Re: Welcome Home
Duty in 'Nas': Protect Americans
By JESS HORSLEY
Register Staff Writer
04/20/2003
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March 29
Today the Battalion Landing Team received its new orders: Relocate (again!) and move north up Iraqi Highway 8 to the city of Nasiriyah. The city is one of the strategic points in controlling the flow of allied forces through the southern part of Iraq and has been the battleground of intense fighting. Task Force Tarawa, Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C., has been fighting there for days.
The Iraqi mob, the fedayeen, is loyal to Saddam Hussein and has been using guerrilla tactics against U.S. forces. They care little who is injured in their attacks against us, and they actively use Iraqi civilians as human shields. Five days ago, fedayeen members opened fire on Task Force Tarawa Marines after intermingling with Iraqi civilians waving a white flag and surrendering to U.S. forces. A number of Marines were seriously injured.
Higher headquarters has passed the word: The Iraqi forces have disgraced the flag of truce and have changed the face of this war. We can no longer trust anyone, civilian or suspected soldier. Does this change a thing? No. We are in a foreign, hostile country, and there are thousands of Iraqi fedayeen and Baath Party members who want any American dead, not just U.S. soldiers, airmen, sailors or Marines. It is our job to ensure that none of these people ever have the chance to harm America.
March 31
We have officially taken over the city of Nasiriyah. The "Nas," as we call it, is a terrible, but amazing, place. There is no power here. There is no running water. There are fires burning in different areas, and the air is thick with smoke. In short . . . it is a war zone.
We relocate our Combat Operations Center into the 11th Iraqi Division's headquarters and training base. The base is underequipped, and it is no wonder the Iraqi soldiers are unwilling to fight. We find their supplies and many are well below average in both quality and design. We, the premier fighting force on the Earth, have attacked a country the size of California and are well on our way to ensuring that Saddam's regime falls.
We hook up all of our computers, dig in our fighting positions, and listen to our radio networks. The companies call in their situation reports and current positions in the city, and the Operations Officer designs a plan (with the battalion commander) of how best to control the city. The Forward Combat Operations Center (Alpha Team) is still in control of the fight, we only monitor and record the fighting and action.
The Marine Expeditionary Unit allows Internet use, and we are able to send e-mails to our loved ones, giving them news of our health and well being, but keeping our whereabouts unknown due to operational security.
Horsley remains in Nasiriyah as the military moves toward Baghdad. The journal entries he sent home contain a gap and resume as Saddam's government crumbles.
April 9
Good news: The regime is falling and falling fast. U.S. forces have taken over a majority of Baghdad, and the most beautiful thing has happened: The Iraqi civilians have begun to riot and revolt against Saddam.
What does this mean for us? We still don't know. We are due back to the continental United States on July 13, 2003. Will the date of our return be pushed back? Only God and time know.
We continue to operate in the city of Nasiriyah. This city is amazing. There is a market down the street from us and many of the locals, knowing we cannot go outside our designated areas, have taken to purchasing the popular goods (cigarettes and soda pop) and selling them for almost 10 times the original price. Not a bad way to make a living if you ask me. Were I in their shoes, I would do the same thing.
Fed up, our battalion gunner, a captain, a lieutenant and one of my section's corporals (all save the captain addicted to nicotine) made their way to the market to pay the smaller amount.
The Marine Expeditionary Unit's command element has relocated its Command Post to a position 200 meters from ours. Their new location makes daily visits possible and allows the battalion Marines the opportunity to e-mail and call home.
I make the first phone call in three weeks to my wife. My wife answers the phone and doesn't recognize my voice. She tells me she is well and tells me my dad is there, too. (He is in California for a concert and to visit Shelly.)
I ask to speak to him, and she says he doesn't know if he can talk. I cannot imagine what my parents have gone through knowing (and not knowing) where I am, what I am doing, and even if I am alive. I ask again to talk to my dad, and Shelly hands him the phone. My father is crying. My eyes well up, and I do my best to mask my tears as I talk to my father for the first time since crossing the border into Iraq.
What was said? I don't even remember . . . except he said he loved me and couldn't wait for me to return, and I told him I, too, loved him and Mom and would be home as soon as possible.
Shelly picked up the receiver and I tell her I am fine, that we are at a standstill in the fighting, and we are living as well as can be expected. She laughs and tells me she and Dad can now go to the concert without worrying about me. I tell her to say hello to Mort, our cat, and everyone at home and to call my mother and tell her I am well.
April 12
Mail Day!
Today we receive a full month's worth of mail, and smiles and laughter are everywhere. As I have said before, a Marine will complain about anything and everything, but receiving mail is one thing a Marine will never complain about, as long as he has some mail.
Many of the Marines in our section have received packages and letters from church families and schools all across the country. Letters of support from second-graders in California; candy and magazines from a Methodist church in Belle Plaine, Ia.; Hostess Cupcakes and licorice from Emmetsburg; no matter where it is from, we give a silent thanks and note the address.
