Note: Kevin Brown is an '01 grad and was on the honor staff. He is a Marine helo pilot and a talented writer and he hits the nail on the head in what he says. He's only been in Iraq for a month, but has been ready to go for a while.
From: Kevin Brown Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 9:58 AM
Dad, you asked me what I would say to America from Iraq on 9/11 if I had a podium and a microphone. I have thought about it, and here is my response.
Your Son, Kevin
*********************** September 11, 2004 Dear America,
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand
ready to do violence on their behalf." -George Orwell
The Marine Corps is tired. I guess I should not say that, as I have no
authority or responsibility to speak for the Marine Corps as a whole, and
my opinions are mine alone. I will rephrase: this Marine is tired. I
write this piece from the sands of Iraq, west of Baghdad, at three a.m.,
but I am not tired of the sand. I am neither tired of long days, nor of
flying and fighting. I am not tired of the food, though it does not taste
quite right.
I am not tired of the heat; I am not tried of the mortars that occasionally
fall on my base. I am not tired of Marines dying, though all Marines, past
and present, mourn the loss of every brother and sister that is killed;
death is a part of combat and every warrior knows that going into
battle. One dead Marine is too many, but we give more than we take, and
unlike our enemies, we fight with honor. I am not tired of the missions or
the people; I have only been here a month, after all. I am, however, tired
of the hypocrisy and short-sightedness that seems to have gripped so many
of my countrymen and the media. I am tired of political rhetoric that
misses the point, and mostly I am tired of people "not getting it."
Three years ago I was sitting in a classroom at Quantico, Virginia, while
attending the Marine Corps Basic Officer Course, learning about the finer
points of land navigation. Our Commanding Officer interrupted the class to
inform us that some planes had crashed in New York and Washington D.C., and
that he would return when he knew more. Tears welled in the eyes of the
Lieutenant on my right while class continued, albeit with an audience that
was not very focused; his sister lived in New York and worked at the World
Trade Center. We broke for lunch, though instead of going to the chow hall
proceeded to a small pizza and sub joint which had a television. Slices of
pizza sat cold in front of us as we watched the same vivid images that you
watched on September 11, 2001. I look back on that moment now and realize
even then I grasped, at some level, that the events of that day would alter
both my military career and my country forever. Though I did not know that
three years later, to the day, I would be flying combat missions in Iraq as
an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot, I did understand that a war had just begun, on
television for the world to see, and that my classmates and I would fight
that war. After lunch we were told to go to our rooms, clean our weapons
and pack our gear for possible deployment to the Pentagon to augment
perimeter security. The parting words of the order were to make sure we
packed gloves, in case we had to handle bodies.
The first Marine killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom was in my company at The
Basic School, and was sitting in that land navigation class on September
11. He fought bravely, led from the front, and was killed seizing an oil
refinery on the opening day of the war. His heroism made my emergency
procedure memorization for the T-34 primary flight school trainer seem
quite insignificant. This feeling of frustration was shared by all of the
student pilots, but we continued to press on. As one instructor pointed
out to us, "You will fight this war, not me. Make sure that you are
prepared when you get there." He was right; my classmates from Pensacola
are here beside me, flying every day in support of the Marines on the
ground. That instructor has since retired, but I believe he has retired
knowing that he made a contribution to the greatest country in the history
of the world, the United States of America.
Many of you will read that statement and balk at its apparently
presumptuous and arrogant nature, and perhaps be tempted to stop reading
right here. I would ask that you keep going, for I did not say that
Americans are better than anyone else, for I do not believe that to be the
case. I did not say that our country, its leaders, military or
intelligence services are perfect or have never made mistakes, because
throughout history they have, and will continue to do so, despite their
best efforts. The Nation is more than the sum of its citizens and leaders,
more than its history, present, or future; a nation has contemporary values
which change as its leaders change, but it also has timeless character,
ideals forged with the blood and courage of patriots. To quote the Pledge
of Allegiance, our nation was founded "under God, indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all." As Americans, we have more freedom than we can
handle sometimes.
If you are an atheist you might have a problem with that whole "under God"
part; if you are against liberating the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Asia,
all of Europe (twice), and the former Soviet bloc, then perhaps the
"liberty and justice for all" section might leave you fuming. Our Nation,
throughout its history, has watered the seeds of democracy on many
continents, with blood, even when the country was in disagreement about
those decisions.
Disagreement is a wonderful thing. To disagree with your neighbors and
your government is at the very heart of freedom. Citizens have disagreed
about every important and controversial decision made by their leaders
throughout history. Truman had the courage to drop two nuclear weapons in
order to end the largest war in history, and then, by his actions,
prevented the Soviets from extinguishing the light of democracy in Eastern
Europe, Berlin.
