US soldiers viewpoint from Iraq

[Greg S]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0, ... 18,00.html

A very interesting article on soldiers view on Iraq, here is one view:

From: RH
To: mike@michaelmoore.com
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2003 4:57 PM
Subject: Iraqi freedom veteran supports you
Dear Mr Moore,
I went to Iraq with thoughts of killing people who I thought were horrible. I was like, "f@#k Iraq, f@#k these people, I hope we kill thousands." I believed my president. He was taking care of business and wasn't going to let al Qaeda push us around. I was with the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 3rd Infantry division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. My unit was one of the first to Baghdad. I was so scared. Didn't know what to think. Seeing dead bodies for the first time. People blown in half. Little kids with no legs. It was overwhelming, the sights, sounds, fear. I was over there from Jan'03 to Aug'03. I hated every minute. It was a daily battle to keep my spirits up. I hate the army and my job. I am supposed to get out next February but will now be unable to because the asshole in the White House decided that now would be a great time to put a stop-loss in effect for the army. So I get to do a second tour in Iraq and be away from those I love again because some guy has the audacity to put others' lives on the line for his personal war. I thought we were the good guys.

[Greg S]

this was a interesting one.....

From: Sean Huze
Sent: Sunday March 28 2004 7.56pm
Subject: "Dude, Where's My Country?"


I am an LCPL in the US Marine Corps and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr Moore, please keep pounding away at Bush. I'm not some pussy when it comes to war. However, the position we were put in - fighting an enemy that used women, children, and other civilians as shields; forcing us to choose between firing at "area targets" (nice way of saying firing into crowds) or being killed by the bastards using the crowds for cover - is indescribably horrible.

I saw more than a few dead children littering the streets in Nasiriyah, along with countless other civilians. And through all this, I held on to the belief that it had to be for some greater good.

Months have passed since I've been back home and the unfortunate conclusion I've come to is that Bush is a lying, manipulative f@#k who cares nothing for the lives of those of us who serve in uniform. Hell, other than playing dress-up on aircraft carriers, what would he know about serving this nation in uniform?

His silence and refusal to speak under oath to the 9/11 Commission further mocks our country. The Patriot Act violates every principle we fight and die for. And all of this has been during his first term. Can you imagine his policies when he doesn't have to worry about re-election? We can't allow that to happen, and there are so many like me in the military who feel this way. We were lied to and used. And there aren't words to describe the sense of betrayal I feel as a result.

[00jami00]

.

[Chappy]

Although I have never been in a war zone, anyone who said to me that they loved it, loved the killing and horror of it. Would seem to me a bit of a minority.


Of course the soliders are going to say they hate.


I do believe Micheal Moore brings up some great topics and unearths and brings them to the publics knowledge, alot of what he says is edited, extremely liberal propaganda. You just have to get the diamonds from the dirt.

[Redhand]

Greg this highly slanted stuff.

[snyder]

Yes, of course anyone who opposes this adventure is "highly slanted." But I did find it interesting that when it came to drumming up support for it, the Pentagon had to resort to forging identical letters of support from fictional troops on the ground. Was that "slanted?" No, not at all.

[Chappy]

Hehe Snyder and Redhand. Like cat and dog.....

[00jami00]

.

[snyder]

I'm the dog. Red's the pussy.

[Larry Martin]

Although I have never been in a war zone, anyone who said to me that they loved it, loved the killing and horror of it. Would seem to me a bit of a minority.


Of course the soliders are going to say they hate.


I do believe Micheal Moore brings up some great topics and unearths and brings them to the publics knowledge, alot of what he says is edited, extremely liberal propaganda. You just have to get the diamonds from the dirt.

Hi! KlinkKlank!

There is a book written by Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II, a deceased U.S. Marine sniper called (One Shot, One Kill). During his career he had 93 confirmed human kills. If you get an opportunity read this tribute to him, I think you'll find some of his personal comments very interesting .
http://home.swipnet.se/longrange/carlos%20hactcock.htm
My older brother actually served with him in Vietnam with first battalion first Marines 1966.



Larry

[harry hackedoff]

Charly Hatchcock is the first person credited with using a .50 cal weapon as a sniper weapon. He fitted a telescopic sight to a Browning .50 cal HMG. He was instrumental in geting Barrett to manufacture .50 cal sniper rifles. By all accounts, he was one of the good guys.
Sempers.
Aye

[Larry Martin]

Charly Hatchcock is the first person credited with using a .50 cal weapon as a sniper weapon. He fitted a telescopic sight to a Browning .50 cal HMG. He was instrumental in geting Barrett to manufacture .50 cal sniper rifles. By all accounts, he was one of the good guys.
Sempers.
Aye

harry , I was not implying Charly Hatchcock wasn't one of the good guys. However, I do in my opinion believe he enjoyed killing humans and was trigger happy.

The term (trigger happy) would apply to someone that shot at anything that moved.

[Greg S]

From: Specialist Willy
Sent: Tuesday March 9 2004 1.23pm
Subject: Thank you


Mike, I'd like to thank you for all of the support you're showing for the soldiers here in Iraq. I am in Baghdad right now, and it's such a relief to know that people still care about the lemmings who are forced to fight in this conflict.

It's hard listening to my platoon sergeant saying, "If you decide you want to kill a civilian that looks threatening, shoot him. I'd rather fill out paperwork than get one of my soldiers killed by some raghead." We are taught that if someone even looks threatening we should do something before they do something to us. I wasn't brought up in fear like that, and it's going to take some getting used to.




Hmm.........I wouldn't be shocked if more scenes like the My Lai massacre started coming out of Iraq: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/tr ... mylai.html

Totally unprofessional..................

[Redhand]

My Lai was a disaster Greg...true enough.

But what i get sick of is people constantly ragging on the US armed forces for their performance in Vietnam.

What they did was wrong in My Lai, true. But no one ever looks into the fact that these were green troops (Americal boys) who were bleeding slowly to punji stakes, boobytraps, etc.

They simply went...insane. They went Col. Kurtz on everyones ass.

Can you honestly sit there and say you would be totally normal if you went to a country to see action but all you got day in and day out was boobytrapped and maimed with no sign of an enemy.

They were so pissed off and eager, they took it out on the My Lai sector.

Undisciplined YES
Poor leadership (Calley) YES
Went insane YES
100% their fault NO

I just felt sorry for them (obviously the locals too)...and think they deserve just an OUNCE of pity.

Another My Lai in Iraq?...maybe, depends if a draft is started or not IMHO.

But fear not! All such atrocities will be uncovered by expert internet blogger 'Snyder', who shall valiantly point out all 'Bush Conspiracies' at every turn!

Btw Snyder...you wanna be that dog? go ahead...if you notice it has no balls or d**k...making you...'A BITCH'

P.S. boys...its all fine and dandy to mouth off about American troops in a British military forum...but may i suggest you go over to leatherneck.com?

See how far you get...

[Greg S]

What you said was true but there is something which disturbs me; in Vietnam they didn't know who was VC. In Iraq its just as hard to identify locals from militia?

Ohwell.