From the newsletter of March Forward! We join the military for many different reasons. Some of us want to have access to a college education. Some of us want job training and a steady paycheck. Some of us join to get U.S. citizenship. Some of us need to get out of debt or need to get off a destructive path. Some of us join out of pride, patriotism and a genuine desire to be a part of some greater, collective good. Many of us made the decision early-while still in high school, enticed by recruiters' promises of cash bonuses, adventure and opportunity-while some of us joined after years as a worker, drawn by the military's full health care and housing benefits.
Whatever the reason, we all found ourselves wearing the uniform of the U.S. military. What did we actually join? What is the role of the U.S. military in the world? What does it mean to be a soldier following the dictates of U.S. foreign policy? When we sign ourselves away to the military, what are we being used to do?
In recent years, many of us ended up in Iraq or Afghanistan. We are told that as a soldier in the U.S. military we are defending the interests of the United States. This does have an ounce of truth-but only an ounce. We are defending the interests of a particular class in the United States. It is only a wealthy minority whose interests are being defended in Iraq, Afghanistan and the more than 130 countries where U.S. troops are stationed.
An Iraq veteran's perspective When I volunteered as a soldier to be a part of the initial invasion of Iraq, it was under the assumption that our intentions were just. U.S. troops-most of us from working-class backgrounds-were fed countless stories of the supposed brutality of Saddam Hussein, and the plight of the Iraqi people.
I truly began to understand the nature of the "liberation" that the U.S. military was bringing to Iraq after one particular mission-one that I struggle with everyday, and one that I share with a great deal of shame and regret.
It was summer. Temperatures were high and war was in the air. People said they were upset with politicians who refused to heed the cries for peace. Battlefields far from home became burial grounds. The public noted too many people had died, perhaps unnecessarily. Americans publicly announced, its time to bring our young home. End the combat was the common cry. Yet, it seemed the Administration did not intend to declare a cease-fire. Some feared a superpower might appear weak. A pullout would indicate that we had surrendered. As Americans safe at home pondered policy, soldiers still fell on foreign fields. Families struggled to come to terms with what it means to be a patriot. Moms and Dads of military personnel may have wrestled with the idea of what it means to win a war more so than the average American did. The year was 1969.
While prosecuting its war on the Iraqi people I had been in Iraq for about two months when my brigade suffered its first fatality. He died from a gunshot wound to the head. Nobody wanted to believe that it had happened. The deployment was supposed to be quick and easy; we were supposed to be greeted with flowers and return home within a few months. ??As the sounds from the memorial service echoed in our barracks, there was silence-only the recorded sounds of bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace." Nobody wanted to talk about the realization that we may never return home. Nobody wanted to talk about the situation we had gotten into; the number of Iraqi people who were dying because of the invasion. Most of all, nobody wanted to talk about the soldier who had died.
On a cold night in Iraq, two fellow soldiers and I were awakened by our superiors and told to interrogate a prisoner who had just been arrested. Whoever brought in the detainee insisted that it could not wait until morning, so we irritably left the warmth of our sleeping bags and set off into the darkness.
When we arrived at the detention facility, there was a young Lieutenant waiting for us. He brought the prisoner there.
But the prisoner did not get to that facility the way most did-hands bound tightly behind the back with a sandbag over the head.
He arrived on a stretcher. The Lieutenant told us with a sadistic smile that this prisoner tried to flee a traffic checkpoint he was working that night, and he proudly proclaimed that he filled the Iraqi man's car with bullets as he tried to drive away.
Employment opportunities are a pillar of military recruitment. Recruiters focus much of their efforts on low-income schools and communities, promising that the military provides valuable skills and job training.
Television commercials for the Army often show soldiers transitioning into the professional world, depicting military service as a guaranteed stepping-stone to success. The Army airs television commercials showing soldiers in uniform transforming into professionals in suits and lab coats.