Lincoln preserved our country through civil war; Reagan knew in his heart
that freedom is a more powerful weapon than oppression. Leaders are paid to
make difficult, sometimes controversial decisions. History will judge the
success of their actions and the purity of their intent in a way that is
impossible at the present moment. In your disagreement and debate about
the current conflict, however, be very careful that you do not jeopardize
your nation or those who serve. The best time to use your freedom of
speech to debate difficult decisions is before they are made, not when the
lives of your countrymen are on the line.
Cherish your civil rights; I know that after having been in Iraq for only
one month I have a new appreciation for mine. You have the right to say
that you "support the troops" but oppose the war in Iraq and
Afghanistan. You have the right to vote for Senator John Kerry because you
believe that he has an exit strategy for Iraq, or because you just cannot
stand President Bush. You have the right to vote for President George W.
Bush if you believe that he has done a good job over the last four years.
You might even decide that you do not want to vote at all and would rather
avoid the issues as much as possible. That is certainly your option, and
doing nothing is the only option for many people in this world.
It is not my place, nor am I allowed by the Uniformed Code of Military
Justice, to tell you how to vote. But I can explain to you the truth about
what is going on around you. We know, and have known from the beginning,
that the ultimate success or failure of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, as
well as the future of those countries, rests solely on the shoulders of the
Iraqi and Afghani people. If someone complains that we should not have
gone to war with Saddam Hussein, that our intelligence was bad, that
President Bush's motives were impure, then take the appropriate
action. Exercise your right to vote for Senator Kerry, but please stop
complaining about something that happened over a year ago. The decision to
deploy our military in Iraq and Afghanistan is in the past, and while I
believe that it is important to the democratic process for our nation to
analyze the decisions of our leadership in order to avoid repeating
mistakes, it is far more important to focus on the future. The question of
which candidate will "get us out of Iraq sooner" should not be a
consideration in your mind. YOU SHOULD NOT WANT US OUT OF IRAQ OR
AFGHANISTAN SOONER. There is only one coherent exit strategy that will
make our time here worthwhile and validate the sacrifice of so many of our
countrymen. There is only one strategy that has a chance of promoting
peace and stabilizing the Middle East. It is the exit strategy of both
candidates, though voiced with varying volumes and differing degrees of
clarity. I will speak of Iraq because that is where I am, though I feel
the underlying principle applies to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The American military must continue to help train and support the Iraqi
Police, National Guard, and Armed Forces. We must continue to give them
both responsibility and the authority with which to carry out those
responsibilities, so that they eventually can kill or capture the former
regime elements and foreign terrorists that are trying to create a radical,
oppressive state. We must continue to repair the infrastructure that we
damaged during the conflict, and improve the infrastructure that was
insufficient when Saddam was in power. We should welcome and encourage
partners in the coalition but recognize that many will choose the path of
least resistance and opt out; many of our traditional allies have been
doing this for years and it should not surprise us. We must respect the
citizens of Iraq and help them to understand the meaning of basic human
rights, for those are something the average Iraqi has never
experienced. We must be respectful of our cultural and religious
differences. We must help the Iraqis develop national pride, and most
importantly, we must leave this country better than we found it, at the
right time, with a chance of success so that its people will have an
opportunity to forge their own destiny. We must do all of these things as
quickly and efficiently as possible so that we are not seen as occupiers,
but rather liberators and helpers. We must communicate this to the world
as clearly and frequently as possible, both with words and actions.
If we leave before these things are done, then Iraq will fall into anarchy
and possibly plunge the Middle East into another war. The ability of the
United States to conduct foreign policy will be severely, and perhaps
permanently, degraded. Terrorism will increase, both in America and around
the world, as America will have demonstrated that it is not interested in
building and helping, only destroying. If we run or exit early, we prove
to our enemies that terror is more powerful and potent than freedom. Many
nations, like Spain, have already affirmed this in the minds of the
terrorists. Our failure, and its consequences, will be squarely on our
shoulders as a nation. It will be our fault. If we stay the course and
Iraq or Afghanistan falls into civil war on its own, then our hands are
clean. As a citizen of the United States and a U.S. Marine, I will be able
to sleep at night with nothing on my conscience, for I know that I, and my
country, have done as much as we could for these people. If we leave
early, I will not be able to live with myself, and neither should you. The
blood will be on our hands, the failure on our watch.
