Two US Soldiers ask: "When will we stop dying so senselessly?"

[soup]

I have no answer for them, but I can share the interviews.

Had a problem trying to decide on a clip, so am posting part of the lead-in. Also, I don't know how much credence to give this since the site is one I'm not familiar with and the men being interviewed are not identified.

that said-

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By Jay Shaft Interviews 2 U.S. Soldiers
Jan 31, 2004, 10:02


Over the Christmas holidays I managed to find two US soldiers who were back from Iraq. They were both somewhat willing to be interviewed and describe their time in Iraq in their own words.

One was imminently returning to Iraq within a few days and the other was home for an unknown length of time. Both knew at some point they would be returning to a bloody guerilla conflict, and they did not know if they would be coming back.

The holidays for them were overshadowed by the somber nature of seeing the news reports of troop deaths on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. During their festive times they always had the specter of Iraq looming at the back of their minds like a ghost of Christmas past. I was really amazed that they were able to forget about the war and just enjoy being with their families, even if only for a short time.

You could see the strain in their faces, and an almost haunted look in their eyes. They were doing their best to put aside all the bloodshed and horror they had recently seen, and get into the holiday spirit that the whole country was enjoying.
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_4893.shtml

[GreyV]

1. Hard....

Hard to get into the holiday spirit when you just cut some poor Iraq in half with your 12mm gun and blew some Iraqi woman's head off soon after.

[Dob Bole]

3. Have some respect....

It's not the soldiers' choice to be where they are right now. They are not responsible for the bloodshed going on in Iraq, yet they are targets every day.

[beanball]

4. Respect

I spent twenty three years in the military and I've seen some soldiers just as blood thirsty as Bush& Chaney.

[texastoast]

5. Mixed Bag

Here is a poem from a dear friend who was drafted into the Vietnam war.

Flat, Dim, Muddy Brown Eyes

I was in Viet Nam eight days
when I was flown by chopper to the remote outpost
Nicky New Guy…replacing a dead man
the Lieutenant took me to my team leader
when we were left alone
the first words he said to me were:
"If you ever run or refuse an order under fire,
I'll kill you myself!"
(hate at first sight)
I was green, confused, scared
so this is war
he was cold
he was hard
he was threatening
he was friendless
he didn't care about anyone

the young Nai-san dashed across the rice paddy
bare feet sucking in and out of the mud
her pointed straw hat tumbling off her head
madly fleeing the American patrol…
flat, dim, muddy brown eyes follow, zero in
CRACK!
her head explodes like a smashed egg
her face instantly becomes a reddish gray smear
she dies before tumbling into the mud
lowering his rifle, he smirks
and unconsciously rubs his crotch
he was aroused when killing
he was a sadist
he was heartless
he was a murderer
he was a man-shark

as the Marine platoon approached the V.C. village
bursts of rifle fire and exploding grenades erupted!
we assault on line!…
burning huts, smoke, screams, explosions, panic, confusion
when it was over
the green 2nd Lieutenant couldn't understand
how the old moma-san had fallen into the well
and drowned…
flat, dim, muddy brown eyes stared
as he smirked
he was cruel
he was vicious
he was brutal
he was feared
he was promoted

Six months later
a three man killer team
hides deep in the bush
He and I and a nicky new guy
wait along side a trail
to ambush…to kill

over a pack of C-rat cigarettes
we argue as he threatens me
as I curse him
I watch…those flat, dim, muddy brown eyes
As he fingers his M-16
my 45 is in my hand
they call it a Mexican standoff
as we glare
the nicky new guy whimpers a plea

I wanted to pull the trigger
and do the world a favor

He smirks and stares,
at my flat, dim, muddy brown eyes
and he and I know
part of me has become what I despise in him

From that day on
he smirked
he stared
I often thought of murdering him, first….
but he had the advantage
I’m not a murder and I watched my back
he rotated home
that probably saved one of our lives, probably mine.

[petrock2004]

6. i used to think it was the soldiers' faults

then i grew up

:cry: thanks toast, very touching

[OneTwentyoNine]

2. I don't suppose they'll be on FAUX or CNN anytime soon?? eom

[priller]

7. So nice to see the truth, so rare

when all you get is near non-stop admin cheerleading on TV. "Iraqis are better off today!" Not according to these guys.

This is very revealing about Halliburton, Bechtel, et al:

I have asked many Iraqis what it will take to get the attacks to stop. They all tell me that the US needs to do what they said they would do, and leave them to run their own country...You and I both know that is not going to happen anytime soon. We are going to be there for at least another year or more in a very large force. There is no way that Bush and his cronies are going to give up all that oil and contracting dollars.

<snip>

We can t even go out in convoy with anyone from Halliburton or Bechtel without drawing a crowd of angry Iraqis. They hate the Halliburton and Bechtel guys worse than they hate the soldiers. It s like painting a target on your back just to travel with those contractors and try to protect them.

<snip>

O2- Let me jump in here. I want to say that I am extremely mad that Halliburton and Bechtel have better equipment than our own troops do. The contractors have fully armored Hummers and the best body armor. The have us escort them in our lightly armored Humvees and they ride in heavily armored vehicles. That is bullsh.t and every American needs to know about it.

[jsw_81]

8. Noon on January 20, 2005

[Cocoa]

9. sorry, but this smells fishy

the soldiers are saying things that confirm my own views a little too closely, which always makes me doubtful...

[mike1963]

10. You're suspicious of someone who agrees with you?

Vewy stwange...
:eyes:

[Cocoa]

11. telling me what I want to hear

It's not the same as just agreeing with me, and yes, I'm suspicious when I think it sounds like someone is saying things that perfectly reinforce my view of things.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. I agree with Cocoa

I agree with everything the soldiers in the interview have to say, but they say so much and it's so on message... it really has the feel of an antiwar propaganda piece, sorry to say that, but I really felt that the more I read of this. Wish we had many soldiers and officers ON RECORD saying things like this, of course they wouldn't because of fear of reprisals...