Tribute to American Warriors II

1. Tribute to American Warriors II February 01, 2005 This tribute honors the American Warriors who fought, and are still fighting, to protect our freedoms and restore freedom to the Iraqi and Afghan peoples throughout Operations Iraqi & Enduring Freedom. This Tribute intents to provide us a means to never forget, to always remember, to always honor our uniformed heroes, to never falter in our support of them, to remember all who served and sacrificed, especially those who fell and to never forget that we remain a nation at war against forces committed to killing us and stopping the spread of freedom around the globe. This tribute is a follow-on to a similar Tribute I compiled, see website: www.vvnw.org/Educational_Material/Letters_and_Articles/OIF_Tribute.ppt Bill Coffey Soldier, William.coffey@smdc-cs.army.mil 719-554-4216 (work), 719-351-8321 (cell)

9. JOINT MESSAGE FROM Chief of Staff of the Army and the Acting Secretary of the Army Wednesday, May 12, 2004 NEVER IN RECENT MEMORY HAVE OUR ARMY VALUES, THE SOLDIER S CREED, AND OUR WARRIOR ETHOS BEEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO REFLECT UPON THAN TODAY. OUR ARMY IS SERVING OUR NATION WITH GREAT COURAGE AND HONOR DURING VERY DANGEROUS TIMES. WE ENJOY GREAT SUPPORT AND THE CONFIDENCE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHOM WE SERVE, AND WE ARE RESPECTED AROUND THE GLOBE. IN VIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS, WE MUST RE-DOUBLE OUR EFFORTS HOLD OUR HEADS HIGH AND DRIVE ON TO ACCOMPLISH OUR INDIVIDUAL TASKS AND COLLECTIVE MISSIONS. INTEGRITY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. EVERYONE HAS LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEGAL, MORAL, AND ETHICAL. DISCIPLINE IS DOING WHAT IS RIGHT WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU AND OUR ARMY. DRIVE ON! R. L. BROWNLEE, ACTING SECRETARY OF THE ARMY

16. Christmas Visitors To The Pentagon, December 2004 They came in single file, about 50 of them. Silent ambassadors, to tell us who they were. They moved at a slow pace, passing us for over 20 minutes. Some walked, while others pushed their wheel-chairs as best they could. Some were helped along on crutches by their wives or sweethearts. They were escorted front and rear by U.S. Marines in dress blue uniform. I have never seen prouder Marines. The Amputee Ward from Walter Reed Army Medical Center visited the Pentagon today. Some wore looks of resolution, pride, or dignity. Many had prosthetic devices where limbs used to be. All of them wore looks of surprise. We, the 26,000 employees of the Pentagon, lined both sides of the A ring (the inner ring of the Pentagon) to watch them pass and welcome them with thunderous applause. Half a mile they walked through a gauntlet of grateful fellow citizens two and three deep, who reached out to shake the hands of the remaining good arms, or grasp the remaining fingers of hands that have given ultimate service. They walked through us to the main concourse, where they were met by the Army Band and color guard playing marshal music for them, and where the mall was filled with additional people who swelled the applause. Many of us just called out loudly, Thank You, because we didn't know what else could be said; thank you for your service to us. The applause never stopped. None of them spoke. They just cried. So did we. It was the closest I have been to Christmas in a long time.