The bottom line is this: Republican or Democrat, approve or disapprove of
the decision to go to war, you need to support our efforts here. You
cannot both support the troops and protest their mission. Every time the
parent of a fallen Marine gets on CNN with a photo, accusing President Bush
of murdering his son, the enemy wins a strategic victory. I cannot begin
to comprehend the grief he feels at the death of his son, but he dishonors
the memory of my brave brother who paid the ultimate price. That Marine
volunteered to serve, just like the rest of us. No one here was
drafted. I am proud of my service and that of my peers. I am ashamed of
that parent's actions, and I pray to God that if I am killed my parents
will stand with pride before the cameras and reaffirm their belief that my
life and sacrifice mattered; they loved me dearly and they firmly support
the military and its mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. With that statement,
they communicate very clearly to our enemies around the world that America
is united, that we cannot be intimidated by kidnappings, decapitations and
torture, and that we care enough about the Afghani and Iraqi people to give
them a chance at democracy and basic human rights.
Do not support those that seek failure for us, or seek to trivialize the
sacrifices made here. Do not make the deaths of your countrymen be in
vain. Communicate to your media and elected officials that you are behind
us and our mission. Send letters and encouragement to those who are
deployed. When you meet a person that serves you, whether in the armed
forces, police, or fire department, show them respect. Thank the spouses
around you every day, raising children alone, whose loved ones are
deployed. Remember not only those that have paid the ultimate price, but
the veterans that bear the physical and emotional scars of defending your
freedom. At the very least, follow your mother's advice. "If you can't
say something nice, don't say anything at all." Do not give the enemy a
foothold in our Nation's public opinion. The enemy rejoices at Fahrenheit
9/11 and applauds every time an American slams our efforts. The military
can succeed here so long as American citizens support us wholeheartedly.
Sleep well on this third anniversary of 9/11, America. Rough men are
standing ready to do violence on your behalf. Many of your sons and
daughters volunteered to stand watch for you. Not just rough men -the
infantry, the Marine grunts, the Special Operations Forces- but lots of
eighteen and nineteen year old kids, teenagers, who are far away from home,
serving as drivers, supply clerks, analysts, and mechanics. They all have
stories, families, and dreams. They miss you, love you, and are putting
their lives on the line for you. Do not make their time here, their
sacrifice, a waste. Support them, and their mission.
What an incredibly ignorant statement. I'm sure every soldier that fights against the US fights with honor. Some people, such as this Kevin Brown pitcher for the Yankees, don't get the honor they fight with.and unlike our enemies, we fight with honor
I'm sure if he's referring to terrorists then I agree with him there...but if he means soldiers fighting against the US, then he is wrong.
He was talking about the current war, Duff.
You know the one where it's viewed as acceptable, or encouraged even, to strap bombs on women & children, send them into very public places, and blow them up.
How the is that ignorant?
Suicide bombings, beheadings, etc. are "honorable"?
Gotta call bull on that one.
What a feel good letter. I ran it through snoopes and other dubunking sites and nothing has came up, so far.The bottom line is this: Republican or Democrat, approve or disapprove of the decision to go to war, you need to support our efforts here. You cannot both support the troops and protest their mission. Every time the
parent of a fallen Marine gets on CNN with a photo, accusing President Bush of murdering his son, the enemy wins a strategic victory. I cannot begin to comprehend the grief he feels at the death of his son, but he dishonors the memory of my brave brother who paid the ultimate price. That Marine
volunteered to serve, just like the rest of us. No one here was
drafted. I am proud of my service and that of my peers. I am ashamed of that parent's actions, and I pray to God that if I am killed my parents will stand with pride before the cameras and reaffirm their belief that my life and sacrifice mattered; they loved me dearly and they firmly support the military and its mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. With that statement,
they communicate very clearly to our enemies around the world that America is united, that we cannot be intimidated by kidnappings, decapitations and torture, and that we care enough about the Afghani and Iraqi people to give
them a chance at democracy and basic human rights.
Normally, I would say that the reasoning for a war should be decided by the politicians before we get into it or after all our troops have left the field of combat. However, both the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq seem to be never-ending wars, and a legitimate argument can be made that most of the original reasonings for the war have been either debunked or as in the case of Hussein and his sons, reasonably accomplished.
So what are we still doing there? The "Operation Iraqi Freedom" cluster is extinguishing young American lives at an ever increasing rate. 25 more dead this week, a similar count last week. 1032 dead as of Sunday, with absolutely no end or exit strategy in sight.
