The mother of a dead U.S. soldier wrote to me this morning

[WilliamPitt]

She was responding to this:

http://truthout.org/docs_03/110403A.shtml

and my heart is broken.

====

Dear Mr. Pitt,
I read your Truthout articles religiously. I must share with you the
obituary I wrote for my son, Sgt. ******* ******, who was killed **** ** near Mosul. I am also attaching the statement I wrote that was read before Congress. I often think of the contributions my intelligent, sensitive wonderful son could have made. He could have been President of the United States. He could have been a doctor caring for children in a Third World Country. He had so much potential. He told us that when he came back from Iraq he wanted to help people. He said he had seen so much hatred and death that the only way to live his life was through aid to others. Look at what
we've lost. The loss is not just mine, it's the world's loss.

Thank you for your efforts.

****** **********

====

I wish we could figure out a way here to discuss this wretched war and the wretched 'leaders' who dragged us here without veering into intemperate comments about the troops themselves. There's been a lot of that lately, and it is just awful. Tell this mother her son was a Nazi? I know some of you can and will do it on this forum. You'd never be able to do it to her face.

[Bandit]

1. In her own words ~"Thank you for your efforts."

You are having an impact.

[RetroLounge]

2. Pretty intense...

and Will, you make a good point at the end of your post.

If she reads TruthOut, what makes us think her and other family members of troops don't read DU also.

Should make us think, not watch what we say, but THINK about what we say. It's easy to hit post, but to someones face? Nah, I couldn't do it. I would just want to give her a hug and tell her how sorry I am for her loss...

[deutsey]

3. One of the saddest things I've read in a while...

as a parent of three children who fears some day a nut like Bush is going to send them out to be slaughtered, my heart aches for this woman.

:evilfrown:

[hang a left]

4. So awful, parents should never outlive their children. I am in tears.

[plcdude]

5. how tragic but..

the fact that she wrote you is an encouragement to us all to continue to speak and write the truth. Are you still accepting speaking engagements?

[WilliamPitt]

10. I am

[lovedems]

6. It is not the troops fault

They are just taking orders! Look how the administration has tried to spin this war to the american public. I imagine what the troops are being told is 1,000 X worse. I am sure they are being told terrible and untruthful things about "the enemy" in order to inspire hate and the desire "finish the job".

[kath]

48. "I am sure they are being told terrible and untruthful things about

"the enemy" in order to inspire hate and the desire "finish the job"."


This made me think about the lyrics to a Tom Paxton song, "The Willing Conscript", especially the 4th verse and the part about being taught "to hate the enemy":

Oh Sergeant I'm a draftee and I've just arrived in camp.
I've come to wear the uniform and join the martial tramp.
And I want to do my duty, but one thing I do implore
You must give me lessons, sergeant, for I've never killed before.

To do my job obediently is my only desire.
To learn my weapon thoroughly and how to aim and fire.
To learn to kill the enemy and then to slaughter more,
I'll need instruction, sergeant, for I've never killed before.

Now there are several lessons that I haven't mastered yet.
I haven't got the hang of how to use the bayonet.
If he doesn't die at once am I to stick him with it more?
Oh, I hope you will be patient, for I've never killed before.

Oh, there are rumors in the camp about our enemy.
They say that when you see him he looks just like you and me.
But you deny it, Sergeant, and you are a man of war,
So you must give me lessons, for I've never killed before.

The hand grenade is something that I just don't understand.
You've got to throw it quickly or you're apt to lose your hand.
Does it blow a man to pieces with it's wicked, muffled roar?
Oh, I've got so much to learn because I've never killed before.

Oh, I want to thank you, Sergeant, for the help you've been to me.
For you've taught me how to slaughter and to hate the enemy.
And I know that I'll be ready when they march me off to war,
And I know that it won't matter that I've never killed before.
And I know that it won't matter that I've never killed before.



Words and Music by Tom Paxton

http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Willing_conscript_lyrics/89448

The song gives me chills every time I hear it...