18. Thoughts On Christmas in Iraq, December 2004, from a Marine LTC Who will we spend Christmas with? Let me answer that one. Last night I was making my rounds and had just entered the S-1 office. Now, office is a gross overstatement, as our spaces are essentially wood cubicles inside an old chicken factory with the amenities of a pauper and enough dust to choke a Hoover vacuum. But, office at least gives the impression of a space where the S-1 Marines do their combat admin magic, and it is at least that. There were (3) Marines seated in a close circle in the middle of the space, and I immediately recognized them as from Fox Company; they had layers of dust on them, layers of clothes on them for protection from the cold, and the look of fatigue that is easily recognizable by Warriors, the one that displays a need to sleep, but a greater need to finish the task at hand. I always try to talk to my Warriors and I approached and after receiving the usual, "good evening Sir," that I got from each of them because of our Marine's unbreakable professionalism, I asked them how things were at Fox. Please understand, I cannot convey tone and tenor, but these Marines instantly knew I meant "how is Fox?" As in, how are you all holding up in light of the tragic loss of LCpl Warner and PFC Vroman. Now, these Marines can easily dismiss the Bn Cmdr, who they all always want on the other side of the Mayhem AO from wherever they currently are, with a simple "doing fine, Sir“ or "good to go Sir" or even better yet, "oohrah Sir." But I got none of these. I got a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, and then one of them, a young handsome Devil Dog with broad shoulders and the kind of look that should be used as a recruiting poster, looked at me, took a deep breath that instantly let you know what he was about to say was important and warranted your undivided attention, and said: "you know Sir, it's amazing. Even the "bad ass" Marines cannot help but get a little choked up about what we are doing in Yusufiyah. I mean, when we seized that town and it was a running gun battle day in and day out, that place was abandoned. Nobody came out Of their houses. But now, when we are out on patrol, and all the schools are back open and people are living their lives, it feels good. But what really gets you Sir... those little kids...those little kids...they come up to you, and in their broken English say "look, we go to school" with a wide smile and a thumbs up. It gets to you Sir, it feels good. We are doing really good out there, aren't we Sir?“ Well, after you could count every hair on the back of my neck because it was at the position of attention, and after the chills stopped going down my spine, and the tears were pushed back into my soul from whence they sprang, I simply said, "you have no idea Devil Dog. You have no idea. You have done amazing. And one day, I will tell the world just HOW amazing. So, weep not for us, because I for one, and I think I speak for us all, Know the only thing that would keep me from my beautiful wife and angelic daughters on Christmas would be: 1. to be in the service of my country and 2. in the presence of heroes. Check roger on both counts. Therefore, from Iraq and on behalf of all the heroes of 2/24: Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! MERRY CHRISTMAS FALLEN WARRIORS OF 2/24, CHRISTMAS DINNER WILL BE IN YOUR HONOR, AS WILL ALL FUTURE CHRISTMAS DINNERS IN THE SMITH AND MANY OTHER HOUSEHOLDS. REST WITH THE ANGELS AND LOOK DOWN ON YOUR BROTHERS. WE LOVE YOU. Mark A. Smith, LtCol USMCR, TF 2/24 Commanding Officer, 24 MEU, Mahmudiyah, Iraq "Mayhem from the Heartland“, or as the terrorists call us, "The Mad Ghosts"

20. Thoughts On Christmas in Iraq, December 2004, from an Army Colonel 21 December 2004 MEMORANDUM FOR Soldiers of the Warrior Brigade Combat Team, US Army 25th Infantry Division SUBJECT: Warrior Note #10 During my service in the military, I have spent Christmas away from home on several occasions. Eighteen years ago, it was spent as a peacekeeper in the Sinai desert. A few days before Christmas, we decorated a pathetic-looking tree with empty little Tobasco bottles, bullet ornaments, and strips of engineer tape. In the evening, we built a fire in the bottom of a 55-gallon drum, and sat around laughing and telling stories of home and family until we each drifted off in our own thoughts. I imagine since the time of the Continental Army, soldiers have been sitting around lonely camp fires in forgotten places during Christmas. I know you wish you could be home for Christmas. I do too. During this war, whenever the voice of doubt would enter my mind, I would recall an article I read about an Iraqi man, Ajami Saadoun Khilis, whose son and brother were executed under Saddam Hussein’s regime. When he was liberated, he sobbed like a child and said to the Coalition Forces, “I knew you would come someday.” Think about that. Here is a man who was poor; who had nothing; who had lost a son and a brother; and his only hope for the future was that someday… we would come. So if you have ever doubted, like I have; if you have ever asked yourself, “Why should I stay in the military?” …like I have… the answer I would give you is that your country needs you; indeed, mankind needs you to carry hope to the lonely, forgotten places of this world. Your service is more than your commitment to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. It is an acknowledgment of undertaking something bigger and more important than yourselves; an acknowledgment of the inextricable link between you and those who have gone before you; and it is an acknowledgment of a life of sacrifice and honor for the noble causes of this world. The great American pastor, Dr. Vernon Johns, used to shout at his congregation to “be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind.” Someday, when you look back on your life, you will remember this Christmas with pride because you lived your life so that other men might be free. If you ask me, I think that comes closer to the true meaning of Christmas than all of the slogans, and tinsel, and presents of this season. Thank you for your dedication and professionalism. May God bless you and keep you safe this holiday season, and I wish you the very best in the New Year. Warriors! Lloyd Miles COL, IN Commanding

