Tweet
Okay, I've held onto this long enough.
About 4 months ago, one of the groomsmen in my wedding, and friend since I remember standing up to piss, was killed in Iraq. Still a fantastic friend when he died, and someone I e-mailed with multiple times a month while he was there.
Not looking for any sorry for your loss bullshit. It's life, and he was a soldier, but his wife gave me some of his shit that he had over there with him...and in it was a letter that he wrote to me in case he died (he wrote a few of them to his family and close friends). One of the great things about Bobby is that he never...ever commented on the war. He joined the Army for very specific reasons. He graduated from college the same time as I did, and immediately signed on for grad school...physical therapy. One thing he and I always talked about was how we didn't sign up for Desert Storm, like our friend Donny...and we should have.
I joined the business world after grad school...he joined the Army...and loved it. He bugged the shit out of me to join...and I almost did, but was working a good job...making good money...and coaching JV basketball and baseball...
so I didn't...
It was great when I moved where I am today...he was at Bragg...I was 30 minutes away from him...first time in many years that we were neighbors again.
Anyways...
his wife gave me a few of his things that he said he wanted me to have. He gave me his 357 that his Dad had given him (only as a caretaker for his son...who's 2), a bunch of other personal shit...and that note...
and the only thing I'm going to comment on here is this...
Most of you know which political side I'm on...or assume that you do...so take this for what it's worth...and you'll immediately know why I almost didn't post it...
but what the fuck...if you aren't able to change your beliefs as you learn...then what the fuck is the point...
I'm going to quote...
"I joined the Army 15 years ago because I felt that the United States has a right to defend other countries against those that feel the need to take away their freedoms. In this way, the United States shows the world that freedom deserves defending. We defended Kuwait all those years ago from a maniac. We didn't join, and we spent many cold beers talking about a mistake that we made. The funny thing is that the one thing that always left us in a hazy shade of gray was the fact that Kuwait WASN'T the United States, and we weren't defending our country. I'm about to serve my second tour of Iraq now, and after all those years of wondering, I now think I understand our fatal flaw, and our fatal understanding of our discussions, and how I now think that you made the right move, and I perhaps didn't. We both share a love of this country. We both would defend her colors no matter what....9/11...That was why I joined this Army. I joined this Army to defend her borders, to hunt down the people that don't respect the freedom that we represent. To protect the land that our fathers helped build.
Kuwait? They were opressed by another leader, and that would have effected our borders, I'm sure of that. Afghanistan? Osama Bin Laden, Al Queida, we should stay there, and in Pakistan, until the job is done. Of that, I'm sure of. Iraq? To get the guy that opressed so many all those years ago, and ever since? I'm sure of that. But now? We sit here day after day, policing people that don't want us here. Walking down the street could be the end. You look at the faces of the Iraqi people, and most are staring at you with hatred or fear. Every so often you'll catch a look that really scares you in the crowd, and chances are, that person will end up dead, and taking out a few friends as well. Every so often, you'll see that face, of a kid, who wants to live like we did as kids, and you'll almost think we are doing the right thing.
Then you hear an explosion of some religious zealout (or worse, a terrorist pretending to be a religious zealout) that more than likely killed many locals, and many soldiers. Then you think about your family and your friends at home, sitting at McDonalds, riding down the street in their cars listening to their CD players, laying naked in their pools out back, BBQing, listening to a little AC/DC or Van Halen. You realize that most of the people at home will never, ever be effected by what we are doing right now. Sure, we got rid of Saddam, and I am convinced we needed to to bookend the war 16 years ago. But if you ever come here, you quickly realize that freedom to these people and freedom to us are very different things. You realize that freedom for one Iraqi, and freedom to another are very different things. We won't change it, we will only make it worse.
Every day, you see more and more of those faces that scare you. Every day, you almost FEEL the world hating us a little more.
This isn't the United States' war anymore. It ended a couple of years ago. Right now, there are so many of us that continue to serve because of an oath, but continue to doubt why we are here. If I survive this war, I will retire at my nearest opportunity. You won't see this letter, but I'm sure, at some point, a few years from now in your backyard, after about 10 beers and whatever else we can find, you'll hear my thoughts, and how they've changed. You may disagree, and I accept that. It's the US, and that's why I served, to allow us all to have opinions that we can speak out loud.
I just wish that we were defending those right now. Unfortunately, we aren't."
There was a lot more than that in the letter, but some of it far more personal, and far more...well...it won't make it in here.
He was a good guy, and a fantastic soldier, father, friend.
And when it was all said and done...well...whatever...
feel free to discuss...