[tom_paine]

7. Not THIS vet! But people are angry. Angry people say dumb things

I myself have strayed occasionally out of anger

:evilfrown:

and said things like "The Amermacht".

The situation with the troops is a troubling grey area, compounded by the fact that Bunnypants* treatment of the soldiers is going to cause us to haemmorage veterans who have "seen the elephant" in more ways than one.

There is a certain moral place where following unlawful, immoral leadership (like the Busheviks) goes over the line. I'm not sure our armed forces ae there yet, for the most part.

The troops are by and large victims, as we all are, of the Bunnypants* Regime.

[bluestateguy]

8. I have never criticized the troops personally

I direct my vitriol at the commanding generals, the politicians and the chickenhawks in this country who cheer for more war.

[nostamj]

9. bush* on the war dead...

[blondeatlast]

34. That is, sadly, a terrific cartoon. I hope the Pulitzer Prize

Committee sees it.

[KoKo]

11. I haven't seen anyone here call our troops Nazi's, or disparage them in

any way. Maybe there is some Forum here where that has gone on, but truly I have missed it if it's there.

Maybe a troll or Freep gets in and posts something like that for disruption, and that's what you've seen Will.

[WilliamPitt]

12. Nope

The names would be easily recognizable. I wish it were Freeps. Honest to God I do.

[ShaneGR]

15. There are plenty

More than I expected.

[blondeatlast]

35. I have seen several.

The rhetoric has been toned down, but there was much vitriol earlier in theoccupation.

It made me sick to my stomach.

[proud patriot]

13. *tears*

I'm doing all I can , I yell so loud .

I'm so sorry I couldn't save these soldiers .

before the the invasion I didn't know anyone
on the ground . I now, thanks to SoCalDem's
opportunity to send care packages have an
adopted soldier's picture on my fridge , we
are now friends .

I now have a stake in this , cause I want
to meet him someday and welcome him home .

Are they ever coming home ?

William , when are we going to be listened too ?

[Minstrel Boy]

14. Here's the Nazi:

The troops don't set policy. They signed up to defend their country, not act as Halliburton's Pinkertons.

[Cleita]

16. The Nazi's are in the bunkers dividing their share of

the Iraqi loot when it's over, not on the front lines. I hope all Americans realize this.

[blondeatlast]

36. You said it, grrl. And well.

[sandnsea]

17. Aid to others & WWII

I've often wondered exactly what it was that made that generation different. There had to be a reason that their children became the children of the 60's and 70's. Maybe this statement is it:

"He said he had seen so much hatred and death that the only way to live his life was through aid to others."

The WWII generation, not to be confused with the Korean War generation, truly were a 'kinder and gentler' people. Does it take the horrors of war to make people want to reach for peace? Did they somehow transfer that to their kids, creating the 60's war protests and fights for equality and justice?

[blindpig]

22. I think the Depression had something to do with it n/t

[aquart]

24. I attended Viet War protests with my mother's friends

All veterans of World War II. They marched against the war with their sons beside them.

[blondeatlast]

37. My dad was a WWII vet. He always said he fought in as justifiable

a war as there could have been. He also said if he had had sons, he would have gladly shipped them to Canada rather than send them to fight in Vietnam. He marched against Vietnam; and would have protested Iraq if his health would have permitted.

I think Vietnam made us sort of bully-like as a people. I see it in myself sometimes. My dad could see it too, and he called me down for it.

May our sons and daughters rest in peace and honor. Amen.

[Malva Zebrina]

18. broken hearts and broken lives

the country is broken and the system is broken.

I cannot imagine the pain of a mother who loses her baby to the whims of Bush.

But as far as villification of the troops, that "support the troops" slogan has got to be erased from the memes of people opposed to the war. We know that few are blaming the soldiers--that "support the troops" thing is a fallacy--a false dilemma and it's tacit meaning has been changed by those who would use language spuriously to get their way to smear the anti-war people who they really fear. Pay no attention to the "support the troops" false dilemma--

The reality is: I know of few people who would recommend spitting on the soldiers and I have seen little evidence here on DU of the same. If there is one or two posts, then "gotcha" or diverting, sneering anger to them instead of to the real perpetrator, Bush, is non productive at this point. It has not reached gigantic proportions as in the Vietnam era.

