A Free Republic soldier rants from Iraq. (heavy)

I would say Happy Thanksgiving, but I can’t. It’s not that the Army didn’t try. We had turkey, ham, and stuffing. But, over the past week, we have had our heaviest fighting of the whole deployment. I was rocketed 4 times in one day. We had one battle in the city that lasted for 3 ½ hours. Then things got bad. We have had 3 soldiers killed and seven wounded in 3 days (including the battalion commander). But the insurgents have paid a heavy toll. I’m prohibited from saying how many have gone to Allah, but I can say we detained 61 of them just in one day.

The day before Thanksgiving, “Doc” (an active duty medic with us) was on a dismounted patrol when he was hit with an IED (a bomb). Doc lost his leg & part of his shoulder. We evaced him to our camp. An Iraqi soldier that had received minor wounds was screaming and crying. Doc was quiet and calm. Being a medic, he knew what his chances were. Doc was stabilized and flown to Al Asad. Early Thanksgiving morning, we received word he had passed. He was 21 and was going home in 2 weeks.

The day after Thanksgiving, LTC Huffman was on patrol when his vehicle was hit by an IED. LTC Huffman, a Marine LTC, and SGT Sheets were wounded. The Marine lost part of his foot. He had arrived in Iraq just the day before and this was his first patrol. CPL Tull was standing ! in the turret when the blast hit. He saw the bomb and tried to warn them, but it was too late. Tull died instantly. For the past 2 months, he has slept by me. When we got him to the camp, I ran up and pulled down his flag he kept on the wall. I covered his body with it until we could fly him out. Tull was 20 years old and was going home on DEC 4th. I was talking to him just before he left going on the mission. He was so excited about going home. He was a great kid. He reminded me of my son back home. I have his blood all over my boot. I’d change them, but it is my only pair. BTW, we are sending the flag to his parents.

more...
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1529551/posts

Freeps think it's a fake.

Or maybe they could tell from the IP address that it originated from the 101st Keyboard brigade????

It reads too much like "Lassie Come Home." Cue sad whistling.

They only hear what they want to hear. This man's story runs contrary to their picture of reality, it destroys it. It's more comfortable for them to erase it than to address it.

or lock them. It happens here too. Shocking!

http://icasualties.org/oif/prdDetails.aspx?hndRef=11-2004

KILLED IN IRAQ

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today

the death of a soldier

who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Gregory L. Tull, 20, of Pocahontas, Iowa, died
in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on Nov. 25,
when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle
during combat operations.
Tull was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion,
194th Field Artillery, Storm Lake, Iowa.
***********************************************
November 27, 2005
Release Number: 05-11-45C
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARINE DIES IN IED ATTACK

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq –
A Marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing,
II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward),
was killed in action from an
improvised explosive device attack while
conducting combat operations against the enemy
in the vicinity of Camp Taqaddum, Nov. 26.

The name of the deceased is being withheld
pending notification of next of kin
and release by the Department of Defense.

FOR MORE INFORMATION,
CONTACT THE MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-WEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
AT CEPAOWO@CEMNF-WIRAQ.USMC.MIL.


25-Nov-2005...1....| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US.....Specialist Gregory L. Tull....Hit - Anbar
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack

here's the last part of the email...

Processing these detainees, we have learned several things. The insurgents have come to recognize our Mississippi flag. They use the flags ov! er our camps and on our vehicle radio antennas to identify us. The insurgents are actually terrified to see those flags coming. They are shocked that we don’t retreat when attacked. Plus they know we don’t just shoot back with rifles. We tend to pound their “asses” with 155mm artillery. Thank God for a commander like LTC Huffman. He leads from the front. After the medics had patched him up from the IED attack, he was back in the fight directing our large scale counter attack. Then today he was out on a mission when he came under attack again. He never slows down. I know it sounds like I’m sucking up, but I’m dead serious about him. Our unit has never retreated or withdrawn when attacked. LTC Huffman literally takes the fight to the enemy.

I’m attaching a picture of Tull that was taken as he was going out on his final patrol. Also, there is a pic of LTC Huffman and SGT Sheets when they were providing over watch for SeaBees to repair a bridge destroyed by a suicide bomber. One final thing, I’m proud to be a US soldier. But, I’m even more proud to serve under this Mississippi flag. I know it makes the insurgents “shit their pants” when they see it coming.

Sorry for this emotional rant, but its how I and most of us feel.



I couldn't read the thing without shaking my head.

not copywrited, so I thought it was OK to print

But current events are disturbingly similar to Vietnam ; we were there 10 years.
Just as pointless.

i guess the freeps don`t want to know...or they they don`t give a fuck

hell alot of my moms relation were born and raised in that area around pocahontas..

for about 1 to 3 years after they get home.
That's historically how it works.

Notice how the media is not truthfully covering any of this ground fighting?

That will take about 5 to 10 years to come out completely in the open...based on experience in Nam.