SwiftVets.com

[Marine's Wife]

This letter is included in this thread:
http://www2.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17435

Thanks, EJ

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Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 11:07 a.m. EST
Letter From a Fallujah Marine

Once again the blogger world has stepped up to the plate to do job the mainstream media are supposed to do - but seldom bother to do anymore.


While U.S. and Arab media went-pedal-to-the-metal with the NBC video of a Marine in Fallujah committing the "atrocity" of defending himself and his platoon against a wounded terrorist, PowerlineBlog.com has helped put the incident in perspective by publishing a letter from a brother Marine who describes just what our guys are up against.


The moving account is beginning to make the rounds on talk radio, with WABC host Mark Levin sharing it with his audience Thursday night.
We thought it was worth doing the same:

Letter From a Fallujah Marine:

This is one story of many that people normally don't hear, and one that everyone does. This is one most don't hear:

A young Marine and his cover man cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!"

He is badly wounded, lying in a pool of his own blood. The Marine and his cover man slowly walk toward the injured man, scanning to make sure no enemies come from behind. In a split second, the pressure in the room greatly exceeds that of the outside, and the concussion seems to be felt before the blast is heard. Marines outside rush to the room, and look in horror as the dust gradually settles.

The result is a room filled with the barely recognizable remains of the deceased, caused by an insurgent setting off several pounds of explosives.

The Marines' remains are gathered by teary-eyed comrades, brothers in arms, and shipped home in a box. The families can only mourn over a casket and a picture of their loved one, a life cut short by someone who hid behind a white flag.

But no one hears these stories, except those who have lived to carry remains of a friend, and the families who loved the dead. No one hears this, so no one cares.

This is the story everyone hears:

A young Marine and his fire team cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!" He is badly wounded.

Suddenly, he pulls from under his bloody clothes a grenade, without the pin. The explosion rocks the room, killing one Marine, wounding the others. The young Marine catches shrapnel in the face.

The next day, same Marine, same type of situation, a different story. The young Marine and his cover man enter a room with two wounded insurgents. One lies on the floor in a puddle of blood, another against the wall. A reporter and his camera survey the wreckage inside, and in the background can be heard the voice of a Marine, "He's moving, he's moving!"

The pop of a rifle is heard, and the insurgent against the wall is now dead. Minutes, hours later, the scene is aired on national television, and the Marine is being held for committing a war crime. Unlawful killing.

And now, another Marine has the possibility of being burned at the stake for protecting the life of his brethren. His family now wrings their hands in grief, tears streaming down their face. Brother, should I have been in your boots, I too would have done the same.

For those of you who don't know, we Marines, Band of Brothers, Jarheads, Leathernecks, etc., do not fight because we think it is right, or think it is wrong. We are here for the man to our left, and the man to our right. We choose to give our lives so that the man or woman next to us can go home and see their husbands, wives, children, friends and families.

For those of you who sit on your couches in front of your television, and choose to condemn this man's actions, I have but one thing to say to you. Get out of your recliner, lace up my boots, pick up a rifle, leave your family behind and join me. See what I've seen, walk where I have walked. To those of you who support us, my sincerest gratitude. You keep us alive.

I am a Marine currently doing his second tour in Iraq. These are my opinions and mine alone. They do not represent those of the Marine Corps or of the US military, or any other.
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You can read more at : http://p221.ezboard.com/bvoicesofpatriots We also welcome your support for the troops. They need to read it.

[Donald Callahan]

First of all, I don't think the media should have had this kind of access to the war or any war. I also feel that this Marine did what 99% of us would have done and the remaining 1% would have frozen and been killed.
This Marine did his job, the job he trained for and he did it well. He killed an enemy, not a friendly.
When Skerry did a somewhat similar thing, chasing an unarmed VC behind a hootch and shooting him in the back he was awarded a Silver Star W/ "V" device[whatever that is with a "V" device].
If this Marine is brought up on charges of war crimes or a court martial then perhaps it would be an opening for someone to bring Skerry's self proclaimed "war crimes" to light.

!st Cav Div, 68-69
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1st Cav Div Arty 68-69

[AMOS]

The media wimps have no place in war zones. No telling which side will shoot them.

At petitiononline.com there are currently nearly 85,000 signatures favoring this Marine's actions. I wish he could view the messages.