Someone started a thread today that referred to an article written by Barry Grey on the World Socialist Web. The piece dealt with Thomas Freidman's recent column in which he makes pitiful, weak excuses for Bush's lies. One paragraph in that very fine essay, stood out for me re the troops. I wondered how Grey would get around the "support the troops" false dilemma. His one word stood out and served the purpose of bridgeing that mind gap that I stumble on when cricizing the invasion and the Bush wars--that word was "dragooned".

That is exactly what I feel has happened to our youth and our children, actually, who are now serving in the Iraq quagmire. That is how I think of our soldiers. Here is the entire paragraph:

"The Iraqi people have the right to resist the American occupation of their country in any way they choose. The responsibility for the deaths of innocent civilians—as well as for American youth dragooned into this vile imperialist project—rests with those who conspired to launch an illegal war of aggression and promoted the most cynical lies to justify it."

[AlabamaYankee]

25. "Dragooned"

That word, and all it evokes, is especially appropriate for the Guard and Reserves who were called up and have now had their tours extended beyond all reason. For the regular Army, soldiering is the full time job. Guards and reserves have careers, businesses, and civilian obligations that they often can't put on hold for 12 to 15 months without personal or financial ruin.

And the "all volunteer army" becomes an invalid term wiht the first stop-loss order

[xray s]

19. These are the kind of people I know in the military

I volunteer for a homeless shelter my church sponsors on Saturday nights. Every Saturday night, two or three Navy recruits from the local Naval base volunteer to pull an all-nighter with me feeding homeless people, cleaning up the kitchen and talking and playing cards with people that are way down on their luck (coincidently, MANY of the homeless they meet are Vets). They could be back at the base catching some zzz's. Lord knows their schedule during the week gives them little time for R&R. But they choose to help out in the community instead. Gladly. Proudly. Some of the finest people you will ever meet.

It is for them, and others I know in my community and many, many more I will never meet, that I am going to do everything I possibly can to change things in Washington next November.

[spanone]

20. If my son died for this illigitimate war, I don't think I would be as

kind to the Senate as she was. This is a tragic, tragic situation for these soldiers. It is a NO WIN situation. They are pawns in a scandal of never before seen proportions. History may prove me wrong, but I predict that someday our leaders will have to stand before a world court and take their medicine and for this woman and the hundreds like her it can't happen soon enough. A cryin' shame.

[VelmaD]

21. That's 2 days in a row now Will.

You're getting into the habit of making me cry at work.

Every male member of my family (brother and cousins) in my generation and many of the females too have been in the service. All I can think is thank the gods we're between generations - they're all out now and their kids are too young to go. I can't even begin to imagine that woman's pain.

[mrsteve]

23. It's not over, Will, not by a long shot

If the Neo-cons get re-elected (or re-selected, or just martial-law their way back in next year) there's a lot more weeping over dead soldiers in our future:

From yesterdays Salon:

"Oiling up the draft machine?
The Pentagon is quietly moving to fill draft board vacancies nationwide. While officials say there's no cause to worry, some experts aren't so sure."

(snip)

""The closest parallel to the Iraq situation is the British in Northern Ireland, where you also had some people supporting the occupying army and some opposing them, and where the opponents were willing to resort to terror tactics," says Charles Peña, director of defense studies at the libertarian Cato Institute. "There the British needed a ratio of 10 soldiers per 1,000 population to restore order, and at their height, it was 20 soldiers per 1,000 population. If you transfer that to Iraq, it would mean you'd need at least 240,000 troops and maybe as many as 480,000.

"The only reason you aren't hearing these kinds of numbers discussed by the White House and the Defense Department right now," Peña adds, "is that you couldn't come up with them without a return to the draft, and they don't want to talk about that." "

(snip)

"Even among those who think the public might support a draft, like Bandow at the Cato Institute, few believe Bush would dare to propose it before the November 2004 election. "No one would want that fight," he explains. "It would highlight the cost of an imperial foreign policy, add an incendiary issue to the already emotional protests, and further split the limited-government conservatives." But despite the Pentagon's denials, planners there are almost certainly weighing the numbers just as independent military experts are. And that could explain the willingness to tune up the draft machinery."

