SwiftVets.com

[Grant K. Holcomb]

Why We Fought - Iraq Revisited

I think everyday about what our Marines and Soldiers are going through in Iraq. However, I do not question the extreme importance of the Iraq war.

Upon my return from Iraq I was greeted by a grateful and supportive nation. This was not the case for the generation of veterans that preceded me.

John F. Kerry did everything in his power to turn all Americans against those who served in Vietnam. Because of John Kerry's actions, how many American citizens sought deferment as he did initially and how many dodged the draft? Because of John Kerry's persistence and eloquence, how can anyone blame President Clinton, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Senator John Edwards for not serving in the military?

While I served in Iraq, the record clearly shows that Senator John F. Kerry tried to undermine my service to our nation through his votes against the war and the weapon systems I utilized. Also, his complete inaction to improve our nation's intelligence system in nearly 20 years is unconscionable.

As a combat veteran and a Senator, John Kerry is part of our nation's checks and balance system. As an elected representative he should have acted accordingly on the committees to which he was assigned. However, where are the studies, reports, and analysis on the quality of intelligence our nation collects and the recommendations on how to improve it? All we received from Senator John Kerry were votes against further intelligence funding.

While George W. Bush was the Governor of Texas, Senator John Kerry was laying the foundation that resulted in the current war and is vastly more accountable for any "miscalculations" due to his unacceptable conduct as a U.S Senator. Those who call Bush a liar about the reasons for going to war should direct their attack at Senator John Kerry. Also, how can an individual who ignored such a critical issue as intelligence instantly become a leader of its evolution? The lack of importance of this issue over the past 20 years is also a key indicator of John Kerry's true intentions.

Senator John Kerry is not for the current Iraq war or any war ever. He will do and say whatever it takes to convince as many voters as possible that he is. Just ask Dan Rather at CBS how far Senator John Kerry will go? If he becomes President he will continue his nearly 40 year old obsession to shape the United States of America into his own image.

From James Rassmann's description of John Kerry on March 13, 1969, my image of John Kerry is of him with his back to a container of rice bracing with his fingers in his ears - waiting for his own hand grenade to explode. However, this time the American people will get the shrapnel in their "buttocks" not John Kerry.

Our nation must continue to bring the fight directly to the global Islamic terrorists. As horrible and frightening as the current Iraq situation appears to be to most Americans, it is accomplishing a long term strategic goal of critical importance.

In non-military terms Iraq is a "terrorist fly zapper". Islamic extremists from all Muslim nations are attracted to the Iraq conflict by their "Jihad" heritage and hatred of Christians and Jews instilled since birth. The web site "jihadwatch.org" says it best:

"Jihad is a central duty of every Muslim. Modern Muslim theologians have spoken of many things as jihads: defending the faith from critics, supporting its growth and defense financially, even migrating to non-Muslim lands for the purpose of spreading Islam. But violent jihad is a constant of Islamic history. Many passages of the Qur'an and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad are used by radical Muslims today to justify their actions and gain new recruits. No major Muslim group has ever repudiated the doctrines of armed jihad. The theology of jihad, which denies unbelievers equality of human rights and dignity, is available today for anyone with the will and means to bring it to life."

Our Marines and Soldiers are inflicting greater than 10 to 1 deaths and casualties against the Islamic terrorists and consuming a majority of their global command, communications, coordination, financial, and weapons resources. We are safer as a nation against this threat because of the war in Iraq.

Our nation has successfully projected its military power across the globe, in the time and place of our choosing, and in weeks destroyed the most powerful military force in the Muslim world. We are now grinding down the Islamic terrorist foundation like shoving a pencil into an electric pencil sharpener. If our nation continues its resolve, Iraq will become a democratic nation. Personal freedom, particularly for women, destroys Jihad. The two are mutually exclusive. Democracy is a global virus and is a natural progression of free will. We do not need to be occupiers, just catalysts.

North Korea and Iran are so afraid that they have disclosed their hand on their nuclear weapons plans, which they have been working on secretly for years. North Korea is desperately trying to make the world think it has completed nuclear weapons as a deterrence. North Korean and Iran, which have less military resources and money than Iraq did before the war, know their potential fate. Unfortunately, we would probably know more about their respective nuclear weapons progress if not for Senator John Kerry's inaction in developing a human intelligence capability.

