Listen to the Troops

It's time for all of us to pay attention to what is being sold to us from our media and anti-war crowd. Here is a note from Iraq, read it and write a few letters. The election is coming, and two candidates have said we will retreat with in their first 60 days. That means quit, surrender, desert our friends, whatever term you like. Wake up and get involved before it's too late.

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Last Sunday while most of America was enjoying the Superbowl severalmembers of our Task Force were commencing an assault on a terroriststronghold in Iraq. During the assault two of our brothers from the Navywere shot and killed while clearing a building that was occupied byterrorist insurgents. Ultimately, the building was reduced and all ofthe terrorists in it were destroyed by the assault force. Remember thesenames, Mike and Nate. They were good men doing honorable work in thename of freedom. The terrorists they sought to destroy were responsiblefor unspeakable acts of evil including the construction of improvisedexplosive devices and explosives to equip homicide bombers. For those ofyou who may not understand the enemy we face out here let me remind youthat the previous week this group of terrorists took two innocent andunwitting women who had Downs Syndrome, rigged them with explosive vestsand detonated them 20 minutes apart in a crowded market causing severaldeaths and hundreds of injuries. These terrorists used innocent peopleas unwitting vehicles to destroy more innocent lives. There is good andthere is evil in this world. The enemy we face is evil. Mike and Natewere fighting on the side of good to prevent further acts of evil thatwould result in the loss of more innocent lives. The next time you prayI ask you to thank God for giving Mike and Nate the talent and skillthat made them great warriors and thank God that he gave them the heartto apply those God given talents to destroy evil and further the causeof freedom in a land far from their home. Thank God for men like Mikeand Nate. Their work is done here now, but there are many of us who willhonor their sacrifice by continuing the fight against evil terrorists.They will be remembered through our actions.For any of you out there who are doubting the validity of this war andthe evil that resides in our enemy I ask you to study your historyagain. Over the last 20+ years dating back to the bombing of the MarineCorps Barracks in Lebanon, various factions of radical IslamicTerrorists have been committing heinous acts of terrorism against thefree world. We are fighting the same enemy here. The brethren of an evilideology that spawned the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001claiming almost 3,000 innocent lives. Take time to reflect on the typeof evil that would put explosive vests on innocent women with DownsSyndrome and use them to kill and maim other innocent people. While theAmerican media strives everyday to rewrite the history of the mostgenerous nation in the free world and cast disparity over all that we doas a Nation men like Mike and Nate are giving their lives to make surethe real history doesn't repeat itself. While the American media strivesdaily to erase the memory of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001and paint this war as an unjust occupation of a sovereign nation menlike Mike and Nate are out here hunting down and destroying the enemiesof the very freedom that allows our media to try and discredit us.Terrorism is real, evil is real, this war is real and real men and womenare in this fight because righteousness and freedom are worth fightingfor.If you don't support this war I'm calling you out. I've had enough ofpeople sitting in their living rooms watching the lying media andjumping on the bandwagon against this war. Don't ever say to me, "Isupport the troops, but not the war." You might as well be telling methat I'm committing a crime. You are in effect saying that my cause isunjust and everything I believe in is a lie. I have held my tongue inthe past, but I will never allow you to have it both ways again. Youcannot support me if you do not support this war. I am this war. Itembodies everything that I believe in. If you believe that what we aredoing here is wrong then you are in effect supporting the evil we seekdestroy. If you believe I'm wrong for trying to stop evil people fromtaking more innocent lives then I fear there is no hope for you. If youchoose to dishonor my service and the sacrifice of my fallen brothers bytaking a position against this war you are free to make that choicethanks to guys like Mike and Nate, but don't expect me to sit idly byand bite my tongue while you do it. Do it in my presence and be preparedto try and support your feeble position while I enlighten everyone elseon the reality of this war and the nature of the enemy we face. I willensure that you look like the fool that you are.The stuff I'm seeing out here you won't see on Oprah Winfrey. I'm seeingreally evil people doing really evil things and I'm doing everything inmy power to stop them. There's nothing wrong or unjust about that.Send this to everyone, and I ask that everyone adopt this principle. The lies being told say that what we believe, we who are fighting thiswar, is a lie. When someone lies, they need to be told. We owe it toour dead, and we owe it to the future.Rick HoppeCW2, USA (retired)Special Advisor, MNF-I C2X