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Posted on 09/07/2004 4:28:53 PM PDT by Libloather
US soldiers in Iraq say 1,000 death toll meaningless
2 hours, 30 minutes ago
BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - The deaths of 1,000 American troops in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein has only strengthened US resolve to restore security to the strife-torn country, soldiers said.
Dismissing parallels with the 1961-75 war in Vietnam, officers lashed out at the media for playing the grim-reaper over the mounting casualty toll and failing to appreciate the sacrifices made by each soldier.
"It sucks. The newspapers glorify it. Everyday, reporting the numbers going up and up, trying to push a point," said Captain Gregory Wingard, 39, at the 1st Infantry Division's Camp Warhorse near Baquba, north of Baghdad.
"Sad as it is for those 1,000 families and their friends, they're nothing to the number of Iraqis that get killed trying to defend their own families," he added, smoking a cigar with friends under the stars.
"There's one word you have to push back at them. Gettsburg: 63,000 killed in a single day," said Sergeant Kimberly Snow, 35, from Ohio, refering to the US civil war battle.
The conversation turns to a comrade, a Muslim US soldier who was killed in June when a suicide bomber blew up a car outside the north gate of the base.
"I'm nervous, sure, because you don't know. When I lay down on my rack for the first 10 minutes I'm listening for mortars," said Wingard.
The bombs make him "I want to get that bastard."
US patrols are considered combat missions and soldiers have to be prepared to the worst every time they roll out of their bases.
"There's always a fear in the back of your head, but you can't let it take over," said Snow, speaking about the soldiers' biggest scourge -- the improvised explosive device, known as IEDs to the army, or a roadside bomb to civilians.
"The scary thing is its not like facing a normal enemy and you've got a good chance of fighting back. You're just tooling down the road and boom there's an explosion," said National Guard Major Tony Quinn, from North Carolina.
"If 1,000 died today, that'd be pretty significant, but its just another number," said 36-year-old Quinn, who is based along the Iran-Iraqi border.
"Every single soldier knows the risk. You do the best you can with your day and don't think about it. If I was to get killed tomorrow by an IED, I would not regret coming over here," said Captain Michael Adams, 37, from Oregon.
"Six months ago people were afraid of their own shadow. Now I've seen kids playing in the park, farmers are out working. Now they can have a chance at rebuilding their country," he added.
"Obviously when you loose people, its a tragic time. But you don't loose morale. It strengthens your resolve," said Specialist Robert Bybee, 21, deployed in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit.
But for several young soldiers, barely old enough to graduate from college or have a beer in a US bar, the horror of war and the separation from loved ones is wearing thin.
"I'm scared even to take a shower in case they mortar us. I want to go home and be with my wife and start a family," said Specialist Luis Cruz, 21, from Puerto Rico, also based near Baquba.
But none of the soldiers accept any similarities with Vietnam, where tens of thousands of soldiers were killed before the United States finally withdrew.
"Once in a while people make comparisons, but I don't think the majority of soldiers feel there are any similarities," said Quinn.
"We are winning the hearts and minds... It's nothing like Vietnam. We're still missing 60,000, 52,000 were killed. We've had 1,000 soldiers die, how can you make a comparison?" said Wingard.
And the left calls this a living hell?
Trivia question - how many college students in the US commit suicide every year?
Shows you how far our combat capabilities have come: in WW II, it cost us 1200 Marines dead just to take Iwo Jima. To conquer and HOLD Iraq and Afghanistan with fewer than 1500 dead is a feat for the record books.
" We've had 1,000 soldiers die, how can you make a comparison?" said Wingard."
It's because these sick f*cks in the media and on the left WANT it to turn into Vietnam!!! They want more soldiers to die, and they want to revive the draft....so they can then begin to undermine America's will in the WOT.
In a nutshell? Anyone of them that swallow hook line and sinker the liberal leanings on college campus'.
How many?
About 1000 - but you should know that from all the headlines...
"...in WW II, it cost us 1200 Marines dead just to take Iwo Jima..."
Yeah, but Kerry was so darned nice to remember those marines by putting a picture mimicking the famous Iowa Jima picture...right there on the cover of his "The New Soldier." Of course, those mimics WERE long-haired hippies and the US flag WAS upside down...but those were just minor differences.
Bump...
The Frenchies at AFP need to outsource their proofreading to an English speaking country. Of course, what can you expect from a people who spell "beefsteak" "bifteck"?
Good point! How many people are killed on American highways and city roads in a day? Kerry is trying to start the body bag count as he did before and now doing it again with our men and women fighting another war, he knows no shame. Everything Kerry says now is suspect and easily routed to the truth. Kerry's four months with a little enemy fire does not make him an expert by any means - he is dangerous because he will just make it up as he goes along just as he is doing it on the economy.
Wait a minute, which soldier said the death toll was meaningless? Obviously not meaningless, if it strengthened their resolve.
I think the media's preoccupation with the "1000 Mark" gave terrorists a target and motive.
I just a bit ago watched the beginning of the peter jennings so called news program. He pissed me off so much that I nearly smashed the TV.
Well, perhaps I exaggerate, but I do not care for that fellow. His reporting is outrageous, and I was indeed upset about it.
The liberal media will nonetheless keep wringing their hands and gnashing their teeth over the "1,000" Americans they couldn't care less about anyway. What they care about is the fate of their good buddy Saddam, who gave these "journalists" access -- all they had to do was lie and propagandize for him, which was easy since they've been doing that for so long anyway.
It was about 7pm tonight and my doorbell rang.Nobody ever rings my doorbell in the evening. It startled me because I was just reading about the 14 new casualties in the past two days in Bagdad. My son is in Bagdad. I walked downstairs afraid that there would be someone from the Army bringing me bad news. I opened the door and saw just some poor kid with a clipboard. I must have looked awful because he was apologizing profusely for having disturbed me. I support President Bush's decision to go to war. I know it has to be somebody's son doing the fighting and I can't expect it to be only the other person's son putting his life on the line. But I would be lying if I didn't say that this has certainly been the most difficult time of my life.
My prayers are with all the soldiers and the families that wait at home.
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the RATS said we'd lose 1000 to 3000 in the FIRST THREE DAYS... and 7000 to 10,000 the first month!!! i'd say we're doing OK... losing almost 1500 to free 50million in Iraq and 25million in Afghanistan is just short of a miracle
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