Senator John Kerry does not have the resolve for this multiple generation war. When the United States of America left Vietnam, MILLIONS of innocent people were murdered. Just ask any of the 1.2 million Vietnamese-Americans how they feel about Senator John Kerry:

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~24781~2395470,00.html

It would be ironic justice if John Kerry loses the race for the Presidency by the number of Vietnamese-American voters!

If any American citizen is concerned that its Marines and Soldiers do not have the resolve for this lengthy war, below is a letter I wrote over a decade ago, just a few months before my battalion had to clear the mine field and take the airport. I feel the same now. The young Marines I trained are now in Iraq. As a reservist on the current recall list I would go back if and when ordered without reservation.

In the first Gulf War, just before "G-Day", my battalion was issued enough body bags for nearly half the unit. Most of us actually expected to die. The Iraqis had more weapons, ammunition, and better supply lines. We positioned ourselves directly in front of an Iraqi battalion defending their mine field. We could look each other in the eyes through our binoculars. In the open desert there was no place to hide from enemy weapons fire. We went on foot through the Iraqi mine field at night in full chemical suites. We inflicted greater than 70% casualties on the Iraqi defenders and captured over 7,000 Iraqi prisoners in 48 hours. The highest award issued was a combat action ribbon and a few Purple Hearts. We do not see ourselves as "war heroes", just Marines doing our duty. Medals are for Marines who jump on hand grenades or intentionally take a round for a fellow Marine. When I read how John Kerry served in Vietnam, sought medals, and abandoned his command and subordinates after four months, it makes me ashamed to say that we were both Officers in the U.S. Naval Service. The "Swift Boat Veterans for TRUTH" have every right to be disgusted and outraged.

John Kerry should not be a Senator, let alone become the President of the United States of America!

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Captain Holcomb served with the 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, in the Persian Gulf In the fall of 1990, he received a letter from Mrs Ann Dyer's third-grade class at Montague School in Santa Clara, California. Mrs Dyer's students asked Captain Holcomb a number of questions about Desert Shield in particular and war in general. This letter is Captain Holcomb's answer to those questions.

Why We Fought

by Captain Grant K. Holcomb, USMC

It was wonderful to get your letters. I cannot thank you enough for your concern. I hope to answer all of your many questions. You are our future; it is important that you know what is happening in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. This must never happen again.

I will start by answering your toughest question first: "Have you started a war yet?" I am here to stop a war, not start it. Your letters remind me well of why I am here. You were free to write what you wanted, send it around the world without it being stopped, and you never have to worry about being threatened for what you wrote. A child cannot do that in Iraq and can no longer do that in Kuwait. Far worse than the loss of freedoms is the total loss of value of a human life. To the leaders of Iraq, death is as much a part of government business as garbage collection. This is a hard thing to ask of you, but briefly imagine living every second of your life in fear of being killed. You are so lucky to be safe and free in America.

I am here in Saudi Arabia to protect this country from Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq. He became their leader by killing many people. The Iraqi people had no choice in the matter, they have no vote or other say in their government like we do. Saddam Hussein needs large sums of money to stay in power. He seeks the power of controlling everyone around him. To get the money he needs he must have more control over the world's oil supply. He sent his army into Kuwait to take its oil and money. He would control one-half of the world's oil supply if he could also take Saudi Arabia's oil with his army.

Saddam Hussein is more evil than I can possibly describe in writing. He started by killing his own brother at age 10. He has killed entire cities of his own people with poison gas. He has more people killed weekly in Iraq and Kuwait than are in your classroom as you read this letter. When his army went into Kuwait, they killed far more people everyday than are in your entire school.

What should the United States do now? There are some very hard questions to answer about how to deal with a murderer. The best way I know how to answer this is to try to answer the following questions:

1. Should the United States let Iraq destroy other nations?
2. Should the United States let Iraq inflate the price of oil or let it cut oil off from nations it does not like?