(on edit - rephrased the title a bit)

[Mari333]

26. Im so tired of crying every morning.

.

[catmandu57]

28. It's not the men on the ground

that my anger is directed toward, but at those who hold power, the string pullers who will profit from the deaths that they pay no mind to.

The world would indeed be different if the assasin's bullets hadn't cut down the men who could have made it so, it's up to us to bring their vision home.

[ninkasi]

27. Will, thank you.

My heart breaks for her, and for the others who have lost loved ones due to this insane, illegal war. Her son sounds like someone who had much to offer the world; the coward who sent him to die, the sociopath Bush, has much to atone for.

With everything else he has done, Bush has also unleashed violence and hatred worldwide. I truly, truly have never seen so much madness, even during Vietnam and the Nixon years. When will people learn that we can not afford to permit men like him anywhere near positions of authority?

I am clinging to the hope that 2004 will sweep him, and his followers out of power, and allow us to begin the long healing process. Again, thank you for your tireless efforts.

[LeahMira]

29. "Thank you for your efforts."

Your words brought her some small blessing. How generous of her to send you that letter.

Soon, if it please the Creator, your words will bring blessings and thanks from mothers whose sons are back in their arms, whole and happy. Keep talking.

[WilliamPitt]

30. Kick

[Ladyhawk]

44. I don't think I've ever blamed the regular troops.

Once, just before the war, I remarked under my breath, "Bush doesn't give a hairy rat's ass about those soldiers."

Martha, one of my classmates, said, "Oh please don't say that. One of my boys is leaving for the Middle East."

Then the tears started and I found myself in a ring of people both for and against the upcoming war. We were all crying...perhaps because of the terrible rift it created in our country. I cried more than Martha did and she was the one who had the right to those tears.

I think I cried because I had made a study of George W. Bush and knew he really didn't care for her child. I knew the whole thing was going to hell.

Since then I've come to realize that the soldiers will be a reflection of our society: some good, some bad, some in between. But it isn't their fault they are there. The fault lies almost solely with Shrubby and his puppeteers.

[mandyky]

31. Sweet Jesus!

When will this madness end?

[stevedeshazer]

32. Ouch.

I posted something similar here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=646095

[WilliamPitt]

33. Kick

[Petrodollar Warfare]

39. Marine back from Iraq told me "Bush should be Impeached"...

Last Saturday my wife and I ate dinner at a local Red Robin restaurant, where our waiter was a friendly and outgoing young man in his early 20s. We learned that he was 23, and just finished his service as a Marine in some sort of recon unit. He served in Iraq from Jan 2003 til July 2003, and before that he fought in Afghanistan (I did not ask when). When I asked him how he felt about the lack of WMD, he stated "Well, I hope we are over there for a noble cause. We did find some German chemical precursors and some recently made French rockets dated from 2000 (typical, short range stuff). I want to believe that we are doing the right thing. But if you want my real opinion, I think Bush should be Impeached. I can say that now because he is no longer my boss."

I did not ask him to share such feelings with me, a stranger - he just offered them to me and my wife. Just thought I'd share that story. My point? The military is nothing but a tool, kind of like a hammer. It's part of a toolbox, diplomacy is one of the tools to, so are sanction. However, sometimes Presidents decide to use the hammer, and the hammer has no choice, as it has no brain. It simply can not act by itself - it simply obeys messages/orders from the hand, which in turn comes from the brain. The hand is the generals, and the brain in our system of gov't is our civilian leadership/Pentagon, which unfortuately is made of Bush and these imperialists and insane neocons.

