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| New soccer fields for Iraqi children. Clean water delivered throughout the countryside. Restored power lines. Women walking their children to schools where attendance continues to rise. Sewer and water lines installed. Successful elections. An interim constitution signed. Hugs of grateful children. Smiles of free Iraqi citizens. New life flowing back into a country that was under the regime of an evil empire for far too long. According to four Marines who recently returned to East Tennessee after a tour of duty in Iraq, these are the stories that should be making mainstream media headlines. LCPI Josh Morris, of Johnson City, said it this way: "Imagine taking every incident of crime in New York or another city and airing it all on television or in print. It would paint a pretty gruesome picture of our country as a whole if that is all that was being reported. The reports might be accurate, since the crime all took place, but it certainly wouldn't be comprehensive of everything that is going on in the city, or in our country as a whole." Morris and Sgt. John James, CPI Matt Stout, and LCPI Michael Hopkins, all of the Tri-Cities, were personally thanked for service to their country by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, just before they presented the colors at Carter County's GOP Lincoln Day Dinner Sunday. As they waited for Frist to arrive, several other state officials welcomed them home to Tennessee, including Congressman Bill Jenkins. Though appreciative of the support from state leaders, the group of Marines asked permission to step out of the busy room filled with local and state GOP leaders. "All the chatter and noise is starting to bother me," one of them said. "It's hard to get back to civilian life." Though adjusting to civilian life will take some getting used to, the Marines said their experiences in Iraq had forever changed them. James, the eldest in the group at 27, said he had been impressed by the recent Iraqi elections. He said he regretted the media did not focus more on the positive results of the historic election. "There was a better turnout in the elections in Iraq than we have in American elections," James said. "People seem to have this idea that we made (the elections) happen, but we didn't. We simply gave them the avenues and opportunity to vote. The people of Iraq, who want freedom more than anything else, are the ones who made the elections a success." Frist said providing the opportunity for others to be free will make the world, and therefore America, a safer place. "Americans aren't meant to just sit back and enjoy their freedom. Freedom is not a blessing for some, but it is a right for all people," Frist said. Speaking after the festivities, Frist agreed the Iraqi elections had been successful. "Somewhere in Iraq at this very moment, a citizen is beaming with pride for having taken part in free elections. There is no greater blessing than freedom nor is there any greater divine call than to defend it. America's, and the world's, best days are ahead," Frist said. Frist also told stories recounted to him by a recently elected high-ranking official in Iraq. "He has shared story after story with me of men and women going to the polling booths, even as they were being bombed," Frist said. He added, the attacks did not stop the determined citizens from moving forward toward the polls. In many instances, the attackers gave up as they realized their efforts to stop free elections were fruitless. The four Marines had other stories as well, yet each story had the same theme: There's good stuff going on in Iraq, and the media hasn't done an adequate job of delivering that message to the American people. The stories included rescuing Iraqi citizens who had been living on one of Saddam Hussein's former biological testing fields. The land was not suitable for human habitat, and the people were grateful to the American Marines who helped them find refuge. The East Tennessee Marines said their biggest job was providing security for other military personnel as they worked on school buildings, children's soccer fields and other projects. One of the Marines smiled as he told about delivering bladders of water. "We did so much good stuff, but most of the pictures focused on the negative," he said. Other stories from the group included guarding a power company while workers attempted to restore power. Remembering what it felt like to help restore basic needs to Iraq citizens, one Marine beamed with pride as he told about the work that had been done. "The infrastructure there had been neglected for a long time. Much of it had been blown up while Saddam was in power. The citizens hardly even had water. Some days they had power and other days, they did not," he said. Another story that brought smiles to the Marines' faces was sharing candy with Iraqi children. "We saved some of the candy our families sent us and gave it to the children," Hopkins said. "Some of the parents wanted the candy, too. It was fun to share, and a great way to make friends." Agreeing more positive stories would prove to encourage the people of Iraq, as well as the American troops stationed there, the Marines said the media should focus on the over-all project, not just the negative stuff. "Yes," one agreed. "This is war. That part isn't pretty." Kenneth Knight, a Morristown resident who served in the military for 22 years and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, agrees the media has not done an adequate job of portraying the whole picture of the war in Iraq. He admits war is gruesome, but says freedom is worth fighting for. 'war' is synonymous with death," Knight said. "The effects of war have not changed since the Civil War when General William Sherman made his famous speech declaring, 'War is hell.' War includes violence, terrorism, reconstruction problems, suicide bombings, and even civilian deaths. But in the end, war brings freedom. It is war that brought an end to slavery, communism, and Nazism. It is also war that will bring reality to Iraq's interim constitution, which reads: 'The people of Iraq...shall hereafter remain a free people....'" |