When Iraq destroyed Kuwait, great numbers of people were, and are still, killed. The taking of human life is the toughest subject there is to discuss. I am an officer in the United States Marine Corps. My personal belief is that the preservation of human life is the absolute most important value. As a Marine, part of the most successful war fighting forces in the world's and United States' 200-year history, this value may seem a contradiction. Just like a police officer breaks the speed limit to catch a speeder. I may be forced to kill a killer. All the wishing, hoping, praying, and protesting by anyone does not change the fact that Saddam Hussein considers murder an acceptable act. If someone was in your classroom trying to kill you, I would stop them. I would do so even if it meant I had to die in the process. Your lives are that valuable to me, and I do not even know you. I do not know the children of Kuwait either. Are their lives any less valuable than your own? No, they are not. All lives are of equal value. This presents a problem. What about Saddam Hussein's life?

I am so close to where Saddam Hussein's army is killing people that I could be there in the time it takes for you to read this letter. I constantly think about justifying his death. My own possible death makes me very sensitive to how precious life is. I would like some day to have a son or daughter in Mrs. Dyer's classroom. How do I justify being here? Imagine a large shark. To a shark, it is not a murderer. It does what it must to stay alive. It does not think it has done anything wrong when it hurts a person. Sharks have their place in the world; you must respect them when in their domain. However, what if you found a shark in your swimming pool? Would you invite your friends over to come swimming and have them eaten? You have the power to protect your friends. Saddam Hussein is a shark in the world's swimming pool. Unfortunately, and against our strongest value, removing the shark from the pool will kill it.

To answer your second question, you must understand the role oil plays in your world. If I could snap fingers and make everything disappear that either directly or indirectly needed oil for it to exist, you would be sitting naked in the dirt. I am not here in Saudi Arabia representing American oil companies; I am here by choice to protect lives. However, I understand the direct impact oil has on human life. It keeps us warm, fed, housed, and free to move. Its uses in producing electricity, heat, lubrication, medicine, and plastics affect everyone directly everyday. Those few Americans who protest my being here forget very quickly. Without oil they could not drive to where they protest or get their opinion on TV, radio, or paper without the oil to provide power to do so. If the price of oil gets too high, they cannot then afford to even express their opinion. No one could afford to hear it either. Ask Mrs. Dyer what a hypocrite is.

If Saddam Hussein controlled most of the world's oil, imagine the power he would have. Look at what he has done to his own people. Children near your age are forced to carry machineguns and fight. Since Russia is going through great changes, the United States is the only country in the world with a military force strong enough to stop his plan of controlling the oil. There are many countries that do not have the money to buy enough oil if it gets too expensive. Already, countries that need oil for heating during the winter have many freezing deaths, mostly children. Do we let Saddam Hussein indirectly kill people all over the world? No, we do not! I am a Marine, and I will stop Saddam Hussein. You can be very proud of your Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who are here in Saudi Arabia. We know what we have to do, the risks to our lives, and how important to the people of the world that we be successful.

Now that I hope I have answered your hardest question, I will answer the rest of them. Several of you wrote, "Is it hot?" I am from Florida and thought 95 degrees at the beach was hot. Since I got here 59 days ago the average temperature has been 115 degrees with the high being 120 degrees. At first it was unbearable. It is like looking into the oven to see what is for dinner, but it stays that hot all the time. Since my unit is from Twentynine Palms, CA, my Marines already know how to survive in the desert. You must force yourself to drink large quantities of water, even if your stomach hurts. Just like a car dies when its radiator leaks out its cooling water, so do humans. I consider myself a professional, and I put a great deal of pride into what I do, but the heat makes you slow and hesitant to work hard. We were forced to sleep all day and work all night to keep from killing anyone. Now we are all so used to working in 115 degrees that 90 degrees feels like winter is just around the corner. It is now starting to get very cold at night and soon it will be freezing at night. They will be issuing winter clothing and sleeping bags to us soon. All the Marines here really appreciate how wonderful America is now that we have been here so long.

