You get so caught up in the scheme of things that you forget what you're trying to accomplish here.
What are we trying to do here? Are we trying to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people? Are we trying to weed out as many bad people as possible? Or both? I keep asking myself these questions and more and find that the answers sometimes do not quite satisfy me.
I am convinced in this war. I believe in this war. I would like to believe that what I'm doing here has some sense of purpose. But the past few weeks, I have just seen things that have gone against everything that we have stood and fought for the past 4 years.
And amidst all these questions I get news that one of my boys from boot camp was killed and another got his leg blown off.
It didn't hit me too hard at first, but after a while, it sunk deep into my heart and I felt a sore ache. I knew these guys. For three months we lived together; we ate, shower, pt, and did everything together.
The day we first held that rifle, we were told that a few of us might not make it back. I didn't take it too strong at the time. Now it seemed like yesterday and the words ring louder and louder to me everyday.
1 comment:
Vinny,
I think that your perspective on the matter holds more weight than any of the liberal hippies that I go to UMass with, because you are looking at this thing first hand. All I can really say to you is that you're part of a movement that is changing the history of the WORLD, and no matter what happens, you're doing the work and that's really something to be proud of, if nothing else.
If the answers don't satisfy you, just remember that sometimes you will fall on hard times. You may lose friends, you might find bad things are happening to you, but those points in your life wouldn't exist if you didn't take a lesson about life from them. Use every day to learn something about your experience, and whatever you come up with will be more valuable than anything you can buy.
I miss you buddy, stay strong.
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