My instincts for some time told me more is happening in Iraq than bombs exploding, churches in flames and limbs ripped from children's bodies. And I had gotten no farther than Kuwait when my instinct was confirmed.

There I spoke with troops from around the world at US Army Camp Ali Al Salem, where I stayed with them just outside of beautiful Kuwait City.

"Iraq freedom and world peace," said Maj. Roh Hwan Choul, a pilot in the Republic of (South) Korea Air Force. That is what he sees. That is what he is doing in Iraq. That is why he is there. "Freedom" and "world peace."

He doesn't speak English well, but his broken words are no sound bites. He holds these things true. For what he is laying his life on the line is "good thing," he said. The major is not crazy-in fact he is the norm, said Maj. Emma Little, an Australian Army psychologist. Her job here is to mentally evaluate the Aussie troops rotating out of Iraq on their way home Down Under.

She's been in county three weeks, and in that time she's examined a couple a hundred men and women and is shocked to find how stable they are. "It's better than what I would have expected," she said. "I'm very happy with the experience."

Out of the 200 minds she's appraised for mental health so far, she said the Aussie troops are of a sound mind well into the "high 90 percent." (That may be better than the general civilian population.)

Yes, "I see what you see on TV," said Lt. Jeremiah Lane, of the US Army. "It's based on what TV shocks in stories." But for some reason, these shows are not showing the "amazing things" happening in Iraq, he said. Nations from around the world are sending troops and contractors to build schools, hospitals and other institutions of civilization."

We are leaps and bounds above the enemy," said Lt. Lane. But the enemy is the one who gets all the media attention, he said.

Drama wise it's more picturesque to show a school blowing up than one being boringly built. Children screaming and running out of a burning building makes great art destined for the front page.

True, this is what the enemy is spectacularly doing in Iraq. Do not doubt it. But if we are "leaps and bounds" above the enemy, then I suspect you and I are about to see more of the whole truth in Iraq.

Stardust Radio News
June 2007

Greetings To Past Guests & Listeners Of Our
United We Roll World Tour Show!

June of 2007 has brought an end to the school year in most school systems here in the US, a beginning to summer activities and a continuation of the War On Terror – meaning our troops, families and Vets need our support more than ever before with so many repeat and extended deployments. Jeff and I are very fortunate to be speaking with so many wonderful Americans each week who work so hard and in so many diverse ways to provide this support.

Since April 16th of this year, we have been even more blessed as we have been joined each week with a live phone call from the “Sand Box” from one of our deployed troops. The call begins at approximately 3:15pm Central time, and, weather & satellites permitting, may go until 3:45pm Central time. We invite you to take advantage of our toll free phone line to call in and thank our troops for their service to us and our country. That phone number is 877-213-4329. Of course, we invite you to listen and hear what is happening in that neck of the woods “straight from the horse’s mouth”

These great phone calls have been made possible through cooperation with DVIDS. This organization brings up to the minute news, photos, videos, audio, etc through a network of portable Ku-band satellite transmitters located in-theater and a distribution hub in Atlanta, Georgia. A visit to the website at www.DVIDSHub.net at any time of day or night is time well spent! Be sure to check out the wonderful pages of Fathers’ Day Messages while you are there! We truly appreciate our relationship with DVIDS and the way that they are making accurate, up to the minute news available to all of us!

When you think about all of the wonderful people that Jeff and I are able to speak with on a regular basis, then I guess you really could say that we feel we are “Soaring With Eagles”! People who see that an action is needed and step forward to help get it done. People who care so much about their fellow Americans that they will speak up when voices are needed to see that just and right actions are made on behalf of those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom. And our listeners!! People who care so much that they want to be informed and hear what is going on. Eagles!! People who are SILENT NO MORE!!

