Marine Realizes Importance of Deployment

Marine Realizes Importance of Deployment
Marine Corps News | November 13, 2007


HADITHA, Iraq -- (Nov. 09, 2007) -- This time last year, 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Michael Mathes was working for the local sheriff and fire departments in Waller, Texas. It was his duty to serve the people of his small community, protecting them from dangerous situations and providing a safer environment for everyone. These days, Mathes walks down the streets of a different neighborhood and in a different uniform, but his basic duty hasn’t changed. For the next several months, he will be responsible for the welfare of Iraqi civilians living in Haditha and his brothers-in-arms, as he proudly serves as an infantryman with 3rd squad, 1st platoon, Company L.

Mathes joined the Marines Corps more than two years ago as a reservist for 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, stationed in Houston. Early this year, he volunteered to deploy and was attached to 3rd Battalion, stationed out of Montgomery, Ala.

He said he did not enlist, or deploy, for the money, college tuition or sense of adventure, but rather out of an obligation he felt toward his country.

“Honestly, I feel every able-bodied American should serve in the military,” Mathes said. “You come to places like this and you see how good we really have it.”

Now that Mathes is in Iraq, he sees firsthand the progress being made. He has heard of past horrors, but said now people here have moved on, wanting a better way of life for themselves and their children. Most of Haditha’s 70,000 residents have embraced the Marines, casting out the terrorists who hid bombs in their streets, closed local schools and uprooted families. This city that use to be a safe haven for terrorists is now a sprawling community with markets and restaurants, construction and playgrounds.

“We owe very much to the Marines,” said a local Iraqi policeman, known only as Cash. “The Marines do very good here, people here like the Marines and it’s very safe now.”


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,156105,00.html

all knowing and all intelligent. This boy hasn't had enough life experiences to understand what is happening around him. He is only going to know what is happening with the things he sees and hears.

I worked in a plant with about 1500 workers on each shift. There was a lot that I didn't know happening even after daily spending lunch hour in the cafeteria with others working in other parts of the plant.

Waller Texas
2000 Population: 2092
2006 Population: 2045

He protected Waller Texas from how many dangerous situations?
He might have provided a safer environment for Waller Texas but how much effort was required?

I always thought that sheriff depts served the entire county. The Waller website shows they have a police department not a sheriff department. They have 7 full-time and about 4 part-time officers. And a special Security Watch Program for those on vacation or emergencies. Doesn't look like they need help from the Sheriff's Department to keep Waller safe.

Of course, it is possible the news was fluffed up to make it more juicier and entertaining. Or the so called reporter didn't bother doing the necessary research and taking good notes.

But allow me to say something in the defense of this piece.

A couple of days ago, (Fri Nov-09-07 at 01:42 PM to be exact) I posted a story about First Lt. Walter B. Jackson, who was only the 7th person to receive the DSC (Distinguished Service Cross)
since Vietnam. Here it got only 42 views and no nominations to the greatest board.
This young man is a hero.

I did a search for this same piece of news and there were only 9 News articles about this on Google, of which 2 results were from the Army Times website, 2 were on the website for the Seattle Post Intelligencer and 1 was on the website of the Seattle Times. NOBODY (CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC) had this story on their websites.



So if the military newspapers do not put out this information, where are we to learn about it?