Web Logs From Veterans
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Web logs from veterans in Iraq and those who have returned home.
One of the biggest surprises to veterans returning from Iraq is that, the war which has taken almost every minute of their lives is largely forgotten by Americans. Life goes on at home as if nothing has changed. A few fleeting minutes of news about Iraq is reported on the evening news shows, and a few articles about the war are printed in the last pages of the newspaper.
The Americans have become bored with a war that drones on and on with no end in sight. Another soldier from Georgia was killed last week. Army Sgt.Davy Nathaniel Weaver from Lamar County. For his family the Iraq war will forever be imprinted on their minds, and for the families who have husbands, son’s, and daughters in the conflict the war is never far away. A lot of people don’t want to know. The president doesn’t want to think about it. He has no children who are in danger. He can prance and preen his feathers and try to make himself look honorable, while our children die because of a bad decision he made.
For those Americans who do still care and want a sense of the sacrifice and difficulties that our men and women in uniform face every day, the internet offers a valuable view into war, as told from many different prospectives.
At Kaboom: A Soldier’s War Journal, for example, an Army lieutenant commanding a front-line platoon in Iraq posts about the humdrum of patrol punctuated by moments of terror, and about the absurdly of an American kid like himself telling Iraqi tribal chieftains how to run their community, and about the summer heat in Iraq.
“You remember that your 140 pounds of raw American fury carries 70 additional pounds of raw American gear. The lightest glide becomes the heaviest step….stay vigilant, you’re here to kill. Remember? And then you feel the sweat, and its not coolly bracing anymore…It might as well be another layer of skin, lacquered up underneath cloth.”
The language can be graphic and far from family friendly, it is a harsh live and fighting a war in Iraq is not family friendly. It is not family friendly to see your buddy shot down with his blood spilling out in the dirt.
At SpouseBUZZ, the spouses of those deployed overseas gather to commiserate with each other about the challenges of being left alone for 15 months at a time. Some of the posts are very personal.
At Army of Dude a soldier has blogged extensively about his time in Iraq now writes about the experience of coming home to family.
At Steward Family Website, an Army first sergeant home from service in Afghanistan continues to monitor the situation there, adding what he knows from first hand experience. In a recent post he passed along more than 50 gems of GI wisdom that veterans of any war would likely appreciate, for example;
- “If the enemy is in range so are you.
- Incoming fire has the right of way.
- Don’t look conspicuous, it draws fire.
- There is always a way and it usually doesn’t work.
- The problem with the easy way out is that it has already been taken.
14 Comments
very interesting sites, thanks,wars should be stop at once
Thanks, Ruby, for this thoughtful piece of writing. We had more of our British soldiers die in Afghanistan yesterday and it was hardly mentioned on the news.
I innoculated British boys, I wanted to sign their papers unfit and send them home to mum! When a group were on the front page of the UK papers on fire, I cried, I felt sad for their families, the boys were so ready to go that their courage humbled me. This is now beyond war it is cruel. Great article.
Nice article, I have not supported wars and never will be. God Bless You!
THOU SHALL NOT KILL, PERIOD.
All followers of the three (3) great Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam believe in the Ten (10) Commandments. In our humble
opinion, if anyone killed another innocent human being or himself, he is neither
a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a Muslim, because he disobeyed one of the
most important Commandments of Almighty God (Allah): Thou Shall Not Kill.
……..
Given below are some of the verses from the Holy Qur’an in support
thereof, referring to the number of Surah (Chapter) first followed by
the number of Ayah (Verse), later (from an English translation of the
Holy Qur’an by Mr. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall).
Yet ye (Children of Israel) it is who slay each other and drive out a
party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against
them by sin and transgression, and if they came to you as captives ye
would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you.
Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof?
(2:85)
Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah (God Almighty), and
slay the Prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin
equity: announce them a painful doom. (3:21)
O ye who believe! eat not up your property among yourselves in
vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will:
nor kill (or destroy) yourselves (commit suicide): for verily Allah hath
been to you Most Merciful. (4:29)
Never should a believer kill a believer; but (if it so happens) by
mistake (compensation is due): if one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained
that he should free a believing slave and pay compensation to the
deceased’s family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged to
a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a
believing slave (is enough). If he belonged to a people with whom ye have a
treaty of mutual alliance, compensation should be paid to his family
and a believing slave be freed. For those who find this beyond their
means (is prescribed) a fast for two months running: by way of repentance
to Allah: for Allah hath all knowledge and all wisdom. (4:92)
If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to
abide therein (for ever): and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him
and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him. (4:93)
For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever
killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the
earth, it shall be as if be had
killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if
he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of
old with clear proofs (of Allah’s sovereignty), but afterwards lo!
many of them became prodigals in the earth. (5:32)
They are losers who besottedly have slain their children without
knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah bestowed upon them, inventing
a lie against Allah. They indeed have gone astray and are not guided.
(6:140)
Say: “Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you
from”: join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill
not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and
for them; come not nigh to shameful deeds whether open or secret; take
not life which Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law:
thus doth He command you that ye may learn wisdom. (6:151)
O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty
to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing
whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit
adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that
they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood, and that they
will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their
fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah
is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (60:12)
Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance
for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.
(17:31)
And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right. Whoso
is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let him
not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. (17:33)
And those who cry not unto any other god along with Allah, nor take the
life which Allah hath forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor
commit adultery and whoso doeth this shall pay the penalty; (25:68)
Wonderfully written article. I don’t not believe in the war but totally support our troops and their families.
Ruby, You wrote a very powerful articel but qazi63 is a little long winded.
I think we are all aware that more people have been killed in the religious crusades than all other wars combined.
Also in the Koran, Mahammed commanded Muslims to kill all infidels who could not be persuaded to Islam. Infidels are of course all people who are not Muslims.
Please let me thank all of you for your interest. I know we all have a soft heart for all our military. Most of them are young innocent boys just out of school. It breaks my heart for what they are going through.
First off thanks for the support of the joes. Darlene said some nice things about me up there and I’ll need to hit her up at once.
Me personally, I won’t say much about the war. I don’t want to relive it, would never describe the things I saw because that is for me. If others are doing it though, that is good. They need to vent, they need to share.
Take care Ruby and great info.
As long as someone keeps writing about it, we will read it and feel and remember those who are not at home.
Thank you all again for your interest.
Armywriter, I understand most veterans don’t talk about it. My dad and my brother in law were in WW11 and they never talked about it. I didn’t even know untill a few years ago that my brother in law was awarded a Purple Heart. My two grandsons, one who spent a year in Iraq and one who is on his second tour do not talk about anything they have seen or gone through. But I too think it is great for the ones who can talk about it. Good luck to you and yours. All of you who have served in the military have my eternal graditude including my son who served in the Air Force and my brother who served in the Navy.
Ruby I don’t know what to say, but thanks for the information.
Thanks for publishing this information. The war drones on and most of us had rather forget unless we have family and loved ones involved. We need it splashed on the front pages and featured on the news. We should never forget our soldiers who are giving their lives so we can forget the war. Let us always remember.