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Letter From a Marine in Baghdad.
HughHewitt.com ^ | September 21, 2004 | U.S. Marine

Posted on 09/21/2004 5:13:52 PM PDT by JayRay

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1 posted on 09/21/2004 5:13:52 PM PDT by JayRay
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To: JayRay
The bad guys did us a HUGE favor by gathering together in one place and trying to make a stand. It allowed us to focus on them and defeat them. Make no mistake, Al Sadr's troops were thoroughly smashed. The estimated enemy killed in action is huge.

Yes, yes, yes! A one way ticket to the kill zone.

Keep telling it like it is Major.

2 posted on 09/21/2004 5:48:17 PM PDT by jwalsh07 (Ask not what you can do for your country, ask the country what it will do for you!)
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To: JayRay

Excellent, thanks!


3 posted on 09/21/2004 5:48:25 PM PDT by RAY (They that do right are all heroes!)
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To: JayRay

To contact the Major: William.Truax@vcmain.hq.c5.army.mil.


4 posted on 09/21/2004 5:48:39 PM PDT by kingattax (The Lettpad Dog always has the best view)
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To: JayRay
Great Job Marine, you all have our complete support. I don't know if you heard Gen. Tommy Franks today, but he said he was at a book tour and an elderly 80+ year old lady, came up and slammed her book down for an autograph and said this to him, They say we need an "Exit Strategy" we have one, it is called victory, they ask "How much will this cost" we will know when we are done. Sounds like a wise woman to me.
A question I have, and forgive me if this is over simplistic, in these areas like Sadr City, wouldn't a task force of Marines and numerous well-placed Snipers with orders to shoot everyone out of uniform with a weapon, go a long way to settling those areas...I am sure there is more to that than I could possibly think.
5 posted on 09/21/2004 5:50:09 PM PDT by DSBull (Truth is the light of the World, shine it everywhere)
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To: JayRay

It's great to hear information unfiltered from the source. I dropped the Maj a note.

God Bless him and his guys over there.


6 posted on 09/21/2004 5:59:43 PM PDT by Leto
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To: JayRay

Firstly,
I stand smartly at attention and salute you Major. May the good Lord return you and your men save once you complete your honorable tour of duty. Just about everything you said can be verified by many sources, such as articles written by 1MEF at the Marine Corps. main site OIF.

I hope many people read closely what you wrote and copy the article and email to people they know. I know what you said was nothing but hard correct facts! HOOOORAAH.

My nephew is attached to 2/2 Hq. S2 and has been between camps Mahmudiya and one of the four camps in Fallujah since March. They are on convoy going south as we write as you most probably are well aware. So praise the good Lord I will in about two weeks be walking around Camp Lejeune waiting to wrap my arms around my Marine soon! He has seen fellow Marines blown up, and has had to return fire in some battles during these seven months. So I for one know somewhat you guys are going through over there.
YOU ARE THE BEST OF AMERICA as our President made known last year. Now if only ALL AMERICANS can realize the truth in that statement. You are warriors with a heart of gold, placing yourselves between enemy fire and innocent children and women. If the damn sneaky ultra liberal MSM had even a shred of honesty, they would be showing people what you guys have accomplished under such adverse and un-predictable conditions. But Major. Keep the faith. MANY OF US DO KNOW THE TRUTH. There are many of us in the States that know why you must be there, and keep praying for you guys. I think more so then first appears.

So in closing. Thanks for the article I understand the need for you to share the info. God bless you and all our
servicemen/women that serve with honor and commitement.

