I talked to a British soldier . . . back from Basrah for a short
break. Says the poverty there is pathetic but people on the whole happy to
see US-UK troops -- but think we will leave and Saddam will punish them. . .
.
I had a Beef with Vegetables MRE today, had to heat it up (shows it hasn't
really gotten that warm yet). Later we can just leave 'em in the sun for a
bit!. . .
The green engine Mick put in my boot cheers me up endlessly. I like
to think of it as a going away present!
April 09, '03
. . . Not a lot to write, but only
because I can't say much about what we are doing. I am back with the
5thSF, had quite the adventure with the Aussies which I guess I'll tell you
about when I get home. We've had 1 humvee and its equipment lost with 2 SF
guys hurt, but other than that everyone and everything is OK. . .
.
I forgot how the dust and heat permeate everything and
how dirty everything looks and gets. . . .
I'm enclosing some Australian money and some leaflets
that were dropped on this town I'm in now.
4-10-03
. . . It's not really hot yet (maybe in
the 80s?) but very dry. I am constantly putting on lip balm, which I hang
on my LBV to the amusement of the troops. The "camelback" is about the
greatest invention of all time. . . .
You can't fathom the ego of Saddam; every town and
village has statues, portraits, and all major buildings of any note are named
after him. The people, at least here in the west, are abysmally poor, in
such an oil rich country. People are more and more happy to see us as it
seems like we are winning but they hang back a lot.
4-12-03
. . . Amazing scenes going on here, now
that it's sinking in that Saddam's regime is in fact gone. People are in
the streets shouting and cheering and thanking us, and thanking George Bush. . .
. The happiness and gratitude seem universal. Certainly we don't see
any of the regular people voicing any fear of or distrust of
us.
Looting has broken out, and it's pretty widespread -- apparently
all the cops were on Saddam's payroll and quit when we rolled into town.
Don't know what the plan is to get cops back on the street but it needs to
happen.
There is still a lot of fighting, but it's scattered now, and
mostly done by Saddam's thugs (and these guys are nothing but thugs, not
soldiers). . . . Nothing could prepare you for
the institutionalized horror of Iraq. The motto of the 5th Special Forces
(who I am attached to) is "De Opresso Liber," To Free the Oppressed. And
that is just what we have done. I walk among heroes every day,
and I couldn't be more proud of them, our Marines, Special Ops, and
Soldiers. The core beliefs of America, . . . justice and freedom, are
being lived out here.
[letter postmarked 17 APR 2003]
Enclosed is some grass given to me by a sweet faced
little Iraqi girl about Jack's age or younger on April 12th (?). Adults
were giving the US troops flowers as we cleared the town. The Iraqis seem
delighted to see us always -- very happy to be free.