My letter from my wife, Shelly:
"Right now, I am proud you are over there doing what you know needs to be done. I trust you to do your job, and to do it well. I know you are protecting our country, your family, me, and our future family by doing what you are doing.
"Thank you for giving up the comforts of home. Thank you for sleeping on the ground, taking cold showers and doing night watch. Thank you for being ready and prepared. Thank you for the thousand other things you do that I don't know about and can't ever imagine.
Utility Player USA
Posts: 251
(4/20/03 11:55 am) Reply
Re: Welcome Home
Hey MetsMan. I have a question for you, you living in Germany. What's does Germany think of the essentially won war?
"IBM is developing a new computer that is as powerful as the human brain. The new computer will spend all its time playing games and downloading internet porn."
Re: Welcome Home
The joy is great that the war is over and Saddam is gone. However on the other hand the public opinion asked: where are the dangerous weapons and where are the connections to Bin Laden. This was indicated as a reason for war. And the majority was against the war.
My opinion is different to the great majority. I think Germany und Amerika must fight together. We have the same aims and the same enemys.
(excuse, hope you understand the bad English)
Utility Player USA
Posts: 254
(4/20/03 6:55 pm) Reply
Re: Welcome Home
Quote:And the majority was against the war.
You must be talking about Germans, because 70% + of America supported the war.
Your english and grammar are fine.
"IBM is developing a new computer that is as powerful as the human brain. The new computer will spend all its time playing games and downloading internet porn."
Re: Welcome Home
Thanks for your praise about my English. Yes, I meant the German people. I had so many discussions about this war with other Germans. I'm so tired about this.
Quote:Thanks for your praise about my English. Yes, I meant the German people. I had so many discussions about this war with other Germans. I'm so tired about this.
Well, for whatever it's worth, the American people actually do take notice of who supporst us when push comes to shove. It might not always look that way, but it's more the case now than ever before really. Even as we celebrated the return of the POW's, you can hear people in other country's asking why we make such a big deal out of it? Personally, if that just doesn't sum up how much they don't get it, I have no idea what does?
I do hope that the people who've stood up to the nonsense can be noted in some way. I've run across a few pro-American websites from European countries lately, and that's good to see. All this talk about a pro-American media makes me wonder, where the hell are they hiding? People claim America is run by greed, which is unfourtunately true in some cases. Yet that more or less ruins the whole argument about a biased media. Most of what we get in the news is against the war, because controversy sells, and it always will. So on the news they show us everyone who's against their own country, then they read off a poll that shows 80% of America is for the war!
If anything, the global reaction has spawned a backlash among many Americans. Again, I hope it doesn't claim innocent people who support these efforts, or at least don't work actively to make them more difficult. It's a touchy subject to all, but it's a sad thing that the discovery of missiles from France and Russia isn't a suprise.
As for the Al Quaeda connection, the way I look at it is this, it is blatantly pro-American, since I kinda live here. The entire free world owes the Kurds a major debt right now. They didn't just show us where major terrorist cells were located, they went and fought against them with us. Information from many of the captured terrorists themselves indicated aspirations of expanding Taliban/Al Quaeda influence. Northern Iraq was the perfect place. They could do their dirty work, and since it wasn't technically under Saddam's control, he would never be fingered. I could really care less if it's proven. We know a hell of a lot of bad people have used Swiss bank accounts to hide money over the years. You'll never be able to prove it though, but that doesn't mean you ignore it.
I think that people will believe what they want here, and nothing short of catastrophe will change that. That's the one thing that scared us the most here. To say that pre-emptive strikes are wrong, is basically saying that you need another 3,000 people slaughtered for no reason to justify any kind of action. Saddam and Ben Ladin might not like each other, but they both have the same goal, kill Americans. So being an American, I'm not too thrilled with such agendas. I've gotten used to this life thing, and I'd prefer to keep going with it.
Call it American smugness, but we have confidence that history will prove this justified. It hasn't been an easy thing to stick to even here though, so I can only imagine what a pain in the arse it is to stick up for us in other places. There's millions of people around the world who would love to have America's "terrible," problems. Maybe we can work out some kind of trade? There's a few here who could use a little reality! I mean, the next time a country really needs help, where will they turn, France or America?
To quote the great David Letterman, ""A lot of folks are still demanding more evidence before they actually consider Iraq a threat. For example, France wants more evidence. And you know I'm thinking, the last time France wanted more evidence they rolled right through Paris with the German flag."
Forgive the sermon, I'll put the soap-box away now.
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"Perhaps it is time for European leaders to pay a visit to Normandy Beach to see for themselves what the United States has been willing to undertake in the name of freedom." ~Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano
Angels and ministers of grace defend us! 
O & A ALWAYS WIN IN THE END
Re: Welcome Home 
Yes, I meant the German people. I had so many discussions about this war with other Germans. I'm so tired about this. 
Re: Welcome Home 
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