I guess by now you will have heard about the 3 Joes who were killed. Unlike
the 2 who were killed early this week, I happen to know 2 of the 3 that were
killed on Thursday. They were my friends.
Palmateer was in my platoon. The other was Sgt McKay and we
slept in the same tent together at Ft. Bragg. In fact he was just one cot away
from me.
The 2 Joes were very likable and nice guys.
The Sgt.
McKay was from Queens but he originally came from the Islands. I know
he had a daughter who is with the 82nd Airborne and he was expecting a
grandchild. He loved to bike and I let him use my PC to find pics of himself in
his Brooklyn bike club's web site. Most if not all of us love the Sgt. Great
guy. In news articles I have seen today they said he would give his MRE's to the
homeless. That's the type of guy he was. Man he was REALLY
nice.
Palmateer was from upstate had a daughter. We liked him a lot.
He always had chewing tobacco, in fact he filled a duffle bag filled with
chewing dip.He claimed he had been doing it since he was 12. VERY generous
guy. Once he gave me a 3m pad without me asking for it. One of the best
shots in the unit. His death really stings cause he was in my platoon and I saw
and spoke with him daily.
All of us in B Company are taking it hard especially 3rd platoon "The
Spartans". While McCay wasn't in 3rd he shared the tent with most of us at Bragg
who were in 3rd. And he also worked with a lot of the guys in State Active Duty
(Patrolling Grand Central, Port Authority, Airports etc)
These are the first guys we knew personally...friends...brothers who were
killed.
Please say a prayer for their families.
When I first started writing this email on last Friday I was VERY angry.
Angry at the Taliban, Angry at the country and as always angry at the President.
I was gonna rip anyone and everyone. But because the families hadn't been
notified it allowed me to cool off and I remembered what a friend of mine
once said try to be less angry, maybe people will listen. Since these were my
friends I will try to be less angry all I ask that you listen.
The loss of my friends got me thinking about war and some people
attitudes about it. War to put it bluntly...is not a game. Its a cliche, but if
there ever was a truer statement in the history of mankind its that. War is not
a game.
Many people don't get that. War isn't a game. They will
scream RahRah for the USA and then move causally on with their lives. They vote
for candidates who are war mongers. Wear yellow ribbons on their cars. Talk
about supporting the troops but when push comes to shove? All we hear are
the echos of their cheers, maybe they go to a Memorial day parade if
they can squeeze it between shopping and going to the beach
But in
war REAL people die. Real people's children are killed. Real people's children
are orphaned. Real people are widowed. Real Joes get images in their heads they
cant forget! That's REAL..This isn't Call of Duty 4 were for X-box were you
can hit reset. My friends are not coming back. That's about as real as it
gets.
I know its weird hearing a soldier who is literally fighting in a
war talk about the bloodlust many Americans have . But yeah, I'm a Joe who isn't
crazy about war, I'm a Joe who Gen. Douglas McArther said in his final address
to West Point: "the soldier
above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest
wounds and scars of war."
There are people out there who
have this taste for blood. Who want to see us invade all countries like
Iran. I beg of you to please THINK LONG AND HARD about that. Think about the
consequences of that blood lust. You don't get to see and do what we do in war.
You stay safe at home watching American Idol, Gymnastics and Dancing with the
stars. While REAL people do the dirty work you don't want to do. Now I ask you,
Is that right? You so crave war that you wont fight in it? Please explain to me
that.
I understand sometimes war is necessary. I have stated numerous
times that I feel this war in Afghanistan is a necessary war. WW II, Civil War,
American Revolution and several others were necessary wars. These are wars,
that we had no choice in the matter. We were attacked or were fighting for our
freedom/defense of the nation. I get that.
But its these wars of choice,
this new "Pre-emptive" wars that many are seeking to fight that I'm trying
to educate you on. There is always a better way then war.
Talking
with your enemy is not a sign of weakness. Kennedy spoke with Khrushchev, Nixon
went to China. Reagan talked to Gorbachev. Talking doesn't hurt. And trust me
your enemy may be far more willing to listen then you can imagine. The Iranians
whether you believe it or not love their children to. They don't want to see
death in the streets as much you do.
You can still talk with your foe
and have one hand on the pistol.
And that brings me to my other point.
The uber patriots. These Fox News watching Rush Limbaugh listening Right wing
radio war pigs, who talk tough about war and supporting the troops.