21. An Army Lieutenant Tell’s It Like It Is "Well, I'm here in Iraq, and I've seen it, and done it. I've seen everything you've ever seen in a war movie. I've seen cowardice; I've seen heroism; I've seen fear; and I've seen relief. I've seen blood and brains all over the back of a vehicle, and I've seen men bleed to death surrounded by their comrades. I've seen people throw up when it's all over, and I've seen the same shell-shocked look in 35-year-old experienced sergeants as in 19-year-old privates. "I've heard the screams - `Medic! Medic!' I've hauled dead civilians out of cars, and I've looked down at my hands and seen them covered in blood after putting some poor Iraqi civilian in the wrong place at the wrong time into a helicopter. I've seen kids with gunshot wounds, and I've seen kids who've tried to kill me. "I've seen men tell lies to save lives: `What happened to Sergeant A.?' The reply: `C'mon man, he's all right - he's wondering if you'll be OK - he said y'all will have a beer together when you get to Germany.' SFC A. was lying 15 feet away on the other side of the bunker with two medics over him desperately trying to get either a pulse or a breath. The man who asked after SFC A. was himself bleeding from two gut wounds and rasping as he tried to talk with a collapsed lung. One of them made it; one did not. "I've run for cover as fast as I've ever run - I'll hear the bass percussion thump of mortar rounds and rockets exploding as long as I live. I've heard the shrapnel as it shredded through the trailers my men live in and over my head. I've stood, gasping for breath, as I helped drag into a bunker a man so pale and badly bloodied I didn't even recognize him as a soldier I've known for months. I've run across open ground to find my soldiers and make sure I had everyone. "I've raided houses, and shot off locks, and broken in windows. I've grabbed prisoners, and guarded them. I've looked into the faces of men who would have killed me if I'd driven past their IED (improvised explosive device) an hour later. I've looked at men who've killed two people I knew, and saw fear. "I've seen that, sadly, that men who try to kill other men aren't monsters, and most of them aren't even brave - they aren't defiant to the last - they're ordinary people. Men are men, and that's it. I've prayed for a man to make a move toward the wire, so I could flip my weapon off safe and put two rounds in his chest - if I could beat my platoon sergeant's shotgun to the punch. I've been wanted dead, and I've wanted to kill. "I've sworn at the radio when I heard one of my classmate's platoon sergeants call over the radio: `Contact! Contact! IED, small arms, mortars! One KIA, three WIA!' Then a burst of staccato gunfire and a frantic cry: `Red 1, where are you? Where are you?' as we raced to the scene ... Knowing full well we were too late for at least one of our comrades. "I've seen a man without the back of his head and still done what I've been trained to do - `medic!' I've cleaned up blood and brains so my soldiers wouldn't see it - taken pictures to document the scene, like I'm in some sort of bizarre cop show on TV. "I've heard gunfire and hit the ground, heard it and closed my Humvee door, and heard it and just looked and figured it was too far off to worry about. I've seen men stacked up outside a house, ready to enter - some as scared as they could be, and some as calm as if they were picking up lunch from McDonald's. I've laughed at dead men, and watched a sergeant on the ground, laughing so hard he was crying, because my boots were stuck in a muddy field, all the while an Iraqi corpse was not five feet from him. "I've heard men worry about civilians, and I've heard men shrug and sum up their viewpoint in two words - `F--- 'em.' I've seen people shoot when they shouldn't have, and I've seen my soldiers take an extra second or two, think about it, and spare somebody's life. "I've bought drinks from Iraqis while new units watched in wonder from their trucks, pointing weapons in every direction, including the Iraqis my men were buying a Pepsi from. I've patrolled roads for eight hours at a time that combat support units spend days preparing to travel 10 miles on. I've laughed as other units sit terrified in traffic, fingers nervously on triggers, while my soldiers and I deftly whip around, drive on the wrong side of the road, and wave to Iraqis as we pass. I can recognize a Sadiqqi (Arabic for friend) from a Haji (Arabic word for someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca, but our word for a bad guy); I know who to point my weapons at, and who to let pass. "I've come in from my third 18-hour patrol in as many days with a full beard and stared at a major in a pressed uniform who hasn't left the wire since we've been here, daring him to tell me to shave. He looked at me, looked at the dust and sweat and dirt on my uniform, and went back to typing at his computer. "I've stood with my men in the mess hall, surrounded by people whose idea of a bad day in Iraq is a six-hour shift manning a radio, and watched them give us a wide berth as we swagger in, dirty, smelly, tired, but sure in our knowledge that we pull the triggers, and we do what the Army does, and they, with their clean uniforms and weapons that have never fired, support us. "I've given a kid water and Gatorade and made a friend for life. I've let them look through my sunglasses - no one wears them in this country but us -and watched them pretend to be an American soldier - a swaggering invincible machine, secure behind his sunglasses, only because the Iraqis can't see the fear in his eyes. "I've said it a thousand times - `God, I hate this country.' I've heard it a million times more - `This place sucks.' In quieter moments, I've heard more profound things: `Sir, this is a thousand times worse than I ever thought it would be.' Or, `My wife and Sgt. B's wife were good friends - I hope she's taking it well.' "They say they're scared, and say they won't do this or that, but when it comes time to do it they can't let their buddies down, can't let their friends go outside the wire without them, because they know it isn't right for the team to go into the ballgame at any less than 100 percent. "That's combat, I guess, and there's no way you can be ready for it. It just is what it is, and everybody's experience is different. Just thought you might want to know what it's really like."

