Great story from Iraq!

[Nancy Drew]

Great Story From Iraq!

"----- Original Message -----
From: Mark & Colleen Francis
To: Iraq
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 8:54 PM
Subject: The Heart of an American...

Hi:
I just wanted to share this email with everyone. This came from Mark tonight. What an incredible story to tell... I pray that you will share this email with others to show what kind of impact our military service men and women are truly having in Iraq. A special thank you to Debbie Jacks, she is Mark's brother's wife's mother!, she sent over several boxes of toys/stuffed animals to Mark for the Iraqi children. This little girl was holding a bear she sent, how do we know? Mark said it was an "Ohio beanie baby", and she sent over lots and lots of them. So thank you very much, your simple gift easily saved the life of my husband and many other Marines.... Thank you Debbie for your heart, and for children who may never see until you see them in heaven.... Read the story and you'll see why!

In His Grip,

Colleen Francis
Honored wife of GySgt Mark Francis USMC
December 12th, 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beautiful,

Just wanted to write to you and tell you another story about an experience we had over here.

As you know, I asked for toys for the Iraqi children over here and several people (Americans that support us) sent them over by the box. On each patrol we take through the city, we take as many toys as will fit in our pockets and hand them out as we can. The kids take the toys and run to show them off as if they were worth a million bucks. We are as friendly as we can be to everyone we see, but especially so with the kids. Most of them don't have any idea what is going on and are completely innocent in all of this.

On one such patrol, our lead security vehicle stopped in the middle of the street. This is not normal and is very unsafe, so the following vehicles began to inquire over the radio. The lead vehicle reported a little girl sitting in the road and said she just would not budge. The command vehicle told the lead to simply go around her and to be kind as they did. The street was wide enough to allow this maneuver and so they waved to her as they drove around.

As the vehicles went around her, I soon saw her sitting there and in her arms she was clutching a little bear that we had handed her a few patrols back. Feeling an immediate connection to the girl, I radioed that we were going to stop. The rest of the convoy paused and I got out the make sure she was OK. The little girl looked scared and concerned, but there was a warmth in her eyes toward me. As I knelt down to talk to her, she moved over and pointed to a mine in the road.

Immediately a cordon was set as the Marine convoy assumed a defensive posture around the site. The mine was destroyed in place.

It was the heart of an American that sent that toy. It was the heart of an American that gave that toy to that little girl. It was the heart of an American that protected that convoy from that mine. Sure, she was a little Iraqi girl and she had no knowledge of purple mountain's majesty or fruited plains. It was a heart of acceptance, of tolerance, of peace and grace, even through the inconveniences of conflict that saved that convoy from hitting that mine. Those attributes are what keep Americans' hearts beating. She may have no affiliation at all with the United States, but she knows what it is to be brave and if we can continue to support her and her new government, she will know what it is to be free. Isn't that what Americans are, the free and the brave?

If you sent over a toy or a Marine (US Service member) you took part in this. You are a reason that Iraq has to believe in a better future. Thank you so much for supporting us and for supporting our cause over here.

Semper Fi,
Mark J. Francis
GySgt / USMC "

[DrWeird]

1. Yeah, that's a great story.

If you ignore all the thousands of children we killed and mutilated.

[Nancy Drew]

3. Lighten up!

Lighten up. It's a great story about one Iraqi girl's courage.

[DrWeird]

17. Lighten up? Tell it to this guy.

He could probably use some cheering up.

[The Doctor.]

20. That's photoshopped.

{on edit} - Play fair, there are plenty of pictures of mutilated Iraqi children without American Dollars in their hand{s} that you can use.

[DrWeird]

23. Hmm? Oh, you're right.

Here's another one you can tell a nice story too.

[The Doctor.]

42. Much more compelling..

And true.

It is a shame that an attempt to inspire was savagely cut down. That should be an indication that the bad has greatly outweighed the 'good' in ths thread.

The horrors of this war are ignored so that Americans can absorb these pretty stories of innocence in tragedy.

[Cheswick2.0]

80. can't you recognize the fiction of some aspiring novelist when you see it?

[0007]

65. I don't think so!

[Ms. Clio]

49. It is a real photo that was later photoshopped w/the dollars

The child's injuries are very real.

[The Doctor.]

16. That one act speaks only to the antipathy...

of the thousands who wish us harm...

You are quite correct Dr.

If the act of giving a few trinkets to some children saved a few of our soldiers is any index... then the act of maiming a thousand of their children is an excellent indicator of losses we have yet to suffer.

[NMDemDist2]

2. he signs letters to his wife "Semper Fi" ???

what's up with that?

[Nancy Drew]

5. ??

He is obvioulsy proud to be a Marine. What's wrong with that?

[NMDemDist2]

6. well, I would hope my hubby signs his letters

I love you and miss you

[Nancy Drew]

10. See opening line.

His compliment to his wife's beauty at the very start pretty much does that.

[ElectroPrincess]

22. It's the Marine Corps motto "Semper Fi" = Always Faithful

The Marines are alright but second to the Army (my former service). After all, I married one. <eg>

[pocoloco]

43. Semper Fidelis

Latin for always faithful. Faithful to God, Country, Family and the Corps!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. I support you

and all the troops. But I will never support an immoral 'cause' that has only led to destruction and misery.

[gorbal]

7. Beatiful story!

It's good to remember that, no matter how much we disagree with the war, the people fighting it are, for the most part, some of the best people you could meet.

Thank you for sharing that with us:)

[baba]

8. I think it's a nice story.

However, I believe we can support our troops without supporting the war or the so-called "cause."

[Nancy Drew]

13. www.anysoldier.com

Good, go donate to http://www.anysoldier.com

[gorbal]

18. Great idea!

Let's show our soldiers that the Democrats won't forget them even if the president has!