The listeners, watchers and the
pundits themselves need to grow up. They need to start listening to people
when they try to educate you about candidates and issues. The people need
to start questioning the motives of media personalities who talk tough
about war and question other people's patriotism. Cause its those talking
heads who spoon feed you lies. Why? Is it love of nation? I do not
believe so, I believe its money.
The talking head push these
buttons so good, but in many cases, mis-informed people can say
"Amen", keep listening and watching the shows. And continue to fatten
the wallets of the pundits while swallowing up their jive. Then, and this
is the sad part, people vote based on that hogwash and the cats they
vote for are responsible for putting us in the situation we are in now. 2 wars.
NEITHER under control.
Cause and affect my friends. Many of you
think your vote means nothing but it does. The people we elect run the Govt
and when they vote us into a war based on lies like in 2003. That has
consequences. You can see the evidence to that with the rising body count in
Afghanistan. You can see that with the continued instability of Iraq. That vote
in 2004 that you laughed about when the President won in 2004. Well that's 3000
deaths later. Laugh about that.
I want to say something to my friends who do not see the world as
I do. Who voted differently then I in 2004. I want to talk to you. I honestly
believe that you are good people. I know when I email and riff the venom you may
hear about the President and a certain political party may have you think I hate
you. I do not.
But I also believe, and I may be wrong, that You who don't get the
ramifications of war.
You can tell me a hundred times "OH WE KNOW WAR IS BAD"..But I do not think
you really do. You don't do the things I have done. You don't have the
images and memories of your buddies in your head all the time. You don't
have to search for his body. You don't stay up night in the
middle of a firefight pulling security worrying about your other friends as they
go patrolling in the woods. No. YOU don't get that. That's
war, And to be honest I'm sugar coating it BIG TIME!!!! I could be more
graphic, but I pray its true when people say you don't have to explain
blood.
As I said before, I support and believe in this war in Afghanistan. I
believe we are protecting America. Sometimes wars have to happen and
this is one of them. But sometimes wars DO NOT have to happen. And the war
in Iraq is one of them and its that war in Iraq that I feel is putting my
buddies in more danger. Just recently I read the death rate in Afghanistan was
at its all time high for the month of June. I been told we had a worse month
then the guys in Iraq. But that's nothing new, the death rate here has been
rising steadily ever since "The Surge" happened. You see when you take away
troops who should be in Afghanistan to quell violence in Iraq, well that makes
life here worse.
I don't know if we weren't at war in Iraq would my guys
be alive. Probably not but what I do wish we had some
of those assets in Iraq here. Cause its very scary thing to know that, when
my team rolls to our location. We are pretty much on our own. Things we need
(Not talking extras, but standard assets) we don't have or have to wait far
longer then usual. I already experienced this personally a couple
times.
So while some of you may have come to Jesus about the war in Iraq
and have admitted making a mistake, it still doesn't absolved you from the fact
that mistake continues to pay dividends.
Which brings me to my final point, civic
responsibility.
While you may not like hearing me scream about civic
responsibility, there is a reason behind it. Its not about "Oh Spanner you just
like talking politics and I'm glad you do" No its not. I also like talking
about the Mets, Internet porn, Will Led Zeppelin tour and my daughter. I can
walk and chew gum at the same time.
But we all do have a responsibility, to watch your Govt. I know it
aint sexy and I know it aint fun. But as Americans it comes with the turf.
First line of our Great Constitution is "We, the people". If you
have time to talk about sex you can talk about the Govt. If you have
time to talk about sports you cant talk about the govt. If you have time to talk
about "Jack Bauer "24" or American Idol, you can make some time to talk about
Govt. I don't care if you do it with me, but please discuss it! Its our
country!
And if your answer is "I'm not voting this year cause I don't
like the candidates" then I ask you to reconsider that choice. Cause when you
chose to not vote, you insult the memory of all those who have perished to give
us that glorious right.
Not voting isn't an answer. When you choose
not to vote you became part of the problem. You don't get to say "Well I
didn't vote so its not my fault". No, I'm afraid it still is your fault. Apathy
is just as bad as ignorance. Only thing worse is wilful ignorance, which I
saw a lot of in 2004. People's unwillingness to listen. I beg of you to
never do that again. Listen without prejudice
Anyway, I'm out. Enough of
my soap box. Just think and take responsibility for our nation. It's not
asking for much...Just love your nation and care.
And pray for my guys.
Love you all,
Spanner
Posted at 6/30/2008 8:55:38 am by SpannerJaxs