About 4 months ago, one of the groomsmen in my wedding, and friend since I remember standing up to piss, was killed in Iraq. Still a fantastic friend when he died, and someone I e-mailed with multiple times a month while he was there.
Not looking for any sorry for your loss bullshit. It's life, and he was a soldier, but his wife gave me some of his shit that he had over there with him...and in it was a letter that he wrote to me in case he died (he wrote a few of them to his family and close friends). One of the great things about Bobby is that he never...ever commented on the war. He joined the Army for very specific reasons. He graduated from college the same time as I did, and immediately signed on for grad school...physical therapy. One thing he and I always talked about was how we didn't sign up for Desert Storm, like our friend Donny...and we should have.
I joined the business world after grad school...he joined the Army...and loved it. He bugged the shit out of me to join...and I almost did, but was working a good job...making good money...and coaching JV basketball and baseball...
so I didn't...
It was great when I moved where I am today...he was at Bragg...I was 30 minutes away from him...first time in many years that we were neighbors again.
Anyways...
his wife gave me a few of his things that he said he wanted me to have. He gave me his 357 that his Dad had given him (only as a caretaker for his son...who's 2), a bunch of other personal shit...and that note...
and the only thing I'm going to comment on here is this...
Most of you know which political side I'm on...or assume that you do...so take this for what it's worth...and you'll immediately know why I almost didn't post it...
but what the fuck...if you aren't able to change your beliefs as you learn...then what the fuck is the point...
I'm going to quote...
"I joined the Army 15 years ago because I felt that the United States has a right to defend other countries against those that feel the need to take away their freedoms. In this way, the United States shows the world that freedom deserves defending. We defended Kuwait all those years ago from a maniac. We didn't join, and we spent many cold beers talking about a mistake that we made. The funny thing is that the one thing that always left us in a hazy shade of gray was the fact that Kuwait WASN'T the United States, and we weren't defending our country. I'm about to serve my second tour of Iraq now, and after all those years of wondering, I now think I understand our fatal flaw, and our fatal understanding of our discussions, and how I now think that you made the right move, and I perhaps didn't. We both share a love of this country. We both would defend her colors no matter what....9/11...That was why I joined this Army. I joined this Army to defend her borders, to hunt down the people that don't respect the freedom that we represent. To protect the land that our fathers helped build.
Kuwait? They were opressed by another leader, and that would have effected our borders, I'm sure of that. Afghanistan? Osama Bin Laden, Al Queida, we should stay there, and in Pakistan, until the job is done. Of that, I'm sure of. Iraq? To get the guy that opressed so many all those years ago, and ever since? I'm sure of that. But now? We sit here day after day, policing people that don't want us here. Walking down the street could be the end. You look at the faces of the Iraqi people, and most are staring at you with hatred or fear. Every so often you'll catch a look that really scares you in the crowd, and chances are, that person will end up dead, and taking out a few friends as well. Every so often, you'll see that face, of a kid, who wants to live like we did as kids, and you'll almost think we are doing the right thing.
Then you hear an explosion of some religious zealout (or worse, a terrorist pretending to be a religious zealout) that more than likely killed many locals, and many soldiers. Then you think about your family and your friends at home, sitting at McDonalds, riding down the street in their cars listening to their CD players, laying naked in their pools out back, BBQing, listening to a little AC/DC or Van Halen. You realize that most of the people at home will never, ever be effected by what we are doing right now. Sure, we got rid of Saddam, and I am convinced we needed to to bookend the war 16 years ago. But if you ever come here, you quickly realize that freedom to these people and freedom to us are very different things. You realize that freedom for one Iraqi, and freedom to another are very different things. We won't change it, we will only make it worse.
Every day, you see more and more of those faces that scare you. Every day, you almost FEEL the world hating us a little more.
This isn't the United States' war anymore. It ended a couple of years ago. Right now, there are so many of us that continue to serve because of an oath, but continue to doubt why we are here. If I survive this war, I will retire at my nearest opportunity. You won't see this letter, but I'm sure, at some point, a few years from now in your backyard, after about 10 beers and whatever else we can find, you'll hear my thoughts, and how they've changed. You may disagree, and I accept that. It's the US, and that's why I served, to allow us all to have opinions that we can speak out loud.
I just wish that we were defending those right now. Unfortunately, we aren't."
There was a lot more than that in the letter, but some of it far more personal, and far more...well...it won't make it in here.
He was a good guy, and a fantastic soldier, father, friend.
And when it was all said and done...well...whatever...
feel free to discuss...
Your friend's letter is serious food for thought, however. Excellent post.
Comment