Dan is home from Iraq I am told. He is the second close co-worker of mine sent for a year or more to Iraq. I doubt that there has been a day in more than a year that I have not thought and prayed about Dan being in harms way. I thought about his wife and daughter each of those days too.
Shortly after 9/11 I promised Dan that I would not march on the White House. He knew that I had protested there before. We both knew that as a soldier in the reserves, his life would change because of the attacks. I wanted him to know that I respected his choice to serve and that I supported him as a member of the military.
When the Bush administration sent our young men and women to invade Iraq for reasons they are still trying to articulate, Dan released me from my promise. They went with too few troops and not enough armored equipment into a land that had nothing to do with 9/11.
If a country must have a military, Dan is just the kind of guy you want to be a soldier. He’s smart, tough, strong and has a heart of gold. Of course, we are not supposed to know that he has that heart, but he does. If U.S. troops are going to occupy Iraq, then I want Dan and soldiers like him to represent us. In the mess of a war, perhaps they can show the Iraqi people that we are a decent caring culture that wishes them success building their nation.
For those of us against the war there is a constant tension between necessary protest and supporting men and women who have been ordered to Iraq. Democracy sometimes gets a little messy even here in the States.
I no longer work there. I will not get to welcome Dan when he returns to work the first of the year. But, I am very glad he is home safe.
Welcome home Dan!
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3 comments:
Every day on the news we hear about more soldiers dying, so it's nice to hear some positive stories about those who actually come back too. I'm can only imagine how thankful his wife and child must be.
Hey, maybe the US could pull some of the troops out of Iraq and pay for some socialized healthcare? I still think the US govornment has their priorities in the wrong order. After all, when they dont take care of their own who will be left to fight for someone elses country for who knows what reason?
Brenda
As for Dan, I am very pleased to hear he made it home alive. I feel so bad for the thousands of men and women who did not and will not and for the family that has no real reason for why they died. They cant really say they died for their country now can they?
i do try to stay out of politics because they are so messed up, you cant follow them even if you tried.....
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