The idea that one can serve a short term in the military and emerge a valued, marketable worker attracts youth fearful of life after high school, as well as older workers who struggle under capitalism. While many join the military hoping for a better life for themselves and their families, the reality is that veterans actually experience a dramatically higher rate of unemployment.
A soldier's story is our story. On this April afternoon, I attended a memorial. Americans in my local community, as well as those in every other region of the country, mourned the recession. People pondered the reality; this war affects our daily lives and our fiscal stability. In my neighborhood, Michael Prysner, an Iraq War veteran offered his theory on the theme, Recession and the Iraq War; A Soldier's Story. I share an introduction to his tale and an invitation. Please peruse the musings of Michael Prysner.
The mind is a very personal part of each one of us. We all carry our memories, our personality, and the very heart of our being in our mind. Wartime touches that special piece of who and what we are in ways that are sometimes difficult to ascertain without the lens of history. Every war affects those who fight in different ways and yet all share some similarities. Every individual has a story of their personal stuff. I have pondered this subject once before here. This time at the risk of repeating what may have already been said I offer the following story. Follow up the street, around the corner, and across the field for another rendering from the possum's personal tales.
The night was young, and yet, the messages were old. The top-tier Democratic hopefuls huddled together around a round table. The stage was prepared and the performance would be unparalleled. Each character in this play reveled in an accepted reality. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, or Barack Obama, are "right" for the country. No one else could compare to this cast of characters. In truth, the three were one. The dramatic debate was cordial and quaint. The candidates were polite, prim, and extremely proper. The production was well-managed. No one was scolded. Regrets were expressed. Geniality grew as the hopefuls promised to do no harm to the others.
Weeks ago, as I stood my post in support of peace, our soldiers, and all civilians worldwide, a young fellow stopped and asked me how could I do as I did. The fellow declared my actions treasonous, disrespectful of the troops. I replied. I have family who served, and one about to enter the fray. The man, visibly irritated, yelled as he pointed to other protesters. "What about them?" he said. I began to explain how one of the women has a son stationed in Iraq, another . . . my voice trailed off as he waved in disgust. Then, the inquisitive chap left.
This morning, as I approached the peace corner, two of my fellow demonstrators made mention of the soldiers across the street. Weekly, a throng of Iraq war dissenters stands and pickets on the south side of the street. I position myself on the North end of the avenue. I stand alone. On this afternoon, two young men dressed in Army fatigues, soldiers, situated themselves on the median, yards from where I position myself. They carried plastic bins; patriotic banners were pasted onto these containers. American flags and pamphlets graced their station. The military men collected money from passers-by. They distributed literature. They did their work from the same side of the street I favor.
As many do on Veterans Day, I pondered the profound effect war has on the world. Indeed, today, the battles aboard met me at my door. I never imagined that brutal combat might enter my home. I am an active peace person.
(The ceremonies and celebrations are over. The festivities are complete. We await the next holiday weekend. Perhaps, in the interim we might reflect. - promoted by Betsy L. Angert)
Granted on this a day en memoriam we might discuss the military record of our Commander-In-Chief. We could quibble about his service and his unwillingness to sacrifice his life for this nation. We might speak of the Vice President and his own hesitancy to enlist. Perhaps a focus on their folly would be wise; however futile. These men did as they did and do as they do. We will not change that through our rants. Our rage will not alter the world. Reflection on the topic of war might help begin a transformation. However, perhaps, contemplation, a conversation, and a concentration on peace are best.
Tell Congress to "Support our troops. Bring them home!"
MoveOn.org and soldiers far from American shores are asking for your assistance. Families here in the States hope that you will help. We, the public understand the hurts these persons experience. We feel them too. Americans long for a return to calm. Iraqis do as well. There is much evidence that this battle did not need to be. I invite you to speak your mind, talk from the heart, and do whatever you can to help our troops and to free the citizens of Iraq.
"Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by. I recall the tune; it rings in my head as I position myself at the intersection. I plunk myself there each Saturday pleading for peace. Today was the second time that I stood alone.
The other protesters remained across the street.
