Posted on 10/03/2004 4:28:21 PM PDT by dvan
Nicholas Warr, Chapter President 1/5 Vietnam Veterans Unit Chapter 1st Marine Division Association P. O. Box 2680 Hendersonville, N. C. 28793 FLASH: READ & DISTRIBUTE http://www.1-5vietnamveterans.org/
To All Vietnam and other Veterans: Please read the attached plea from a Marine fighting in Iraq. If after reading it you feel as I do, that no matter what your politics are we should be doing everything possible to support our troops, pass this on to your family and friends. Semper Fidelis!
FROM MARINE NOW IN IRAQ
Hello Everyone, I am taking time to ask you all for your help. First off, I'd like to say that this is not a political message. I'm not concerned about domestic politics right now. We have much bigger things to deal with, and we need your help.
It seems that despite the tremendous and heroic efforts of the men and women serving here in Iraq to bring much needed peace and stability to this region, we are losing the war of perception with the media and American people. Our enemy has learned that the key to defeating the mighty American military is by swaying public opinion at home and abroad.
We are a people that cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the people in the highest regard. We love to criticize ourselves almost to an endless degree, because we care what others think. Our enemies see this as a weakness and are trying to exploit it.
When we ask ourselves questions like, "Why do they hate us?" or "What did we do wrong?" we are playing into our enemies' hands.
Our natural tendency to question ourselves is being used against us to undermine our effort to do good in the world. How far would we have gotten if after the surprise attacks on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, we would have asked, "Why do the Japanese hate us so much?" or "How can we change ourselves so that they won't do that again?"
Here in Iraq the enemy is trying very hard to portray our efforts as failing and fruitless. They purposely kill innocents and desecrate their bodies in hopes that the people back home will lose the will to fight for liberty. They are betting on our perceived weakness as a thoughtful, considerate people. Unfortunately our media only serves to further their cause.
In an industry that feeds on ratings and bad news, a failure in Iraq would be a goldmine. When our so-called "trusted" American media takes a quote from an Iraqi doctor as the gospel truth over that of the men and women that are daily fighting to protect the right to freedom of press, you know something is wrong.
That doctor claimed that out of 600 Iraqis that were casualties of the fighting, the vast majority of them were women, children and the elderly. This is totally absurd. In the history of man, no one has spent more time and effort, often to the detriment of our own mission, to be more discriminate in our targeting of the enemy than the American military.
The Marines and Soldiers serving in Iraq have gone through extensive training in order to limit the amount of innocent casualties and collateral damage. Yet, despite all of this, our media consistently sides with those who openly lie and directly challenge the honor of our brave heroes fighting for liberty and peace.
What we have to remember is that peace is not defined as an absence of war. It is the presence of liberty, stability and prosperity. In the face of the horrendous tyranny of the former Iraqi regime, the only way true peace was able to come to this region was through force. That is what the American Revolution was all about. Have we forgotten? Freedom is not free and "peace" without principle is not peace.
The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the use of military force . And we are doing it, if only the world will let us! If the American people believe we are failing, even if we are not, then we will ultimately fail. That is why I am asking for your support. Become a voice of truth in your community. Wherever you are fight the lies of the enemy. Don't buy into the pessimism and apathy that says, "It's hopeless," "They hate us too much," "That part of the world is just too messed up," "It's our fault anyway," "We're to blame," and so forth.
Whether you're in middle school, working at a 9-5 job, retired, or a stay-at-home Mom you can make a huge difference! There is nothing more powerful than the truth. So, when you watch the news and see doomsday predictions and spiteful opinions on our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing that we are doing a tremendous amount of good.
Spread the word. No one is poised to make such an amazing contribution to the everyday lives of Iraqis and the rest of the Arab world than the American Armed Forces. By making this a place where liberty can finally grow, we are making the whole world safer.
Your efforts at home are directly tied to our success. You are the soldiers at home fighting the war of perception. So I'm asking you as a fellow fighting man: do your duty. Stop the attempts of the enemy wherever you are. You are a mighty force for good, because truth is on your side. Together we will win this fight and ensure a better world for the future.
God Bless and Semper Fidelis, 1st. Lt. Robert L. Nofsinger USMC Ramadi, Iraq
"The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the use of military force"
I believe Gen. George Washington would have agreed with the good lieutenant.
The best way to help this Marine is to reelect Bush by a massive margin. Right now the Iraqi Terrorists are doing everything they can because they know if Bush loses the Kerry administration will cut and run. If Bush wins, by a large margin, it sends the message that the Iraqi Terrorist have lost. If Bush win significantly the message is sent to freind and foe alike that we are NOT going to be going anywhere.
Bump.
