Part 1 here
He volunteered to serve his country after 9/11 ... reenlisting at the age of 40 to fight Muslim terrorists who attacked America and killed 3,000 innocent people that day. He spent a year at Guantanamo Bay guarding military prisoners before deploying to the war zone in January 2006.
He's an American soldier who returned home from Iraq less than two weeks ago after serving a year in the desert with men half his age. During his time in Iraq he grew in his religious faith and in his love for country. His blood probably runs red, white, and blue in his veins ... he's that patriotic. He doesn't suffer fools easily ... but his heart is as big as the mountain he lives on. He gladly shares both his faith and his patriotism with younger soldiers who look to him for leadership and protection.
Is this another Vietnam?
This is not another Vietnam, he emphasizes.
This is an all-volunteer military ... everyone has volunteered. The United States government can send you anywhere it deems necessary at anytime ... that is understood when you sign up. These men and women have volunteered to go in harm's way ... it's what they do ... especially those in the combat areas of the military. They are the guys who stand out there with rifles and machine guns to do their job when their country allows them to.
Propaganda against the United States is everywhere in the Middle East. Insurgent terrorists, most not from Iraq, appear on al Jazeera TV. He reemphasizes how much the American press does not publicize the atrocities of Saddam Hussein nor the good that has been accomplished and continues to be accomplished by American forces ... an underhanded propaganda.
He's convinced the media are trying to get John Q. Public to quit in Iraq because the public does not understand this type of conflict. The enemy is everywhere and, yet, the enemy looks just like everyone else ... wearing no uniform ... sliding across the border from Iran to do terrorist deeds for a few dollars.
Many Americans don't care
Political correctness, he says, does not belong in the U.S. playbook. Political correctness came from people who want subjects, not free-thinking responsible citizens.
America is full of "subjects" who want comfort, safety, and security ... and they are willing to trade their liberties and freedoms for comfort, safety, and security.
Americans, he says, can't get their heads out of their football games or wrestling or reality TV or X-Box long enough to concern themselves with national security and elections. They don't care. They're happy being subjects. They are desensitized to the way things happen in the real world and are used to immediate satisfaction, immediate pleasure, and want absolute closure.
Many Americans don't understand that the war on terrorism is an on-going battle even though they were warned of that by President George W. Bush immediately after 9/11.
The Founding Fathers were subjects of Great Britain and didn't like it. They fought for their freedom ... and through freedom they became citizens.
Our country and our values, he says, are worth fighting for ... but we're held back by pacifists, non-committal people who have no passion for this country and have no interest in preserving it.
However, if another 9/11 occurs they will be some of the first crying in the streets -- victims --looking for people like our military friend and others who are interested in helping people by keeping the bad guys away from them.
Iraqis thank Americans daily for freedom
He worked with the Army MPs in Baghdad protecting high-profile Iraqi politicians ... he's learning the language and culture ... he's been inside the palaces and watched the night sky from the roof tops. He has looked out over the Tigris River ... been in the homes of the Iraqi people ... and he has heard them thank Americans for their freedom.
He says the Iraqis thank the soldiers daily for setting them free. They are very, very grateful to the Americans for releasing them from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, something they could not do themselves because they were oppressed. We freed the oppressed. And, yes, he realizes it wasn't the only oppressed country in the world ... but now there is one less.
Hussein's wretched work
He got to know people who were personally affected by Hussein's gruesome works. There was mass genocide. Citizens were gassed. Thousands were tortured. Thousands disappeared. Thousands died.
He met family members of citizens who were fed to the lions. Yes ... fed to the lions. Have you heard that on the news? He saw the cages where the lions were raised ... lions that were used by Hussein on Iraqi citizens he perceived as enemies ... Iraqi citizens who were literally fed to the lions ... left to be torn apart and devoured by the man-eating beasts.
It was a violent world for Iraqis who were considered enemies of Saddam.
Some say it's a violent world today with random bombings from outside insurgent terrorists ... but the people of Iraq are grateful for their freedom.
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