Regrowth

     Yesterday I received a vile email that emptied self righteous wrath on both my soldiers and I.  The rambling message started with a blanket accusation “you are heartless conquerors” and ended with the author reveling in the thought that “you will return home broken men”.  I have heard these empty arguments bandied around before, but never with such vitriolic zeal.  The email wasn’t an intellectual exchange on the pros and cons of this war, it was the virtual equivalent of a slap in the face.  By all rights I should have been infuriated, but all I could muster was abject pity for the cowardly author.  I have said this before, but it bears repeating so I will say it again.  We didn’t come here to conquer, and we didn’t come here to hate.  That may be difficult to understand for those simplistic minds that automatically equate military service with blind reptilian fury, but it is true nonetheless.  The anonymous writer was wrong when he said we would return home broken, but perhaps he was using his own frail heart as a reference point.  But to say we will return unchanged would be just as false..     

     One of the lies we tell ourselves is that this place won’t change us - but that is little more then an empty wish.  Iraq has already changed us, and the men that reported to duty all those long months ago will never return.  We will return in their place, and though we share common memories with those prior incarnations of self we will be different.  In our absence the dense underbrush of petty rivalries, false friends and empty dreams will have long since burned away as surely as if the rugged landscape of our hearts had endured some great firestorm.  In many ways it has.      

     But nothing is ever truly lost without something being gained, and we are no exception.  Like the forest that is reborn in the ashes of a wildfire, so too will we grow amidst the scorched memories of pain and loss.   And someday those interior slopes will again be fertile and speckled with a riot of new cares and concerns.  To the casual observer we will look no different from any other person, just another gray face in a gray world.  But to those of us who have endured the fires there will always be an unspoken bond, and we will recognize the faded scars of our friends as if they were our own reflections.       There is no universal insight magically granted to those who have been in combat, but our time here will ensure one thing - we will never again be allied with those chill souls who risk nothing and therefore gain nothing. 

Comments

[Bill Faith]

For every fool like the one who wrote that letter there are several off us pulling for you all the way; please know that. Yes, you will come home changed; "For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know." If this country has sense enough to finish the job this time you'll be able to look back in years to come and know you accomplished something, and a lot of old men like me will envy you that. Be safe, sir. Thank you for your service.

[Willow]

Thank you. Thank you for your site that I stumbled upon while trying to pass the last few months of my husband's service. You have very eloquently captured how this affects soldiers. I adore how your site presents such a different picture then the one our media would lead us to believe. I know that you are making such an incredible difference just by being there.

[Raf]

Even though I'm not an American (I'm a Canadian citizen), I am proud of the job you and your brothers and sisters are doing; you are helping in making the world a better place for all of us and, as compared to the heartless person who sent you that awful e-mail, you are willing to put your life on the line to help others. As a police officer, I have at times been placed in hazardous situations in order to help a total stranger, but I know my job pales in comparison to what you have do deal with on a daily basis in Iraq. I offer you a heartfelt "Thank You", and hope you never forget that you and your brothers and sisters are in the thoughts of many. Stay safe, and keep your spirits high!

[TBinSTL]

Living well is the best revenge...nuf said.

[SK]

Thank You for another terrific post and for all that you're doing. For every hate filled troll, you have a hundred supporters. Please keep the faith.

[MD]

Well, the person who sent you that e-mail is a fool, and I'm not one to throw around insults lightly as I think it tends to reflect more on the person doing the insulting than the insulted. There are plenty of ways to register dissent. Sending an e-mail in this fashion is no respectable form of dissent; it's an easy way for a small person to feel bigger. You have a real talent for writing, for taking your readers to a completely real place. You just keep writing. We'll be here to read what you have to say.

[andy]

I thought the war was a bad idea and still think it was a bad idea. I think that has been plenty explored. What bugs me now though is the "bring 'em home now!" crowd. I mean, I wish every single soldier out there could come home tomorrow as I'm sure that is where they all would rather be. However, whether you agreed with the war, what is done is done. To attack Iraq and just leave the people to fend for themselves would have been a deplorable act of inhumanity. Now there is a job to do, not just for Iraq but for our own security, and brave Americans have invested thier lives there doing it. We owe our support to each and every one of them. To individually attack any one of them is a detestible act. I hope you ignore that troll and keep writing. I think the indivdual voices of the folks on the ground makes a big difference.

[membrain]

" There is no universal insight magically granted to those who have been in combat, but our time here will ensure one thing - we will never again be allied with those chill souls who risk nothing and therefore gain nothing." I just had to quote you. It needs repeating.