Semper Fidelis Major. personel correspondance accepted.
George


7 posted on 09/21/2004 6:12:07 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: DSBull

Wish it was that easy. What we have to remember is Sadr
City is a huge area in the city of Baghdad. What you
suggest simply would not be possible because it would
require litterly thousands of snipers to be hanging out
on equal amounts of houses and buildings, etc..
Just picture Sadr City as a area as big as Broklyn NY.,
filled with row after row of homes. Plus please remember,
we no longer in most cases control over what battle is fought where unless our guys are fired upon. It is up to the IIG (Iraqi Interim Government) to decide when our forces are required to do a "mop up". Sadr City houses
probably over a half million people. We just can't go in
and kill people. How do you tell 3PM in the morning, for
instance, what a person is carrying? You are aware I am sure that all Iraqi's are permitted to carry a AK47 rifle for self protection. So as you can see, it is not so easy
to do what you wonder about. Hope this answers your question.


8 posted on 09/21/2004 6:22:12 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: All

For anyone interest, you may want to read and article I post the other day titled:
Something you won't see in the MSM author: Marine_Uncle

It will give a nice picture of current events 12 miles south of Baghdad. It fits into what the Major shares here.


9 posted on 09/21/2004 6:29:18 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: All

I am urgently seeking someone to adopt a soldier that was mistakenly given to me. I'm afraid to send it back for fear that this soldier will get lost in the paperwork. I have already adopted someone and can't afford another.

If anyone is interested, please freepmail me.


10 posted on 09/21/2004 6:38:09 PM PDT by diamond6 (Everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Ronald Reagan)
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To: JayRay

Thank you, Sir, for you service to your country and to freedom-loving Iraqis. Thank you also for serving your country by giving us the straight story on what's going on in Iraq.


11 posted on 09/21/2004 7:48:38 PM PDT by Ostlandr (Nationalist, small-r republican, fiscal conservative, social liberal, pagan. NOT a Bush partisan!)
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To: Marine_Uncle
Thanks much! Thought that it was a little naive. Anyway, God Speed for all our guys there. Hopefully the Iraqis will speed up this process, but who knows. thanks again
12 posted on 09/21/2004 8:23:13 PM PDT by DSBull (Truth is the light of the World, shine it everywhere)
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To: Marine_Uncle
Thanks much! Thought that it was a little naive. Anyway, God Speed for all our guys there. Hopefully the Iraqis will speed up this process, but who knows. thanks again
13 posted on 09/21/2004 8:23:14 PM PDT by DSBull (Truth is the light of the World, shine it everywhere)
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To: DSBull

Well I just took what the corporal said to be true, since I have heard many ofter similiar stories from mil sites, and from San Diego News etc., for past six months or so.

I simply wanted to share what I read. Do understand that there are at most, twenty cities/towns in Iraq that the news broadcasts bad news from. Funny they don't bring any good news from the other 800-900 cities and towns of Iraq.
You only see the bad stuff that happens in a few key cities.

Yes I fully understand many towns/hamlets are not worth having insurgents do their work in. But I can assure you MSM does not present anywhere a balanced picture of what is going on over there. Think for a minute. Iraq for the first time has a government in place that was actually formed by a democratic process for most of those members.
That is people where voted in by free choice of the vote.
Not by cohortion. First time since Iraq became Iraq that this has actually happened. We have the majority of Shite Clerics lead by Sistaini actually demanding full elections
by democratic process. This has never happend in Iraq.
MSM cannot tell the American people this stuff, all they can do is continue to make it look like all is lost.
EXACTLY WHAT BIG JOHN KERRY AND HIS COMMIE BUDDIES DID FOR NAM. Once again the MSM is doing exactly what they did in the sixties. Do remember JFK and his affiliations with a known communistic group who lead America into defeat....not by the Military.........we would have won the war, but by the liberal politicians with alternative agendas and the use of the MSM to carry it out. Be careful friend not to get lost in between the trees as to what appears to be and what actually is happening over there and in Afganistan.

Of course I respect your right to your comments and I harbor no resentment whatsover. If this Iraqi problem does not end to our liking, it will not be because of the lack of leadershiop by GWB and our military. It will because of the scum bag now after supporting the war and saying one with a clear picture of what Saddam Hussein..... and not
voting to take him out and establish a democratic state in Iraq should be running for president, NOW says the war is lost, everything is wrong.......look we lost 1000 men....
the insurgents are killing innocent Iraqis..........
We must stay the course or really suffer in the long run,
while France, Germany, and other snicker and laught at us,
and then in the future go back in there and support some ill defined new dictatorship and make billions on selling their oil, and selling them new weapon systems to do again what Saddam did.