As I held up my index and middle fingers in the sign harmony, I thought of how I am not observing fancy, flashy, or forlorn females pass. I am interacting with my community. Men, women, the elderly, the young, and the middle age. I cannot tell who will acknowledge me or how they might react to my request for an early exit from Iraq, Afghanistan, or war.
The wars leave us all wary. Soldiers in Afghanistan tire. Troops in Iraq are exhausted. The people in the states are fatigued. Families and friends are drained. America wants its soldiers to come home, alive. Citizens cry when chatting with their Representatives. They shriek when telephoning their Senators. They write to the President. Our countrymen spoke with their vote. yet, the combat continues. The United States stays the course. It is not the long days and longer nights of worry that weigh on the expectant public; it is the lies.
Please view this glorious presentation. Support the troops. Stop Escalation
Dear Reader . . .
Tonight I saw a presentation that spoke to me. I share this message in hopes that you too are affected. I have long believed that to support the troops, we must ensure their safety. Placing soldiers in harms way hurts us as a nation. A country that cares for its people does not condone combat. Were I the Commander-In-Chief, I would do all that I could to sustain every life. I would not wish to take a young man or woman far from home and family. Subjecting an individual to undue stress is, in my mind, not just. I do not think a person of any age need endure the conditions of war.
The Bush administration is split over the idea of a surge in troops to Iraq, with White House officials aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intense debate.
Surge.
Proposed by a handful of retired generals, pushed internally by officials in the National Security Council, and advocated in public by Sen. John McCain, the "surge" has become the hot tactical idea of the season. The debate over a surge is now under way - both about how big to make it and about whether to do it at all. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said over the weekend that he was not convinced a surge in troops would work, while Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said his party would support a limited, short-term jump in troop levels.
Surge!
Here's an idea: Let's send more U.S. troops to Iraq. The generals say it's way too late to even think about resurrecting Colin Powell's "overwhelming force" doctrine, so let's send over a modest "surge" in troop strength that has almost no chance of making any difference -- except in the casualty count. Oh, and let's not give these soldiers and Marines any sort of well-defined mission. Let's just send them out into the bloody chaos of Baghdad and the deadly badlands of Anbar province with orders not to come back until they "get the job done."
I don't know about you, but that strikes me as a terrible idea, arguably the worst imaginable "way forward" in Iraq. So of course this seems to be where George W. Bush is headed.
The airwaves are filled with talk of a surge. What does the term mean or more accurately, what will it mean for our troops, their families, their friends, and for our country. Perhaps we might consider the significance of a surge for those living and dying in Iraq. After all, that nation and its people that will feel the greatest impact. Nevertheless, we do not or at least our President does not. He has his own mission.
(Today as I stood at the Peace Corner, I learned more than I imagined. An older man who crosses my path each week, and has, on occasion, questioned my efforts, admitted to me, were he told to fight for his country today, he would rather go to jail. The World War II veteran said, during his time in battle he realized, combat is not righteous; it is political. - promoted by Betsy L. Angert)
War stories are as many and as varied as the soldiers who had the experience. Each person sees the events of the time in different ways and over the course of time we all come to interpret our experiences in various ways. Today we follow one more day in my life with an infantry company in the highlands of central Vietnam. So put on your boots, grab up your gear, and walk with me down the trail for one more of the possum's tales.
The tide has turned. What was my truth only a day ago has been transformed. The reason for funding cuts has been revealed; brain-injured soldiers will suffer at the hands of a rancorous Republican, Senator Ted Stevens. Politically I rarely agree with syndicated Columnist Robert Novak. Practically, I acknowledge that he has access to information that few have. Certainly, I do not have the contacts he does. I think it is important to honor the right of entry Mr. Novak has in the halls of Congress. In this writing I am.
In my missive, I offered an appeal from Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Paul Rieckhoff. He, as I declared this issue is a vital concern. That has not changed. What has changed is my awareness. I discovered the "logic" for this damning plan.
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