They have all served in Iraq.
Ladies and Gentlemen August 13, 2005 Thank you for bringing a rational voice to the events unfolding in the shrub brush of Crawford Texas. I would like to share with you the meaning of our mission in Iraq. During my time here I witnessed the literal scars of oppression and genocide inflicted upon the innocent by the brutal Hussein regime. 400,000 souls were poured into the sand like soured milk. 400,000 men, women, and children lying beneath the desert to anonymously while away the centuries. Placing aside for a moment my personal beliefs in the national necessity of our actions in Iraq, I believe that history would have harshly judged our inaction. Remember that there was an anti-War voice during World War II but photographic evidence of Auschwitz and Bierkenau's liberation washed away all doubts. History has rightly judged the American G.I for standing against such evil. While less in numbers, the genocide in Iraq was no less a crime against humanity. I witnessed the extended bellies of starving babies, touched the gnarled flesh of tortures past, and heard the grief in the stories of loved ones lost. I do not pretend that I could ever understand the grief of a parent who has lost a child, but I've seen pain before. Grief was in the face of a man who lost his entire family in one unfathomable day. Seventeen members of his family including his wife, children, and parents were slaughtered at the behest of Saddam Hussein. His entire town was wiped from the face of the Earth like a dune in an all too common sandstorm. When this man offers me a hand of friendship how can I believe anything but that our cause is just. Thank you for your rigorous and enduring support of those who server their country, and know that their bravery and courage serves all of humanity. (Hero's Name) Iraq Veteran Centerville, TX