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Fri, December 10, 2004
News from a new front
U.S. SOLDIER WRITES FROM IRAQ, WHERE POLITICS HAVE NO MEANING, MARK BONOKOSKI DISCOVERS
By MARK BONOKOSKI
As American military deserter Jeremy Hinzman was presenting his case for asylum in Canada as a refugee, claiming the war in Iraq is an illegal war, retired Toronto cop Jim Kelly -- a Vietnam vet -- received a letter written by a soldier he had met years back while visiting an old Green Beret friend at Camp Drum in upper New York State. That soldier -- Major Brian Perazone -- is today serving as commander of the 43rd Civil Affairs Battalion in Iraq.
And this is what he wrote.
---
"We had an event here today at Camp Mancini, Baghdad, a little ceremony for one of our soldiers who was going home.
"Sgt. Bryan Freeman was leaving the unit, returning to his family and his hometown. He wasn't going to have to come back to Iraq, he won't have to deploy again, he won't have to leave his family and friends again.
"No one in this company wanted to see him go. They all said they would miss him. But they knew his family wanted him home. Not many soldiers get to go home this early in their tour. It takes special circumstances to go home.
"Sgt. Freeman didn't want to go home early. But he had to.
"You stand there and wonder. What would you do under the same circumstances? What would your family feel? How would they react? You can almost visualize the whole family being there waiting for you to come off the plane. The tears, the hugs. All of your family and friends know you are coming home. Will they be there to greet you? What will they say? What will they do?
"It will seem surreal, coming home from combat, not being able to explain what happened? Why you are back so soon? Will your buddies wonder? Will people talk? You want to tell them, you want them to understand. You wish you could explain it but you can't. There is no way to communicate.
GUNNED DOWN
"You see, Sgt. Freeman was killed in action last week by an Iraqi insurgent.
"He was pulling security while out on a mission and he was gunned down by some insurgent whom they never caught. Sgt. Freeman was a member of the U.S. Army's 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion. He was killed doing his duty. He was the third CA soldier killed in action from our rotation.
"Did he think about getting killed? I don't know but at some point we all do. But it won't stop us from doing our jobs.
"Will you read about this in the papers? Probably not, because an Iraqi wasn't abused or treated unfairly. You won't hear about Sgt. Freeman being treated unfairly by having his life and family taken from him at the age of 31.
"Where are the press, the war protesters, the opposition? Why don't they say anything? Oh, they talk about the war 'losses' and make political statements with 1,000 cardboard caskets in some park. Some peace-protester wonk will be interviewed by some talking head and they will speak in sombre tones of the 'tragic loss due to the misguided policies of the president' -- with emphasis on 'president.' But they do that for a political agenda, not because of some deeply profound respect for a soldier or soldiers who have done their duty and paid the ultimate price.
"Ask them if they know anything about the soldier. They will likely say no -- just that they died for some 'bankrupt U.S. foreign policy for oil.'
"Why don't they know who the soldier was? It's because they don't care. The soldier's death just furthers their agenda.
"Where are the protesters complaining about the government not having enough body armour for soldiers in combat? What about the inadequate number of up-armored vehicles? What about the shortages in parts and munitions?
"Where is the zealous pursuit of the truth in these matters by Tim Robbins, Dan Rather, and Alec Baldwin?
STOP THE TORTURE
"Always remember, when you hear of bad things being done to people throughout the world, it is the 19-year-old private, the 31-year-old father of three -- the soldiers -- who go out and stop the torture, the rape of a nation, the mutilation of living people, the destruction of a race or culture.
"It is not the press, the protesters and the critics. It is not Michael Moore or the Hollywood elite. Hope all is well, take care and be safe."
Slim
News from a new front
U.S. SOLDIER WRITES FROM IRAQ, WHERE POLITICS HAVE NO MEANING, MARK BONOKOSKI DISCOVERS
By MARK BONOKOSKI
As American military deserter Jeremy Hinzman was presenting his case for asylum in Canada as a refugee, claiming the war in Iraq is an illegal war, retired Toronto cop Jim Kelly -- a Vietnam vet -- received a letter written by a soldier he had met years back while visiting an old Green Beret friend at Camp Drum in upper New York State. That soldier -- Major Brian Perazone -- is today serving as commander of the 43rd Civil Affairs Battalion in Iraq.
And this is what he wrote.
---
"We had an event here today at Camp Mancini, Baghdad, a little ceremony for one of our soldiers who was going home.
"Sgt. Bryan Freeman was leaving the unit, returning to his family and his hometown. He wasn't going to have to come back to Iraq, he won't have to deploy again, he won't have to leave his family and friends again.
"No one in this company wanted to see him go. They all said they would miss him. But they knew his family wanted him home. Not many soldiers get to go home this early in their tour. It takes special circumstances to go home.
"Sgt. Freeman didn't want to go home early. But he had to.
"You stand there and wonder. What would you do under the same circumstances? What would your family feel? How would they react? You can almost visualize the whole family being there waiting for you to come off the plane. The tears, the hugs. All of your family and friends know you are coming home. Will they be there to greet you? What will they say? What will they do?
"It will seem surreal, coming home from combat, not being able to explain what happened? Why you are back so soon? Will your buddies wonder? Will people talk? You want to tell them, you want them to understand. You wish you could explain it but you can't. There is no way to communicate.
GUNNED DOWN
"You see, Sgt. Freeman was killed in action last week by an Iraqi insurgent.
"He was pulling security while out on a mission and he was gunned down by some insurgent whom they never caught. Sgt. Freeman was a member of the U.S. Army's 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion. He was killed doing his duty. He was the third CA soldier killed in action from our rotation.
"Did he think about getting killed? I don't know but at some point we all do. But it won't stop us from doing our jobs.
"Will you read about this in the papers? Probably not, because an Iraqi wasn't abused or treated unfairly. You won't hear about Sgt. Freeman being treated unfairly by having his life and family taken from him at the age of 31.
"Where are the press, the war protesters, the opposition? Why don't they say anything? Oh, they talk about the war 'losses' and make political statements with 1,000 cardboard caskets in some park. Some peace-protester wonk will be interviewed by some talking head and they will speak in sombre tones of the 'tragic loss due to the misguided policies of the president' -- with emphasis on 'president.' But they do that for a political agenda, not because of some deeply profound respect for a soldier or soldiers who have done their duty and paid the ultimate price.
"Ask them if they know anything about the soldier. They will likely say no -- just that they died for some 'bankrupt U.S. foreign policy for oil.'
"Why don't they know who the soldier was? It's because they don't care. The soldier's death just furthers their agenda.
"Where are the protesters complaining about the government not having enough body armour for soldiers in combat? What about the inadequate number of up-armored vehicles? What about the shortages in parts and munitions?
"Where is the zealous pursuit of the truth in these matters by Tim Robbins, Dan Rather, and Alec Baldwin?
STOP THE TORTURE
"Always remember, when you hear of bad things being done to people throughout the world, it is the 19-year-old private, the 31-year-old father of three -- the soldiers -- who go out and stop the torture, the rape of a nation, the mutilation of living people, the destruction of a race or culture.
"It is not the press, the protesters and the critics. It is not Michael Moore or the Hollywood elite. Hope all is well, take care and be safe."
Slim