Many of you asked where I sleep. I sleep right on the sand. I recently got a 1/2-inch-thick air mat in the mail that I sleep on. Since there is nothing but soft sand where we are, I do not worry much about rocks in my back. We have no tents, and since it does not rain here, we do not need them. However, I have woken up recently wet from the dew that forms at night. Things dry up in minutes when the sun comes up. I actually sleep very well and have gotten quite used to the ground. I do miss my pillow though; my neck hurts when I wake up. If you see pictures of tents in Time magazine, remember I am a Marine. The Army has much more money for tents, cots, and other such comforts. Besides, me and my Marines are doing fine and would rather spend taxpayers' money on more weapons than unnecessary personal comforts. You asked in your letters if there were lots of people, houses, stores, and hotels. Since my Marines are not allowed to associate with or use Saudi facilities, we really never see anyone. For hundreds of miles in every direction, there is nothing but rolling sand. I have driven through three cities that look just like ours to include Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hardees, etc. I have seen signs for a Holiday Inn. The Saudis own and live in homes like ours. We occasionally see a herd of camels led by Bedouin tribesmen. They live all over the desert here. They also herd sheep, which eat the very short grassy shrubs that grow every 10 feet or so in the sand. The Bedouins are a very rugged, proud people. They have been extremely supportive and appreciative of us being here. We have gone out of our way to be respectful of their culture. This is their home, and we are only temporary guests.

You asked if there were bees, lizards, and other bugs here. Absolutely, yes! There are so many scorpions here and we regularly have Marines get stung. There is a black scorpion that grows to several inches in length. I keep one in a can that is so big it can hold a saltine cracker in its claws while it eats it. (I did not know scorpions ate crackers.) The scorpions are very dangerous because their poison is so strong. There are at least six types of poisonous snakes. We have caught a cobra, two horned vipers, and another type of viper since we got here. They like to hide in our uniforms when we take them off. The ants are amazing here; they are strong, fast, and eat anything.

There is also a giant black beetle, but it is harmless. I woke up last night because one crawled across my chest. The beetles like to get into our food. They can chew their way through cardboard. There is a very large lizard out here, about two feet long, that digs very deep holes in the ground. We rarely see them. We thought there were no rats until we caught one running across the sand trying to steal a package of Lifesavers. I have not experienced any mosquitoes, but the flies are terrible. They are afraid of nothing and like to get into your mouth. We have all learned to check our clothes, boots and packs for scorpions and snakes and have learned to survive with our new "friends."

I have to tell one story about SSgt Gonzalez, who works for me. We had driven to a new position at night so the Iraqi army would have a hard time knowing where we were. When we were through setting up our operations center he sat down and leaned back to rest. A six-inch scorpion stung him in the hand. He said the pain was instantaneous and in a short time he started to lose the feeling in his arm and shoulder. We immediately radioed for a helicopter to fly him to the Marine Corps hospital. The helicopter was five hours late picking him up. It almost ran out of gas and had to land. After it refueled, it crashed seconds after it took off again. No one was badly hurt. A truck finally picked him up at the crash site and rushed him to the hospital. While the truck was driving, the back blew off and almost threw him on the highway. When he finally got to the hospital, it turns out he was also sick, from food poisoning. Since the hospital had just been set up, the new doctors did not know the best way to treat a scorpion sting. It may sound horrible, but we laughed for days-if none of that could kill the staff sergeant, Saddam Hussein purely could not either!

One of you asked if I wear Army boots. Absolutely not. I am a Marine, and I wear combat boots. The boots may look the same to the casual observer, but it is what is inside them that makes the difference. The Marine Corps has never lost a major battle in its 214-year history. I am confident that if Saddam Hussein forces us to fight him, he will see that the Marine Corps is to war what Michael Jordan is to basketball.

Many of you asked me what I eat. We are issued three times a day a small rectangular, heavy, green plastic bag called a meal-ready-to-eat (MRE). The MREs come in a case of 12. Each case has the same 12 meals: diced turkey, ham slices, pork patty, beef patty, beef stew, chicken a la king, frankfurters, chicken loaf, meat balls with BBQ sauce, beef slices and BBQ diced with gravy. Each package has crackers, peanut butter or cheese, cake, salt, pepper, sugar, coffee, gum, matches, toilet paper, and a candy bar. Some meals have beans in tomato sauce or applesauce. The ones we eat were made in 1985. I have lost 20 pounds since I got here, so that should tell you something about how good it tastes. Some evenings trucks come with hot food, but to be honest, many of the meals we have eaten, we have not been able to give a name. Some type of meat with noodles and sauce. I really miss McDonald's and my wife's great cooking. For the first time in my 31 years of living, I wish I had a plate of vegetables. I would eat a giant bowl of green beans, broccoli, or corn if I could get it. I also miss fresh salads. I have to stop; this is making me very hungry.