I feel quite terrible for the 400+ families who have lost their loved ones, but I also think the American people will try to end this madness in exactly 1-year with the Elections. Remember, soldiers are doing their duty, as they must, but many of them have lost faith in their mission, and made terrible sacrifices. They are not relisting once their time is up - thanks to the necons. So, please welcome them back to the US, as they can help us change the direction OUR country is going. We need them just as much as they need us. Just thought I'd give you my 2cts worth...

[Andy_Stephenson]

38. I hate BUSHCO and everyone that gave us this war.

She is right

"The loss is not just mine, it's the world's loss."

I mourn right along with her. :cry:

[Skittles]

40. *sniff*

you won't hear me kicking the troops.

[kyrasdad]

41. I don't think anyone would call one of our military folks a Nazi...

And I'd be the first one in line for a slap fest if they did. Our men and women are stuck over there because they have a job to do, on the orders of our Commander In Chief. HE is the one that should be held to task for our actions in the Middle East, not our soldiers...

I have talked with some of the men and women that were over there, some disagree with our actions, but they all agree that they took an oath to thier country, and for them not to fulfill it, would be unthinkable. Wrong or right, they have, and many still are fulfilling the obligation they took. They deserve nothing less than our respect. They deserve nothing less than to be called home, and do what they were supposed to do when they took that oath... Defend our country...

It breaks my heart to think of all the other mothers out there now, missing their children becasue they were killed for nothing other than one man's ambition...

[WilliamPitt]

42. You should see my bookmarks

You'd be surprised.

[Zomby Woof]

43. from one son of a vet to another

Thanks for sharing her letter.

[WINEWOMAN7]

45. Telling the truth

I want to thank you for me, and the rest of the patriotic people in our country who want the country to hear the truth. This brave woman lost her son, I have sons about his age, and she realizes he could have made a difference in the world but was lost in this insane and unjust war. All of us who care about people, freedom, and justice need to work together to defeat this maniac who sits illegally in the oval office.

I read all your articles in Truthout and have seen you on television, Will, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patriotism.

Dian

[Zomby Woof]

46. Welcome to DU, Winewoman!

[WINEWOMAN7]

47. Welcome

Thank you ZombyWoof, I've followed your posts and felt bad when your father passed away. My husband died 2 years ago in a freak accident. I sympathize with your mother, who is probably about my age.
Keep on keeping on!!!!!

Dian

[roguevalley]

49. I feel so badly for her. Everytime I drive over David Douthit Veteren's

Memorial Bridge here in SOldotna, I remember the only Alaskan killed in Gulf War I. Friendly fire too. His daughter is a growing girl and will never know him. He's just a name, really.

The troops are dupes like the rest of us. Here we sit, educated, wealthy, reasonably bright as a nation and a little monkey has hijacked us. Not only us, but the whole world. How can that ever be a soldier's fault?

I am glad for SoCalDem's efforts because four boxes are headed for
eight soldiers right now. I feel somewhat better for that small thing. I wish only peace for her and I hope her activity will help her cope. We might have lost the next Gandhi or Salk with the loss of her son. Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, as they say, it tolls for all of us.

RV

[Zomby Woof]

52. oh, that wasn't me

Mistaken identity - happens all the time. There is another DUer with Zombie in his name, and I am sorry to say it was him. A great guy, and I hope you meet him on here.

ZW

[WilliamPitt]

50. Thank you winewoman

[LiberalTexan]

51. What would I say to her?

How can I tell you, anonymous mother, that I cry every day when I hear of more soldiers dying? Our brothers, our sisters, your son.

It breaks my heart to read this post. It hurts me so deeply that there is so much pain in the world and yet most people don't know your son's name because we aren't allowed to know. We aren't allowed to care. We aren't allowed to grieve.

I don't know you and I don't know your son's name. But, I know his spirit. And, I understand the fire that was inside of him to help other people and make this world a better place with brighter days and happier lives.

What I have to offer you is much more than condolences. I offer you the promise that I will raise the little one inside of me to continue in the dreams your son had. My child will never take the place of your son. But, please know that I will do everything I can to make sure that the legacy of love and caring that lived in your son will live in my child, too, so that the world may be so touched.

To a grieving mother from an expectant mother, may peace sleep with you tonight.