Of course, when you think of Eagles, you imagine that everything around them, including their nests are strong and almost fortress-like, yet clean and fresh. Well, Stardust Radio has built a new “nest” for our Eagles and it is called “Chat Star”. Never before in the history of the internet has there been a community like Chat Star, because it is built upon the best of requirements that a real community can have. It is family rated so that all participants can feel comfortable with Chat Star in their home. It is controlled and patrolled so that it will remain family rated. The basic layout is similar to that of a small community with shopping, etc. But it is the Communication Rooms that I am focusing on in this letter.

These Communication Rooms are like none you have seen and they offer so much, whether you need to get together with a few people or a few hundred people. For an organization where a meeting with charts, photos, videos and more may be needed for discussion, these rooms can handle it all and save the group members the travel time and cost to come together. Instead, you reserve your room for the meeting and you all meet through your computers. You have voice contact with the room microphone and you can also type in your questions and comments. You can have face recognition with the use of web cameras and more, and more.

These rooms are ideal for business meetings, training seminars, recognition and award meetings, family celebrations for birthdays, anniversaries and more. It is a great way for a group to get together for a reunion when travel to be in the same place is not possible. The uses are almost limitless. While there will be charges for these rooms, there are special rates and arrangements only for our Stardust Radio Alumni and military supporters/military. Please call Jeff Showalter at 319-648-3201 to arrange a tour of Chat Star and to hear about the specials we have for you.

SUMMER CHALLENGE!!! One of our United We Roll Family Members will receive a 90 day period of free usage of a Chat Star room if you qualify in our Summer Challenge. We will be tracking the number of referrals we receive from the Stardust Radio link banners on your sites, and the group with the most referrals in the months of June and July will win a 90 day period of free usage of a Chat Star room. WooHoo!!! The winner will be announced shortly after July 30th.

AND IT DOES NOT STOP THERE!!! The winning group will get to pick three military members – deployed, wounded, whatever – to also have use of a room for a family gathering. If there is no family available, we can make it a unit gathering with stateside and deployed together. Whatever it takes to bring some smiles to some troops. Vets included!

AND MORE GREAT NEWS!!! The United We Roll World Tour Show has a strong following and we see that not only with the live listening audience, but also with the numbers of people who come to the site to listen to and download taped versions of our shows. So, we have decided to give each show more air time – which also means that each of your interviews will receive three times the air power they have in the past!!! Beginning next week with the show on Tuesday, June 12th, the play schedule for United We Roll World Tour will be:

Tuesday 3pm – 5pm Central time LIVE
Thursday 7pm – 9pm Central Time TAPED
Saturday 8am – 10am Central Time TAPED

And, remember, Stardust Radio does not ask our guests for any sponsorship fees, donations or any other financial payments in order to be on our United We Roll World Tour Show. In fact, the expenses have been and are paid by one couple who prefer to remain un-named, but often have to take on odd jobs, etc., to keep this show on the air. They are so truly dedicated to our troops, to freedom of our country, to the fact that freedom is not free and that every American needs to step up and do their part. In case you have not figured it out, this couple is among my Heroes, too. Though they would never accept my saying so.

Well, that about wraps it up for this go around. I did promise on the show the other day to put a list of great news websites on the Blog and I will do that! I have not forgotten!! If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to join us on the United We Roll Blog (www.stardustradio.com – then click on United We Roll Button for our page, Then click on the Blog button) or on our Guest Book – on our main page.

As I sign off on this newsletter, I again want all of you to know how very proud I am to have had the opportunity to get to know you. Please remember to call on us anytime that we may be able to help you.

May God Bless Our Military Members Wherever They Are Stationed, Our Veterans & All Of Our Military Families, & May God Bless All Of The Caring Americans Who Stand Up To Support Those Who Defend Our Freedom & Their Loved Ones Who Miss Them So.

Judi & Jeff
United We Roll World Tour / Stardust Radio

NEW YORK - Vets for Freedom, a pro-mission veterans group dedicated to communicating America's strategy in Iraq, professes both confusion and outrage over recent comments made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Senator Reid arrogantly declared General Petraeus "out of touch" with what is going on in Baghdad, all the while-from the safety of Washington, DC-proclaiming his defeatist opinions, which undermine the war effort and embolden America's enemies.