One of you asked if I like my job and if I was having fun. I have to be very honest. There have been a few occasions where I have never been happier (only a few, however). As an officer I really love working with my Marines, I care very much for my men. I show them respect, keep them informed, and do my best to protect them. When they go out of their way to show me they appreciate and respect me, it makes it all worthwhile. Everyone wants to feel they have value and that their existence makes a difference. I feel that way now. I have been a Marine since I was 17 years old, and now I make decisions that affect the lives of 900 men. I love being in charge and leading strong, well-trained, very disciplined warriors. My country needs me, and my job makes me feel important.

Many of you ask what I do. I am a senior captain in a Marine Corps infantry battalion. An infantry battalion is made up of five companies with roughly 900 Marines total. We are a ground fighting force, meaning we do not have tanks, artillery (cannons), or aircraft. These weapons do, however, come under our control in combat. My position would put me between the principal and a senior teacher if your school was a battalion. The principal would tell me what he or she wanted and I would carry out those instructions by directing the teachers. As the assistant operations officer, I have 14 Marines who work directly for me. Most of my time is spent planning combat missions. Another job I have is senior watch officer for the battalion's combat operations center. In that role, after directed by my commanding officer or operations officer, I either directly or indirectly control and monitor the actions of the battalion's Marines, and the tanks, artillery, aircraft, or other weapons that come under our control. When not rehearsing combat missions, I supervise the battalion's training to get my Marines ready. The best part of my job is when I get to train Marines. I have taken 300 Marines out to teach them how to shoot machine guns. I teach a hand-to-hand combat class a few times a week to get my Marines even more prepared for that time when they may be forced to fight. Some days are very, very slow, and the only thing we do is clean our weapons, write letters, and exercise. Then we will go day and night for up to five days without any sleep rehearsing a possible combat mission. We even use our own Marines as the enemy to make it as realistic as we can. We are ready for Saddam Hussein.

One of you asked how I was. First of all, thank you for asking. I feel great peace in my heart that I am doing the right thing. From the comments from my bosses and my Marines, I am confident I am ready to lead my Marines into combat. I have lost a lot of weight and no longer exercise like I want, so I feel I should do more to stay strong. That is one of the reasons I started a hand-to-hand combat class. I do not get much sleep each day, so I am always a little tired. Because I am tired of the same food, I am always a little hungry. I have had only one shower in 30 days, so I am very, very dirty. Your parents would not dare let me in their house. I smell so bad. My clothes are so dirty they stand up without a hanger. We have enough water for drinking and shaving, not showers. I am used to the heat. The real problem that I have is that I miss my best friend, my wife Joan. I love her so very much. I miss talking to her and holding her. God blessed me with a very special partner, and it is tough being so far away. I can't even make a phone call from where I am. Getting a letter from her gives me new energy and strength. The people of America should send mail and packages to the wives and girlfriends of the Marines, not Marines. They are the ones left alone with the pain of our absence.

I would like to end this letter by answering one last question. "Are you scared?" Many years ago when I was first a Marine, I would say yes. I have been all over the world for the past 11 years. I have seen several of my closest friends killed. I have held dead Marines in my arms, and I have survived several very close calls. When I am home in the United States, every minute is precious to me. I smile every second because I know I live in the most beautiful, free, and powerful country in the world. I am not scared right now. I am not afraid to die for what I believe in. There are a lot of people in this world who would do anything to destroy the United States. As long as they know there are strong, dedicated leaders in the United States who will do everything it takes to protect our society, we are safe. I have freely accepted my part in assuming that responsibility. There is no room for fear. If we are to keep our country great we must all be responsible citizens. Give more than you take from others. Care for everyone around you. Get involved in your government. Keep the environment clean so it will last. Stop the waste of our resources. We can stop being dependent on oil if we use coal properly or switch to hydrogen and solar energy. It starts with you, our children. God bless you.