14 posted on 09/21/2004 8:58:59 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Marine_Uncle

I must of misspoke, I believe that you are right, just asking questions, since I don't have a clue. We are going to when this thing. Again, sorry.


15 posted on 09/21/2004 9:45:53 PM PDT by DSBull (Truth is the light of the World, shine it everywhere)
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To: DSBull

meant that I was a little naive, not you...I can't type worth a hoot...


16 posted on 09/21/2004 9:46:57 PM PDT by DSBull (Truth is the light of the World, shine it everywhere)
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To: JayRay

As a Marine who has just returned from Iraq and who also worked on the Multichannel Corps staff I completely agree with the content of this letter. The situation in Iraq is grossly misunderstood by the media. During nearly every day of my time in Iraq from January through August we experienced significant victories and advancements. We were able to establish an independent sovereign state in Iraq in little over a year of hard work. Indeed Iraq has progressed at an incredible pace and as long as we remain committed to victory the progress of freedom will continue until Iraq is stable, secure democratic and free. Sure there were tough spots along the way, but even during the height of the Fallujah crisis in April we achieved greater success than failure especially in terms of tactical gains against the insurgency. The reality is that the government of Iraq is truly gaining traction and as we move toward the January elections Iraqi society will continue to develop essential democratic institutions at every level. Additionally the rebuilding of Iraq's infrastructure continues to out pace the insurgent's efforts to derail the rebuilding process. While it is not easy going and the insurgency remains a very destabilizing threat, every day the Iraqi government, security forces, and society get stronger and the insurgency gets increasingly isolated and desperate.


17 posted on 09/21/2004 10:45:31 PM PDT by stubai
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To: DSBull

No problem. If you did say it was naive that is ok. So many of us simply are not getting a balanced view. I could not be angry with anyone on this tough call. Keep the faith. We will prevail. More Iraqis are getting pissed off with the bad guys, and many hate the foreign insurgents with a passion. And it shows in how many police and new Iraqi army people are now being trained by our United States Marine Corps. We will prevail if we stay under GWB. If Lurch gets in, heaven knows! The guy lies so much from day to day you never know what he really intends to do. Surely he must of got a message when the French said a few days ago that regardless of who gets elected, France will not send one soldier into combat or SASO (Security and Stabilization Operations) type situations.
Time will tell.


18 posted on 09/21/2004 10:57:23 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: stubai

Yo Marine,
I stand at attention and salute you sir! God bless you.
My nephew 2/2 hq S2 Lord willing will leave Al Mahmudiya in a few days for BIAP, to return to our blessed shores. I can
hardly wait to hear that he has boarded a big bird to return to Camp Lejeune.
Thank you sir for serving your country with honor. The SEALS, Airborne Army in general, Navy, Airforce are great folks to! But USMC! You are the best!
Thanks for the further excellant posts as what is going on in Iraq! Those still on this thread, lets us also remember what our guys are doing in Afganistan. They are ready for their first democratically held election. Imagine. Such a backward nation full of tribes of all type peoples living under the yoke of Islam, now having the preciouse opportunity to vote for who they want in their government.
GW Bush and his administartion know exactly what is required to do in world politics, contrary to what the sick looking traitor Lurch continues to spit forth!
And so sad so many people havn't a clue!
Lord have mercy on this land. There are still a lot of us in it that love it and cheerish those Godly principals you allowed to guide this country for so long. Give us a bit longer to still have our freedom as a grandparents had.

Semper Fi Marine, and God keep you safe.


19 posted on 09/21/2004 11:08:22 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: JayRay

Just curious. Has the Major by chance frequented this site?
I obviously had addressed him as though he may be listening in.


20 posted on 09/21/2004 11:25:36 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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