This article accurately reflects the attitudes of the men about the situation in Iraq and their gratitude for our help and sacrifice.
I will be looking forward to your report.
looking forward to this!
I agree that this article is a MUST READ.
And thanks for this post!
I wonder if Michael Moore would shake hands with them.
Thanks for posting this uplifting article.
Thanks
Was any of this reported on the elite media news? I no longer watch their unbiased reporting, so I don't know.
Great article. I didn't realize artificial limbs had come so far. I'm sure these guys will go back to Iraq hating the US, too...
kristinn, for your convenience, here's a list of those who have replied to this article up to this post:
Bahbah; Guenevere; ohioWfan; joesnuffy; COBOL2Java; Angelwood; VOA; CedarDave; BunnySlippers; Lost Highway; newsgatherer; Old Sarge; Piquaboy; mewzilla; AFPhys; DollyCali
These men were guests of our West Point Society here in Houston on 13 May, along with the MD who performed their surgeries. Also joining us were 4 young USMA grads, just back from Iraq--compelling testimony by all.
For a touching synopsis, read from my attorney friend Michael Craig's email commentary below:
"I went to a luncheon at Brennan's yesterday with my law partner; it was sponsored by the West Point Society (we were guests of Airborne Longhorn's, an alumnus of West Point). The featured speakers were a panel of four young officers, all West Point graduates, who had just returned from a tour in Iraq.
It was enlightening to hear their versions of combat and reconstruction that is going on in Iraq, a somewhat different perspective than what we currently read in the media. One young officer (he looked 19 to me, but I am sure he was in his mid to late twenties) talked about how he was handed $30 million (U.S.) captured from Saddam's bunkers and put in charge of putting it to use.
He described how he oversaw the utilization of these monies in building schools, bridges, repairing water works and sewage systems, purchasing police cars, repairing electrical systems, etc., a far better use of the funds than its previous owner had in mind for it.
Another officer said that Saddam's palaces were opulent beyond measure, and incredibly abject poverty existed just outside the gate of each palace. They also uniformly reported that over 90% of the country stood solidly behind the U.S. involvement there.
Of more visceral impact on me, however, was meeting the guests of honor at the next table, seven middle-aged Iraqi men, all missing their right hands. They were businessmen (importers, jewelers, etc.), with the exception of one teacher
Their crime under Saddam Hussein was that they had all inquired about the value of the Iraqi currency against the value of the U.S. dollar in their professional endeavors. Their punishment was to lose their right hand at Abu Gharaib prison.
Somehow, for me, this had far more gravity in its cruelty and permanent consequence than the capricious humiliation of a prisoner by having him pose naked with underwear on his head, at the behest of a handful of dunderhead soldiers at the bottom of the food chain.
These Iraqis, who each got up to speak (with the assistance of a translator) were gentle, unassuming men, and my heart went out to them. So did a lot of others, appparently, as Marvin Zindler took their cause up some time ago, resulting in their all coming to America to have new bionic hands fitted on them by a prominent Jewish plastic surgeon at the Texas Medical Center at no cost (though no one mentioned it at the luncheon, I couldn't miss the irony of a Jew's compassionate act for these middle Eastern men).
Continental Airlines donated the plane fare, the Warwick and Marriott Medical Center hotels donated their room and board, and the West Point Society, made up of veteran officers, did the logistics. Even Drayton McClain got in the act by donating his box for their viewing of an Astros game the other night.
To me, this was an incredibly moving human interest story about the generosity of Americans. To my knowledge, our liberal press didn't give this story so much as a mention on the back page.
I think God's handiwork goes on behind the scenes through so many people; unfortunately, none of this is seen by the majority of people in this country.
Michael"
I was watching the ABC affiliate local news (Houston Channel 13) and they carried the story--without once mentioning that the amputations were done to healthy hands by Saddam's torturers!
Guess that wasn't an important part of the story.
Here's the link to a site where you can protest this censorship. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/aboutus/index.html
Freep em!
What an incredible story -- can't wait for your 'full report'!
[The HALO effect of our president is amazing isn't it?!!!!]
Wow! I love this story! Heard about it on Rush's show a few days ago, then yesterday on FoxNews. This story needs to be repeated a few times so that all Americans will have a chance to consider what not going to Iraq would have meant. Please ping me when you get your report finished!
Can't wait to read your account kristinn!