Three important facts color Senator Reid's absurd statement: 1) Senator Reid, the man who called General Petraeus "out of touch," voted to confirm him in January of 2007; 2) Senator Reid, the man who purports to be more "in touch" with events in Baghdad, hasn't been there since March of 2005; and 3) when Senator Reid came home from Iraq in March of 2005, he said ""I came away with the feeling we cannot leave Iraq. If we do, the terrorists will have won."
"It sounds to me like Senator Reid is out of touch with himself (referring to his March, 2005 comments after visiting Iraq) and in perfect synch with left-leaning activist groups who have declared defeat in Iraq," says Pete Hegseth, Vets for Freedom Executive Director.

Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran, goes on to say "While General Petraeus is busy in Baghdad doing everything possible to defeat Al Qaeda and marginalize militias in order to bring about success in Iraq, Senator Reid is hard at work doing everything he can to declare defeat and undermine American strategy. His words are the height of irresponsibility."

Senator Reid made the disparaging remarks about General Petraeus during a conference call with liberal bloggers-an arena in which he surely felt comfortable sharing his true beliefs. Long professing to "support the troops" in public, Senator Reid feels very comfortable trashing them in private. It appears that Senator Reid wants the mission-as well as the troops-to fail.

Vets for Freedom boasts an ever-growing network of veterans who believe in the need to defeat radical Islamist insurgents in Iraq. Below is a list of six such Vets for Freedom members who are available to discuss the Iraq war in any media forum. Please feel free to contact these combat veterans directly:

Staff Sergeant David Bellavia - 585-409-6692 - New York State
Captain Karl Blanke - 703-409-9130 - Washington, DC
Major Eric Egland - 530-205-5582 - Sacramento, CA
Lieutenant Brandan Mueller - 314-477-3639 - St. Louis, MO
Lieutenant Erik Swabb - 540-878-9535 - Washington, DC
Lieutenant Wade Zirkle - 540-335-2848 - New York, NY

Learn more about Vets for Freedom at www.vetsforfreedom.org

I am sad that I missed the day to be with my family. I am happy to say everyone got together at my brother's house.

I did have a good day. Sunday was my third of three days out in the field. I was with the company that is the furthest east in the brigade sector and the one that had a very active last month. After we chased Al Qaeda out of Ramadi, they went east to a little farming community where they had a strong position. They had a mosque and an indoctrination school and they put in hundreds of IEDs along the little country roads that led to their strong point. So for about a month this company and its attachments were in the thick of things and 6 Americans died in the clearing of the bad guys. Eventually all the bad guys fled. Which is good because they keep having to move and then they can't settle down. Now where ever they go the people are standing up and saying no to these people. This is what is refered to as the Awakening, or Sahwa Al Anbar (SAA) or now it is Sahwa Al Iraq (SAI), so look in the news for these references.

As a side note, if you read the news and they mention an insurgency, this is not correct. Iraq is complicated with all kinds of things going on at once. The one thing is that the insurgency which existed in Al Anbar has been over for awhile. The Al Qaeda people killed them all last year. In the army we say we are fighting a counterinsurgency when in reality we are chasing down the terrorists so we can build back the area.

Anyway it was a nice Sunday morning and we had a meeting at a house that the local police took over from some of the bad guys who fled the area. We sat outside in the front lawn in the shade of the house The river was just two houses over and we walked around and had a great view. Even though we haven't seen rain in awhile and it is hot, everything is very green around here. I picked a fruit from an orchard called a mish mish. It's like a plume but smaller and with a big pit. Yellow and later will be orange in color. Very sweet.

The meeting was interesting to say the least. A month or so ago I local jewelry store owner just volunteered that he would be a police chief, so he basically made some professionally looking uniforms and hired all his cousins and friends as policemen. He was a very outgoing personality and a bit emotional. He told the company commander, "I w