Bush's critics are parlor socialists and cranks.
first of all, thank GOD for our military.
kerry and the liberal left helped the enemy in vietnam and they are doing the same here in Iraq. why do most voters, with heads on their shoulders not see this and vote W??
I have not been to Iraq myself, but many of my buddies went, some of them more then once since this all started. To a man, they all said that they have never been more mad then when they got home and turned on the news. They all said that we are getting fed a sack of lies on tv. Thats why I quit watching tv.
I am afraid this won't effect the people who are voting for Kerry. I know several, and in conversations I've had with them, they say they don't care about Kerry's past, only who he is now. I guess the brainwashing over the last 30 years has worked perfectly on them. NO arguments will sway them. They will remain a danger to the rest of us who managed to remain mostly free of the brainwashing.
Pray for our troops, and pray for our children.
Yep. Kerry attacks Bush as living in a fantasy while calling Iraq a disaster and so on. President Bush know exactly what is going on. He knows that the enemy in Iraq is not fighting a battle to defeat the U.S. military. It could not. The enemy is fighting a battle to defeat the American public. Pessimism and defeatism while having no new ideas to offer other than, "I can do it better" does nothing but encourage the enemy. Unfortuately, our enemy has found a willing abettor in their war of public opinion in one John Kerry.
When I read this BRAVE marine's letter it takes me back to the time of the Vietnam War. I will never forget those times. The soldiers coming home from the war were treated like they had some AWFUL contagious disease. They were treated like scum & you could see the hurt in there eyes. The first thing they wanted to do was take that uniform off and not be noticed. All except that DIRTY ROTTEN KERRY. HE IS DOING IT TOO OUR TROOPS AGAIN!!! WE ALL HAVE TO SOMETHING TO GET THE GOOD WORD OUT FOR OUR TROOPS! IDEAS????!!!!!!
I think the good Gen. George Washington was a great deal smarter and more compassionate than the current crop of liberals' combined emotional IQ.
I thought he had every right to be angry. And, it wasn't for being called a liar, it was for Kerry's rhetoric of 'wrong war for the wrong reasons at the wrong time'.
Since the war is ongoing, that slogan undermines the safety of our troops. By saying that the war is wrong, he's telling our enemies that they are right; that they have justification to fight harder. By fighting harder and not giving in, our guys bear the brunt. Kerry's rhetoric is not merely distasteful, it's harmful.
It shouldn't be any surprise though, Kerry did exactly the same thing thirty years ago.
Thanks for sharing. God bless and protect Lt. Nofsinger and all the men and women in the service of our country.
This may sound very harsh & cruel but I dare anyone to prove me wrong.
GET THE GOOD WORD OUT FOR OUR TROOPS! IDEAS????!!!!!!
just finished Unfit for Command. kerry is getting away with murder just like oj. will kerry as president allow saddam to run iraq? wrong war, wrong time, no wmd's. do we put him back in power?
Freep the RNC, Hannity on his radio show, National Review, someone has to make the case. Cheney, if given the chance on Tuesday, will most likely make the case.
it bugs the crap out of me that no one has gotten kerry to sign his 180 form and release ALL of his records.
run an ad about the two wars and kerry's protest. they are the same.
Sorry for ranting, just piss*D OFF.
I'm so glad you posted this. I was just listening to the Kerry/Edwards reps talking about the "disaster" in Iraq. I kept thinking, Kerry's doing it again. He's setting up the same domestic situation that happened to our troops in Viet Nam.
I am so disgusted. (Went to the Arlington FReep yesterday and w/news today I'm at my wits end!!)
Wherever you are fight the lies of the enemy. Don't buy into the pessimism and apathy that says, "It's hopeless," "They hate us too much," "That part of the world is just too messed up," "It's our fault anyway," "We're to blame," and so forth.
Bush also has a plan to "win the peace", and it starts with liberating the Iraqi people. As the President said, it's "hard work" and we're "making progress". Why is it so hard for the liberals to understand that a free Iraq makes for a stronger more secure world?
These savages actually want American soldiers to die. American soldiers are too big and strong.
They want this country to turn into a quivering, fearful little mini-state run by enormous, expensive bureacracies. They want an America contolled by a dainty, rogueish aristocracy, whom we are all to admire and adore.
I'm talking about the Left. They need another name.
Um, The Minimizers? Not cruel enough.
I have a friend who is an AF Captain who just returned from Iraq. He was good enough in his job that he was awarded a Bronze Star.
He is not a Kerry supporter, but said that Kerry was right about not having enough troops in Iraq. He was rather angry about Rumsfield trying to reduce military numbers. He stated that we are going to see a major number of folks getting out of the Guard and Reserves as soon as they are allowed to.
Is anyone else getting this kind of feel from returning troops? There are always folks who are tired and complain. That is normal. I just hate lose experienced people.
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