23. A Great Reason …… From LTG (Ret) Jack Woodmansee. December 20, 2003 3:16 PM Subject: Re: Army at War “As I departed Louisville airport at 0600 Friday morning in my cords, baseball cap, and Gortex, about 500 young soldiers from BCT/AIT were headed home for 2 weeks Christmas leave. Shaved heads, courtesy to a very high degree, Class A uniforms fitted well and immaculate, marksmanship medals in place, not one jacket unbuttoned in the hour I saw them. . .In the terminal I sat next to a young man who was going to be a Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. After a few minutes of polite discussion, I asked him why he joined the Army. He looked me in the eye and told me that he joined the Army because he wanted to die FOR something not FROM something. My eyes got a bit blurry for some reason. (Guess I need to check my prescription.) When I could speak, I told him I thought that was a great reason. The Ft Knox DIs, based on my observations in that airport, are doing one great job!!!”

26. That is a Safety Violation! “IN EVERY WAR, THERE ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE AND THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOU CRY. ONE SUCH INCIDENT OCCURRED AS ARMOR COLUMNS ATTACKED UP HIGHWAY 6 SOUTHEAST OF BAGHDAD . OUR ARMOR AVAILABILITY HAD BEEN FANTASTIC. DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN, WE HAD STILL SHOWN READINESS RATES OF 93 AND 94 PERCENT ON TANKS AND TRACKS RESPECTIVELY. AS I STOOD WATCHING THE TROOPS MOVE UP THE HIGHWAY I BETTER UNDERSTOOD WHY. STEAMING PAST ME AT 40 MPH I SAW ONE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT VEHICLE TOWING ANOTHER. SITTING ATOP THE SECOND VEHICLE WERE THREE MARINE MECHANICS, WITH FEET AND HANDS DOWN INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WORKING ON THE ENGINE. I SAID TO THE DIVISION COMMANDER STANDING NEXT TO ME, “GEN MATTIS, THAT IS A SAFETY VIOLATION – GOD BLESS ‘EM!” LtGen. James T. Conway, Excerpt from speech, October 8, 2004

33. Enemy shot through head by US Sniper (Details VERY GRAPHIC)