A soldier's Easter story - Democratic Underground

NNN0LHI

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Sun Mar-27-05 07:11 AM
Original message

A soldier's Easter story

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-eastervet27.html

"Sheriff North! Sheriff North! This is Road Dawg 2-4," Sgt. Robert Williamson barked over his Army radio. "We are under heavy enemy attack. I need support, and I'm going to need medevac!"

Williamson could hear bullets buzzing over his truck and the gunner truck in front of him.

In his rearview mirror, the three-lane Iraqi highway was swallowed by black smoke pierced only by mortar rounds, gunfire and homemade bombs that shook the ground like earthquakes.

In the midst of that billowing tornado were 23 of Williamson's soldiers, their panicked screams filling his cab as they radioed for help. At least four were seriously wounded, and Williamson knew if he didn't get them to a hospital soon, they would bleed to death.

'I'm afraid to fall asleep'

'You feel like cannon fodder'

CONTACT US
Soldiers from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan who have post-traumatic stress disorder may contact the reporter at creed@suntimes.com.

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katinmn

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Sun Mar-27-05 07:22 AM
Response to Original message

1. I'm glad this newspaper is running soldiers' stories

It's the only way people will learn the truth. The government wants to hide the war from public view.

:kick:

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NNN0LHI

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Sun Mar-27-05 07:24 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Front page and center with photos. And well written too n/t

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NYC

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Sun Mar-27-05 07:49 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. The print edition has it on the front page?

That's wonderful. People will be forced to read at least part of it.

Terrible description. And to think Bush said, "Mission Accomplished."

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NNN0LHI

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Sun Mar-27-05 07:58 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. Yes. With this soldiers 4x6 color photo in the middle of the page n/t

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UpInArms

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Sun Mar-27-05 08:13 AM
Response to Original message

5. also from your link

But on the way to the airport, Williamson's truck was hit by a bomb, and the blast fractured his hip. Williamson had to pay for his flight home because he was told no money was available for convalescent-leave flights. (A retired colonel is investigating why the military didn't pay for the trip and why Williamson still hasn't been reimbursed.)

Once he was home, it became clear that Williamson's injuries were too severe to allow him to return. He spent three months seeing and waiting to see doctors at Fort Campbell, Ky., before they sent him home to recover. In the last month, Williamson was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

glad to see how well our troops are being supported /sarcasm

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dbt

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Sun Mar-27-05 08:15 AM
Response to Original message

6. A little more from this GREAT article:

One soldier ran up and put his arm around Williamson: "They did a body count," the soldier told him. "There's like 180 insurgents that were killed in that gunfight. So, you took a lot of them out. What a great job!"

Williamson shrugged off the man and thought, "When did war become about body counts?" For two days he didn't eat. Finally his platoon leader told him he was "wigging out" and sent him to see a psychologist, a precursor of what lay ahead.

With all respect to Sergeant Williamson, I believe that war became about body counts early in 1967 or '68--during the First Viet Nam. And for anyone who still is not convinced that bu$hler's little Iraq Adventure is the SECOND Viet Nam, there's this:

"When I hear a helicopter -- boom, I'm back there in Iraq on Easter. I see smoke in the distance -- boom I'm back in Iraq. The scary part is that I can be driving down the road, and I don't see the interstate, but I see a highway in Baghdad and tracers are going by. My eyes are wide open. They call it the 100-yard stare."

Well, maybe this war is different from Viet Nam, after all. Back then, they called it the thousand-yard stare.

Somebody needs to burn in hell for sending our Warriors into combat for a pack of LIE$.

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NNN0LHI

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Sun Mar-27-05 08:48 AM
Response to Original message

7. Wonder why the "right to lifers" never post to these kinds of stories?

They find a media driven story about one brain damaged woman and become obsessed with that and they post continuously to that story with extreme frenzy. But stories like these never seem to faze them. That says a lot about those supposed "right to lifers". Wonder if they realize that some people do notice that? Its almost like they don't even see stories like this. But I know they do. And their hypocrisy is duly noted.

Don

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UpInArms

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Sun Mar-27-05 09:04 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. you have to read this to believe it

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/living/11240212.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

excerpt:

And the significance of the Easter story for her life?

"It's not about religion; it's about developing a relationship with him," she said. "If he hadn't been resurrected, he would be dead -- I wouldn't be able to talk with him, trust him -- and my faith would be for nothing."

To nurture that relationship, she reads the Bible and spends the day in prayer.

"If I am driving down the street and I see a car accident, I say: 'Oh Lord, be with these people and help them with whatever they are going through. If they are hurt, heal them.' "

Lately, she said, there's been a lot to pray about.

"My husband works at Boeing. He just got a layoff notice," she said. "This is all in God's hands, and we don't worry about it."

...more at link...

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wizard47th

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Sun Mar-27-05 09:18 AM
Response to Original message

9. My thoughts on Easter....

Are not only for Terri in Florida who will FINALLY get the peace she so really needs, but for all those poor souls stuck in a quagmire of a war and being put on the front line to die. Then, all they get in return is to be remembered NOT as a human being....but as a number.

"10 soldiers died today"

"2 soldiers killed by roadside bomb"

"3 soldiers killed"

They are putting thier lives on the line...the least the media could do was let thier names be known. Trully horrible.

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UpInArms

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Sun Mar-27-05 09:27 AM
Response to Reply #9

10. Welcome to DU wizard47th!

Hard to feel really positive this "Easter" for me also.

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ausiedownunderground

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Sun Mar-27-05 09:49 AM
Response to Original message

11. 180 guerrillas killed??? What by???How many were wounded??

This story is crap. If the US Army is killing 180 guerrillas and wounding how many more in a single convoy attack, the guerrilla war should be over by now. There are not enough Iraqi's in the whole of Iraq to take these number of casualties in a single convoy ambush. In an ambush the people being ambushed usually suffer far higher casualties than the ambusheers! The story at least made "front page" on some local paper. For small mercies the "Rest of the World" says thanks!

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Zerex71

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Sun Mar-27-05 11:18 AM
Response to Original message

12. Ahh, but the whole thing's worth it, right?

Even if the prices at the pump are going up, not down. American blood for Middle Eastern oil, yeah, I'd say that's a fair trade.

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NNN0LHI

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Mon Mar-28-05 08:55 PM
Response to Reply #12

13. Don't sound like it was worth it to this guy n/t

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