[Zomby Woof]

53. Hi LT

It is good to see you back on DU again, or have I not been paying attention? Great post, as always.

[LiberalTexan]

54. Hi friend,

I'm clocking 16 hours in med school this semester and right smack dab in the middle of a 900 hour internship. So, I haven't been around much-- in waves and spurts....

My due date is in May...then things should *really* start to get interesting! Leave it to LiberalTexan to mix things up a bit. :)

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[St_Just]

85. nicely done, nicely done, Mr Wallace (nt)

[WilliamPitt]

94. You're breaking my heart

The individual came in here looking for a fight. Not intelligent discourse. But a fight. At 3am no less. He got one. As for the rest of your little opera, well...:eyes: to you.

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[MSchreader]

83. WAAAAAY out of line, Will

And you know it. Not only are your comments well outside the bounds of the rules, they only cheapen your own arguments.

Martin

[WilliamPitt]

93. Which is probably why I alerted on all of them

[MSchreader]

97. Same here

n/t

[spindoctor]

69. You only become a nazi by choice, not by association

I know this, because despite my frequent company, I am unable to turn my closest friends into liberals, nor do I believe that any of their republicanism has rubbed of on me over the years.

Soldiers have a job to do, and although I personally would not recommend anyone to pursue a carreer in a job that has the word "die" in it's functional description, it is by all means an honorable profession.

Ours is not to wonder why, ours is but to do and die. Isn't that what they used to say? Clearly an army will not function if every order to attack was first submitted to a democratic vote amongst the troops.

So even though there are limits to blind obedience, it does not display good taste or character to label our soldiers with anything other than 'professionals' for doing their job, or for fighting a war that (sadly) is still supported by the majority of our country.

Having said that, I take similar offense to people who continuously feel the need to refer to these professionals as 'heroes' (*cough*hanity*cough*). People do not become heroes for doing their job, although there is a possibility that they might perform acts of heroism on the job.
This possibility is slightly increased when your job involves walking around amongst hords of hostile armed natives, compared to a job (say mine) where repetitive stress syndrome is the #1 enemy.

[William_WaLLace_]

88. maybe generally

Soldiers can be lableled as professionals, but to blanket the group with that distinction is a mistake.

Some soldiers are great people, some are not. Some do there job and some commit atrocities because they can.

[spindoctor]

99. Hence the subject header about choice

In general its not good to generalize.

[RuB]

79. It would be great if some day a presidential candidate would visit DU

and chat. Being a Bushie basher, even a Bushie hater would not keep them away. Bashing the military would.

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[William_WaLLace_]

86. ST_Just

People that give qualified support to this immoral war exemplify the failures of the Democratic Party.

They are incapable of taking a strong stand on anything, so they stand for nothing.

You call it like you see it brother, and if there were more of you, I would bet that the democrats would not continually lose elections as they have been currently doing.

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[William_WaLLace_]

90. the thing is

That your comments were well within the scope and spirit of the "rules"

Pitt's were not. Its interesting to watch in action censorship occur at a site that claims to embelish in the 1st Amendment.

There is no rationale reason why your comments were deleted.

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[RuB]

96. K.

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[Octafish]

98. The world will never be the same.

Losing someone with so much talent and promise and goodness as was the young service man’s is a real blow to all of us.

My deepest and heartfelt sympathies to his mother and family and friends.

Each person represents an infinite universe. The loss of any one is an irreplaceable loss to us all. The universe is never the same once one leaves to move forward to another. These are just three reasons why each person is priceless. In the short life of the good sergeant we can find infinite more.

[Johnyawl]

100. Thanks, Will

For posting her letter, and reminding everybody that it's our leaders that need critisizing, not the grunts on the ground, homesick, angry and scared. I was there once, a lifetime ago. But I remember...

Next summer I will have two boys registered with the Selective Service. I'll do what I can, what I know how to do, during the next year to stop this administration. For myself, and her, and every parent like us. You have a great talent, Will, and you use it well, and tirelessly, in a good cause. For this you have my heartfelt graditude.