[David]

As for the nasty gram writer ... does the reply...Sit Down and Shut Up come to mind?

[Lou]

This person sounds like a "Tokyo Rose". Do not listen or be down-hearted - that was their intent. Be encouraged - you are well supported.

[paul]

That guy will always be a loser but you guys will always be heroes. Sorry you have to put up with that kind of mess.

[Arlene]

People like that...are very small. In fact he/she has proved it again!!!!! Hang in there...we are praying for you.

[CJ]

Sorry about the nasty-gram. You guys are in my thoughts and prayers continuously. I think you're incredibly courageous and amazing people--heroes to be precise about it. Keep up the great work and please keep your eyes open. God bring you home safe. Great writing too, btw. =)

[Kat in GA]

oh man...I'm sorry some sleazball sent you such an awful, hate-filled email! blah! Please know that creepazoids like that are most definitely an eensy=weensy, itsy-bitsy, minisule MINORITY...and that the other several million americans are dang proud of you and appreciate your service more than you could ever know!!!!!!! can't say it too much...THANK YOU.

[Glenmore]

"Iraq has already changed us..." Of course anywhere else you could have been would have changed you too, in some way. The only thing certain in life is change. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, usually a mix, and almost always 'whatever you make of it.' Stay alert, ...

[Edward]

T6, You and the Nightstalkers are the heros who are taking part in changing the world to give us a better chance for peace in the long run. Truly "stamping out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored." Tens of millions are free for the first time due to your efforts, and murderous dictators removed from power. This is the truth that the blind cannot see. Thank you all.

[a 3d ACR dad]

Opinions are like rectal pores... everyone has one; but, when the opinion flows from out of the rectal pore itself its always something odious. "It don't mean a thing."

[Jodi]

Hard to feel sorry for such an ignorant person, is that why they didn't leave a name? Don't want to hear from those who do appreciate you and the boys telling the truth. You and the soldiers are doing a great job and New Mexico is very proud of you!! Be safe and come home soon. Side Bar: From the 48 Laws Of Power, Law #20 section 'Keys To Power': Remember: You have only so much energy and so much time. Every moment wasted on the affairs of others subtracts from your strength. You may be afraid that people will condemn you as heartless, but in the end, maintaining your independence and self-reliance will gain you more respect and place you in a position of power from which you can choose to help others on your own initiative.

[DagneyT]

You will return better men than those who left, and the difficult job of keeping our country on the right track will fall to you. Thank you for your service. Love and hugs to you and all your men!

[Chris]

Danjel, The words this person used; "heartless conquerors" and "return home broken men" are words that would be used by someone on the losing side of this battle. My guess is that it's someone on the insurgents side trying another tact against you. This tact has been used throughout history and if I were you, would not give these words much thought. These people do not want to fight American Soldiers. They lose those fights. So instead they hide in the shadows and kill innocent women and children. They know these innocents can't fight back. Lend no credence to the words of these cowards. Their actions speak volumes about who they truely are. Keep the faith. Keep up the good work. Take Care and God Bless you all.

[tnunn]

What a LOSER! You and the guys should be proud of yourselves. Never step down and stay strong.

[Beth Powers-Lamm]

What kind of a person would write that to someone serving in a warzone? Its one thing to blather his twisted, post-modern worldview to other like minded individuals, but to take the extra step of trying to hurt someone serving in Iraq? Guys like this fella are jealous. Knows he could never do what men like T6 volunteered to do. Not just because he isn't man enough. Real problem is he doesn't believe anything is worth fighting for. Not his country. Not the freedom of millions of Iraqi citezens. Not the removal of a brutal dictator. He doesn't believe in anything except his emotional incontinence. I'm guessing he's feeling very brave for standing up to an American Army Captain. ANONYMOUSLY. That says it all.

[Yankee PaPa]

We all share your grief..From Black Five.. http://www.blackfive.net/main/2005/10/iraqi_medic_hel.html

[Yankee PaPa]

..Right on 6..Some people are just plain full of hate..and they need to find a way to vent..so they lash out any way they can..pick a source and let it fly..empty rhetoric..meaningless anger..no one benefits from that kind of cynicism..There's a song out there some place..I don't recall the title..but some of the lyrics say.."Ain't nobody going to slow me down..nobody going to break my stride..Oh No.."..Works for me..You are so right..This will all fade away..but forever etched in your memory..You take care..Be safe..And we will see you on the back side..Semper Fi..

[RonF]

Man, just delete that stuff and don't give it a second thought. Treat it as the spam it is.