Good to Remember

I just received word that my sister's fiance, a United States Marine, has just arrived in Iraq. So I'm thinking, what in the world could he possibly be doing there? Wait. Let's see. Oh yes! Something about a war... a dictator-Sam something?... elections... soldiers dying?... This is a bit dramatic, though not terribly far from the truth. I too easily forget that right now, as I sit comfortably, typing these words, there is an epic struggle for life and death happening on the other side of the world. History is unfolding right before our very eyes, and I'm looking somewhere else.

A couple days ago, here on campus, I overheard a group of students talking politics and war. A girl made a comment that has stuck with me. She said, "It's kind of pointless to know what's going on because the war doesn't affect us. Sure there are images of it on TV and stuff, but it's just that." Initially I was very upset by what seemed a flippant remark, but slowly I began to understand, and in some ways agree.

Firstly, I'll explain what I agree with. Television is a very dangerous thing, in the sense that it is often devoid of context. While there are certainly some revealing documentaries which have been produced (PBS has done some remarkable work) what I'm referring to is the 2-3 minute news blip that cable shows offer, or perhaps the few hundred words the newspaper prints. The video images focus on the violent; the articles highlight the death toll. And we're left with what is the bloody tip of the iceberg, and without context, without understanding what lies beneath, it becomes so easy to point from the safety of our ships and critically observe the absurdity of the situation.

While the meaning of the images is often lost, I have to firmly disagree with the notion that "the war doesn't affect us." Terrorism has become the war of the 21st century-this is abundantly clear. The rift in ideology has grown to the point where the space is filled with physical manifestations of hatred, whether it be anthrax, roadside bombs, or hijacked passenger planes. It is true that the majority of the violence does occur overseas, only to be captured on camera and trimmed down to the most violent images, and finally sandwiched between Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson on the news. It's clear why the effect has become minimal.

But every second of freedom, every breath drawn free from fear, every laugh that freely escapes our mouths, is the effect of men and women who are fighting for our protection. Every time we drive down the road not looking to the sides for bombs, every time the doorbell rings and we know it's the pizza delivery man rather than someone to take our families away, it's us being affected by the men and women who are dying for our country. The war affects us, and it's seen in every second of freedom we take for granted.

Last year I spent a couple weeks working at Fort Sam Houston, which is primarily a medical base in San Antonio, Texas. Many of the wounded soldiers from Iraq end up there to receive treatment-it's often the final stop for many men and women who weren't so lucky. I'll never forget holding the bottom half of a young mans leg as the saw made its way through the what was left of his leg, which had been torn to hell when his convoy was attacked. The actual weight of the leg when it was freed from his body was only a few pounds, but the weight of an 18 year old loosing his leg, his life forever changed, was a crushing one. Every time I take a step without the aid of prostheses it's the affect of men like him, ensuring our steps be free of fear and of our own accord. It is, if nothing else, good to remember these things.


The following is an email sent by Matt, my sister's fiance. He recently began his tour in Iraq.

I have finally made it here to Camp Korean Village, the Firm Base I will be operating out of for the duration of my tour. It was pretty exciting coming here, we were originally told we would be in Kuwait for 2-3 days, but that soon turned into a couple hours. We loaded on to a C-130 airplane and took off for Al Asad airbase in Iraq, but we had an engine go out soon after take off, so we turned around and they fixed the plane.

We arrived in Al Asad which is supposed to be one of the nicest bases in Iraq, and they weren't lying. The food was better than the stuff we eat at Camp Lejeune, and they had nice showers and toilet facilities. We spent a day there and then left in a CH-53 helicopter for KV(Korean Village) and what a ride that was. It was my first time on a helicopter. I should have some pictures soon of the helo- ride and KV area.

KV is much different that Al Asad- it's not bad though. It is 150 miles west of Al Asad and about 50 miles from the Syrian border. The showers are limited to 7 minutes, and it is known as a "Navy Shower"...wet down, turn off water, then lather up, then rinse off. This is due to a limited water supply, but at least it's a shower. The weather is around 40 at night and 80 during the day, but it should start to get hot soon, and I mean hot!

Well, write me back whenever you get a chance, and Ill be sure to respond and keep you updated. Thanks a lot for the email. Its nice to get word from people back in the states. Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon. Oh and by the way, its a 9 hour time difference in case you were wondering.