Haliburton executives are making big bucks hand over fist and languishing in 5 star hotels eating gourmet meals while 4 or 5 soldiers are sitting ducks sleeping in one inadequately armored humvee (a volvo would be safer) with barely enough water to drink. Forty thousand soldiers have been given Viet Nam era flak jackets that do not stop AK47 rounds. If they want anything better than that, they have to have their parents buy it in the states at $500 to $2000 a pop and ship it over to them.
Our "leaders" were fully aware that many of these young men and women were undertrained and not combat ready. Soldiers trained as mechanics or medics with barely any training in weaponry are routinely thrown into combat situations as conditions continue to deteriorate.
This is how the most powerful nation in the world treats it's warriors. I'm sorry if it pains you and you find it morbid. Our president would certainly rather we continued to sweep it all under the rug, but these numbers need to be in all our faces, we need to see whats really going on in the name of freedom.
I won't even get into the economy, the lies, the broken promises, the tax cuts for the rich, the underfunding of "No child left behind", the total disregard for the environment, etc... How can anyone who has been paying attention think that this administration deserves another four years? The world and our country can't take another four years.
For whom did my son die in Iraq?
Saturday, September 18, 2004
By Diane Davis Santoriello
For the last year and a half, the pain in my gut screamed at my head write about this war, speak out against the war! But my aching heart said, "You can't undermine your son's confidence in what he is doing." Memories of people scorning and smearing Vietnam vets ran rampant through my mind. You see, my son, 1st Lt. Neil Anthony Santoriello Jr., was living his dream. He had fulfilled his dream of becoming a military officer. I thought he was fulfilling his destiny of being a man of purpose, compassion and justice working to make the world a better place.
Now my son is dead. How did he die? According to the Army, he was killed on Aug. 13 in western Iraq when an IED -- an "improvised explosive device" -- detonated near his vehicle. According to me, he was killed by the arrogance and inep ude of George W. Bush aided by Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
I hear people talk about how well-bred John Kerry and Bush were. What cons utes good breeding? What cons utes good character? My father taught me that when you make a mistake the first thing you do is own up to it and the second thing you do is fix it. Bush made mistakes. Did he own up to them right away? No, he waited until recently and admitted to miscalculations.
What Bush needed to do a year or more ago was to go to the United Nations with his hat in his hand and say, "We made a mistake. We thought we were doing the right thing, but now we have a mess that we can't handle. But now we are mired in a country that must be made stable; we don't have the right kind of troops on the ground to do the job right. You folks have the people and the Iraqi people will trust you. Will you help us fix this mistake?"
My son compulsively planned everything. For every Boy Scout outing, every ski trip, he was prepared for any eventuality.
This presidential administration ignored experts who told them that they could win the war, but winning the peace presented the challenge. Did they prepare for that? Of course not -- they were too arrogant to change their direction even as the insurgency increased.
Did our men and women in harm's way have what they needed? No.
Did we have enough tanks on the ground? No.
Could we supply parts as they were needed? No.
This Bush team could be on a poster for the old axiom: People don't plan to fail -- they fail to plan.
Their actions tarnished the reputation and honor of the United States. We are supposed to be better than other countries because we believe in individual rights.
The Abu Ghraib scandal not only tarnished our reputation, but has put all of servicepeople in jeopardy for decades to come. If we could abuse prisoners, what country will honor the Geneva Conventions when it comes to U.S. troops? The January 2002 memo by White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales about the treatment of prisoners scares me. He wrote that because "the war against terrorism is a new kind of war," it "renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions." In my mind, this memo is Bush's Watergate. I do not understand how people who claim they believe in the ideals of our Founding Fathers can ignore this.
My son voted for Bush. If he were alive, would he be voting for him again? I am not sure. His wife and I avoided political discussions with him before and during his deployment. He would have never talked badly about the president, because you do not criticize your commander in chief.
But I sensed frustration in his letters. When he came home, I would have talked to him about it. I can't ask him now. Now I speak for him.
He worried about his men, his stateside friends set to deploy next month. I did not speak out against the war earlier and for this I am angry with myself. My son, a man of incredible honor, died from the actions of dishonorable men. I cannot bring him back. But I speak out now to protect the people still serving, to try to restore honor to our country.
John Kerry was not my first choice for president, but I believe he has demonstrated a willingness to be open-minded. He knows that changing your position is not a character flaw, but a character plus. I believe he is the only person capable of getting the rest of the world to help us clean up the mess created by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the administration's other Iraq hawks.
Post Gazette
Semper Fi!!
Great post, Hook Dem.
They're all terrorists Duff."I'm sure if he's referring to terrorists then I agree with him there...but if he means soldiers fighting against the US, then he is wrong."
The Iraqi Army and Taliban misfits surrendered a long time ago...remember, "Mission Accomplished?"
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