Semper Fidelis.

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Sincerely,

Grant K. Holcomb
Larkspur, CO
marine@healthcommunications.org
_________________
Grant K. Holcomb

[Dimsdale]

Bravo! This goes into my personal archives!

On

[Kimmymac]

Mr. Holcomb, Thank you for sharing that with us. It was beautifully and articulately written. My children would have been elementary aged at the time, and I could picture them writting to you and then reading your answer. I had to laugh at your remark that you do not wear Army boots, you are a Marine, and you wear combat boots--they look the same but are different because of what is in them. And the comments about the tents, and that the Marines would rather America bought more weapons.

It brought back so many memories of my dad. My dad was a Marine. He passed away in June, and I miss him every day. It is strange, I suppose, but my dad being a Marine is as much a part of who I am as the color of my hair or the shape of my face. It is hard to explain, maybe. It is just that the lessons he learned in the Corp and passed down, and the discipline he instilled by modeling it are his gift to me, and have colored how I view the world. His love of, and pride in, the Corp never wavered, and when I married a man in the Navy that who would go on to have submarine command, I never quite got over the feeling that the Navy was second runner-up to the Marine Corp. My husband used to tease me and tell our Navy friends that I was a Marine kid, and so, completely, hopelessly brainwashed. My father was with the 6th Marines in WW2 and saw 82 days of continuous hand-to-hand combat on Okinawa. As you may know, the last stop before the invasion of Japan by US forces was Okinawa, and it was tough fighting. The Japanese were dug in and fighting with all the ferocity of zealots defending their homeland. In Okinawa he was a 19 year-old platoon leader, and joined the Marines when he was only 16 by changing the date on his birth certificate. On the office wall where I type this are two things of his: A Samurai sword he took off of a Japanese Imperial Marine he had to kill, and his framed medals.

The Samurai sword is a reminder to always begin any battle with respect for my enemy, and a reminder that although life or fate has made you enemies with a person, they are fellow human beings and should be treated with dignity, even as you may have to kill them. It also serves as a warning to always be better prepared than your enemy, because you want their swords hanging on your walls, not the other way around.

The medals evoke different thoughts and feelings. He has several combat medals, and of course the expert marksman pins, and a purple heart. He turned down several purple hearts, and only accepted this one after he was back at Quantico. Funny about Sen. Kerry and all his medals. I guess he needed them to feel like a man. Before my dad passed away I went with my folks to a Marine reunion. They had some health problems, and I served as their "legs". His former company commander told me that he had written my dad up for the bronze star, with a V, but that my dad had said he would not accept it. My dad is said to have told him that he didn't do anything that every Marine he had served with hadn't done, and he was "sick of all the phoney medal crap."

I guess it went on then, too.

So anyway, I asked my dad about it, and he admitted it was true, and said he regretted it later, not for himself but because it would have made my mom's life easier at Quantico. Better housing, etc. But he said he was so disgusted by some of the garbage he saw going on with medals, while good men died with no acknowledgement of their heroism and sacrifice, that he declined the medal. He asked me if it bothered me, what he had done, and I laughed out loud. "Not hardly", I remember telling him. "I don't need any medals to know you were a hero. You will always be my hero."

I was always glad I said that, because within two years both my parents were with the Lord.

So looking at the medals always gives me mixed feelings, and serves as a constant reminder to do what is right and honorable for honor's sake; not for the medals, awards or political advantages. And it reminds me that life, while not fair, is a precious gift. They also help me to have the courage to follow my convictions when I feel tempted to waver.

So anyway, thank you again for sharing your letter and thoughts. I think I will print it, and keep it for my Marine Corp files. It is important to me that my children's children, not yet born, understand what it means to be a Marine, and you wrote about it in a way I could have heard my own father say to me on one of our long walks.

And one last question: did you and your wife ever get the son or daughter you wrote about?

God bless you, Mr. Holcomb.