Posted on 11/07/2006 3:30:32 AM PST by kristinn
Greetings from FRee Iraq! The Gold Star parents visiting Iraq will be on Free Republic later today to discuss our trip here. Please post questions and comments on this thread for the families.
This will be the first group interview from Iraq by the Gold Star families. For some reason, the MSM hasn't shown any interest in this historic trip :-) So once again, FReepers will scoop the MSM.
I can't give a time certain, but my best guess is the families should be on this thread in six or seven hours from now (evening in Iraq.)
God bless you on your travels, kristinn and Gold Stars!
Our prayers go with you and we look forward to hearing all about your trip.
Can't-wait-to hear-all-about-it-bump.
Please tell the Gold Star Parents that they have big hearts and this poem is in their honor.
From the land of the free,
And the home of the brave,
Sons volunteered to serve.
For the good of others,
Their lives they gave.
From the home of the brave,
And the land of the free,
Mothers and fathers set out,
On course to a foreign land,
Their ears to hear, their eyes to see.
From the land of the free,
And the home of the brave.
With hearts bigger than Texas,
They went to support the troops,
Side by side, Iraqi and American flags wave.
We went to a former 'concentration camp' built by Saddam's government. The Kurds living there were relocated from areas like Kirkuk in preperation to being killed at a later date. Every family there has people who were either executed outright or 'disappeared,' never to be heard from again.
Since 1991, the Kurdish Regional Government has put in sewers, electricity and phone lines. They've done their best to make it more habitable and less slum. We met several families there. One woman told us she thanks President Bush for liberating Iraq.
Debra Argel just came in, I'll turn the keyboard over to her.
I.m Joseph Williams, Gold Star Father.
To anwser your question(s):
Today we met people who survived the Anfal campaign Saddam waged against the Kurds. One lady lost her entire family. It was really emotional and I think we need to help these people. There are about 326 families living in this area. All these people were scheduld to be executed before America saved them.
I can't say how much they appreciate that, they were so happy to meet us. We told them that we were all family. They were deeply touched.
Saddam's verdict, the people there wanted justice done to avenge the dirty deeds done them by Saddam. As far as Saddam's execution, the sooner the better. And when it happens I will be high-fiving everyone I know and drinking a very big toast.
Hello to all from Iraq,
As a Gold Star parent I can't tell you the feeling I had to touch down in the country where I lost my son. I wanted to see for myself the progress that is not being given any attention on the media. I am very happy that I made this trip.
We have been as close family here in Erbil and the surrounding areas. The gratitude of these people to the United States and to the President is expressed to us from everyone. They love America in this region. Today we visited women who had lost their sons and husbands under the old regime. These people live in the old camps where they were under a type of house arrest, until the day that the troops under Saddham would come for their men. Some of these women still wait as if their men will return. We were the first Americans they ever saw. They cried and mourned for our loss and their loss. I can't explain. They have nothing, but their hearts and stories were ours. I told them that they have family now in the United States. They are trying so hard to rebuild. The simple things are needed to help them get along.
The government is new, so help is needed. The President of the Kurdish region is a warm and wonderful man. He lost 35 family members under Saddham.
They know and feel our loss. They feel that a swift death for Saddham is too kind.
Those that we say goodbye to have tears in their eyes. They are fearful that Iraq will fall hard if our troops leave here.
The troops that we have visited with feel the same. They want to finish their mission, and try to ignore the news from home that some want them to abandon these people.
Very hard to put into words.
Debbie
Proud mother of Capt. Derek Argel
Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...
Hi, I'm Jan Johnson. My husband,Joe and I have been able to run into one of the guys who served with our son, Justin, and was one of the guys who went out to the site of his death that night. It was so touching, something we really didn't expect to happen. We also ran into him again today at one of our meetings and was able to talk to him some more.
You are so awesome. Please tell the troops that my family is proud of them and that we love them and we pray always for them.
Joseph Williams here.
We met a woman minister for the KRG today. She's in charge of a new ministry dealing with the Kurdish victims of Saddam. There are so many people who were killed by Saddam the Kurds had to set up this ministry to take care of the surviving families. We're told there are about 2 million widows in Iraq.
Hi, this is Joe Johnson. This afternoon we were able to go to the outskirts of Erbil. This was a slum area, something I was used to seeing in Baghdad and western Iraq. This area used to be a concentration camp built by Saddam's regime. The Kurdish people were sent here, would stay from 2 weeks to 3 months then picked up and taken out to the desert to be shot and buried in mass graves. We spoke with several older women that had lost many family members this way. These ladies called the American soldiers heroes and because of our sons sacrifices, they now have freedom.
Hello this is john Holley from Erbil Iraq,
I am as proud of my son as ever. I came here to in a small way experience what Matthew experienced.
As an Army veteran I have wanted the experience of being in a war zone and that feeling was hightened by my sons passing. So this trip has given me the feeling of walking in my son's shoes.
That was important to me because I don't expect my son to do things I haven't done myself.
Hi, Jan again. Cindy has been working with this group for a long time. It is called the Gold Star families for Peace. Believe me when I say, She doesn't speak for MOST Gold Star parents...only a few. She just gets more publicity than we do.
Hi,
I wanted you to know that we are conducting interviews via radio from here. We have seen so much that the media will never show. We are so very proud of being here and seeing some of our troops. I wanted you to know how grateful these people are to our troops and how much they fear we will leave and undo all of the good that has been done here. We have been treated like family here. Tears fill their eyes when they hear that our visit will be short. Words can't describe their gratatude to President Bush and our troops.
Debbie
Proud mother of Capt. Derek Argel
Words can not express the gratitude that I and many others feel for the men and women serving and sacrificing for us every day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Is there any media interest in this at all? It's hard to believe after the amount of attention that any anti-war dingbat gets.
Thanks so much. I actually need to hear this once in a while. My son is in Baghdad so we hear more about negative news.
This is John Holley,
We have met with troops twice now and have expressed those feelings each time, so they know.
They are helping to train the iraqi police in Kurdistan and one of their own, a female LT, was killed enroute to Mosul and they mourn her.
I told them that it was ok when they lose someone, because they did not die in vain.
It is a hard thing to say and even harder to accept.
Meeting them was awesome, among all the great things that we have experienced this week.
Please pass on your blessings to your son for his service. I pledge to you that I will continue to do what I can to spread the positive progress of our troops in this country.
Deb
The Freepers are here, Kristinn--we don't need the drive-by media. Why would they care that Gold Star parents are in Iraq to see for themselves what our troops are doing--it's the only way we'll ever find out.
What an incredible opportunity you have to be included in their pilgrimage. Our prayers are with all of you and please ask them to hug as many of our heroes as possible. We're all hoping and praying that the election goes well today. We can't abandon our troops and the Iraqis.
Hope Allegra catches up with you!
God Bless You All! And please stay safe.
Hi, this is Jan Johnson. As for the media, you are right, it is mostly slanted against the war. You don't hear alot about those of us who support the war, our leaders and our troops. If you get the chance, get the new book out called American Mourning by Melanie Morgan and Catherine Moy. It will show you both sides of the story. Too bad more people are not interested in hearing them. We wish that more media would be interested in the TRUE side of what is happening. We have experienced it personally today.
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