Stars & Stripes letter: "Thanksgiving visit" (Spc. in Iraq blasts Bush)

[lebkuchen]

So the boss came to visit us on Thanksgiving, under wraps and under the American flag. Thanks for coming. Oh thank you, kind leader, merciful leader, for taking one day out of your busy schedule to visit us. The shepherd looking over his flock. Thanks for making the sacrifice. God knows we're making one. Re-election is coming up, but that had nothing to do with it, now did it?

I remember your victorious landing on the ship. Oh how all those then alive, and now dead, would love to sit down next to you, cutting their families' turkeys and filling the empty seats at the tables. Leader of the free world, be our guest at the head of our table. Or would you like to sit in one of the many empty seats left by the war? There's plenty of room. Enough turkey and stuffing to go around. Fat and happy, delirious and exhausted. That's how I feel.

In a hurry? Going so soon? Have time for questions? You sure do have time for compliments. Do you ever feel responsible? I'm tired of this. Go back home to the ranch and tell them how happy and fulfilling the trip made you feel.

Spc. Damian Torres
Iraq

URL provided when available

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. A tad sarcastic.

Spc. Damain Torres sounds like one of us.

[lebkuchen]

2. This one, in Friday's Stripes, is less sarcastic

Bush visit disrupted dining

As a soldier deployed in Iraq, I hear all the complaints from individuals who think they have it worse than the next guy. I’m lucky enough to be with soldiers who often complain among themselves, but all they expect are good leadership and three square meals a day.

As part of the main push during major combat, our battalion was scattered all over the battlefield. We supported other units and paved the way (and roads) that others would use to get to the front lines. Our D9 teams helped push units as famous as the 101st Airborne Division from Kuwait to as far as Mosul. We took mine blasts and got shot at as we breached obstacles and cleared roads. Again, all we asked for was leadership and three squares a day.

During the war, Meals, Ready to Eat were naturally the way to go. They were appreciated, even by the vegetarians who had only crackers and cheese after the veggie meals were gone. Now that we’re stationed at Baghdad International Airport almost 10 months later, my soldiers believe that several comforts have finally arrived for them, like the post exchange and dining facility. But imagine their dismay when they walked 15 minutes to the Bob Hope Dining Facility, only to find that they were turned away from their evening meal because they were in the wrong unit.

The one thing that they find a requirement was denied to them. They understand that President Bush ate there and that upgraded security was required. But why were only certain units turned away? Why wasn’t there a special meal for President Bush and that unit in the new dance hall adjoining the 1st Armored Division’s band building? And all of this happened on Thanksgiving, the best meal of the year when soldiers get a taste of home cooking.

Were the local national servers also kept out of the building because of security reasons? Regardless, my soldiers chose to complain among themselves and eat MREs, even after the chow hall was reopened for “usual business” at 9 p.m. As a leader myself, I’d guess that other measures could have been taken to allow for proper security and still let the soldiers have their meal.

Sgt. Loren Russell
Iraq

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=19124

[SheilaT]

3. I understand that

the only soldiers allowed in the dining hall with Our Victorious Leader had been vetted by their commanding officers.

So much for trusting the people.

[pansypoo53219]

6. george

can only handle fawning at all times.
he had a real funny look on his face when he was heckled in Australia. he tried to joke it off, but he was shaken. Imagine if they didn't vet his audience here.

[Military Brat]

4. I salute you, Spc. Torres, well done!

Please come home soon. We need you here, not "over there."

:yourock:

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Gee - I wonder if they're posting these over at Free Republik

And wonder what their little brains would do to disicover that some o the troops are critical of their god-appointed leader. HAH!

[tom_paine]

9. They would do what any Brownshirt would do when confronted with dissent

Their little brains would, in fact, activate along lines of hatred as their Goebbels v2.0 tells them to.

They would HATE this guy, these guys, for writing their letters and expressing their true feelings.

HATEW him, without equivocation, question, or conscience.

That's why the Busheviks have programmed them that way...

[MissMarple]

10. No, not all of them. However much some of them dislike us, others are

beginning to see things may not be as they first thought. George is a hollow man. He has a good facade, but little else. It is time for good Americans to come together and forget our cultureal disputes, our small versus large government arguments, our us against them affirmations. We need real conservatives as much as they need real liberals. We are of the same tradition. We are Americans. I don't know what George and his neocon friends are. But, they are dangerous to us all.

[lebkuchen]

7. Here's the URL to the letter

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=19144

[grannylib]

8. Wonder if this is what all the people with "Support our Troops" signs in

their yards really mean...