Perhaps I'm being to political minded about this, LOL! Merry christmas and thanks again Nancy:)

[ElectroPrincess]

26. Would you also be interested in any Amway products?

[The Doctor.]

9. Beautiful story, hard to believe....

Every part of me wants to believe it, but until I understand the source... it looks like propaganda.

I want that little girl's name.

She will be honored by history if she can give an account one day of what it is that motivated her to do this.

[Nancy Drew]

11. Pessimism

You are blinded with pessimism.

[phylny]

21. It's a lovely story, really.

I just can't seem to understand our purpose there, and this story doesn't make me feel any better about the illegal war we've waged. All I can tell you is that if it were one of my children bloodied, fatherless, legless for an illegal war, I would be out of my mind with anger and grief.

There's nothing good that's come of this war. God bless our troops, and God bless the Iraqi people.

[The Doctor.]

27. No - I'm a realist....

and it's led me to faith.

That's hard for many to believe... because they don't question.

[DrWeird]

35. Pure strength of will...

seems to have blinded you.

[gorbal]

14. I believe it

Perhaps people might spread it as a means of propaganda, but it does help to see that their is good in bad and bad in good, the world is not black and white.

[The Doctor.]

33. 'How Ideal'

If "There" is good in bad, then maybe you don't know just how much 'Bad' we're talking about here.

I'm sure you could ask Dr. Weird - he'd be happy to show you some photos.

I have jpegs right from the line.

You want to see those?

[DrWeird]

19. Google says the guy's involved in intelligence.

There's plenty of precendent for people making up bullshit cheery stories.

[The Doctor.]

24. I understand - Gimme the link.

(I'm lazy like that.)

;)

[DrWeird]

29. To which?

The guy in question or the previous instances of bullshit?

The latter's buried somewhere in the archives, search is down.

As for the former:

http://www.military.com/Groups/MemberProfileUnRegView/1%2C11217%2C3685182%2C00.html

Btw, what was your old username?

[The Doctor.]

45. Thank You...

I was most curious over the 'Guy in Question'.

But I'll pursue any lead.

I've always been 'Eldritch' as you have always been 'Weird'.

Get it?

- Oh and my apologies for one too many Cognacs this eve... though I recognize that's no excuse...

[DrWeird]

46. funny

I thought i would have noticed that name before.

[ElectroPrincess]

31. Since I was in the field "Military Intelligence" but no longer ...

All I'm going to say about this is *verify*.

I don't know if it's true and would be hesitant to believe from a stranger. However, I HOPE that it's true. Perhaps that's the best we can hope for?

[mogster]

59. Good point. Google does it.

I think this story is phoney.

Sound too much like the RW propaganda stories.

But the troops ARE doing something good, though. And probably the children is their best bet for allies - the adult Iraqis abhor them because of Rumschwelt's torture chambers.

Ah, what a sad world when we're forced to take a stand wether or not such a story is true.

[NMDemDist2]

12. fe fi fo fum

where did you get this email Nancy?

[Nancy Drew]

15. From a Military Friend

Directly from a friend in the US Military. A US Naval Officer to be exact. She said that it was just circulated via email lists.

[Blue Diadem]

37. my son's friend in the Navy

has told me they are told to never stop for a woman or child in the street since it's a tactic used by insurgents to ambush the stopped convoys.

Not to say the story isn't true..anything is possible. I've checked snopes and couldn't find anything on it yet.

Nice story though..if it's true.

[Qanisqineq]

54. Gee, I get emails from other military wives all the time

But most of them are NOT true. Usually forwarded by some really gullible women that believe everything that is sent to them. Some of these emails have even been debunked on Snopes.com.

I am an army wife with a husband that served in Iraq, BTW, so it isn't as if I have anything against the troops. I know the majority want to do good in Iraq, they are not all abusers or cold-blooded murderers. Emails like this are used to try and make it sound like things are all good in Iraq and anyone that doesn't support the war doesn't support the troops.

[liberalmuse]

25. 100,000 civilians killed by the U.S.

And how many Iraqi children have died under the Bushes? Over a million? Are Americans this fucking shallow??? Rather than warm my heart, this piece of shit propaganda makes me want to puke in disgust.

[LibertyorDeath]

40. Good thought I was alone

"this piece of shit propaganda makes me want to puke in disgust."

:puke::puke::puke:

[SammyWinstonJack]

64. You're not alone

:puke:

[prof_science]

73. ditto.

:puke:

glad this tiny child was more able to recognize land mines in the middle of the road than our soldiers...

[TyeDye75]

56. Finally, somebody said it nt/

[MichiganVote]

28. Sorry, this one's been making the rounds on email for some time

Nice story, nice embellished story that is. But what the hey, enjoy.

[gorbal]

36. You guys have a point

You guys have a point, I just like to make an effort to show that I support the troops, if not the war. Sigh.

[DrWeird]

39. Best way to support the troops...

is to call bullshit on the propaganda and anything else that gets them home faster.

[idiosyncratic]

30. Sorry . . . I don't believe it.

"Mark's brother's wife's mother"

That kind of distant attribution is found in all sorts of stories that are proved false at Snopes.com.

It is just a bit too "touchy feely" following the "In His grip" closing.

[LibertyorDeath]

32. Where is this little girls parents. Why is she sitting in the middle

of on coming military traffic near live mines.

Could be true sounds suspiciously like propaganda bullshit

Maybe her Parents were from Falluja.



http://fallujapictures.blogspot.com/

[HysteryDiagnosis]

34. Another wonderful story....

http://www.sundayherald.com/43796

A Sunday Herald investigation has discovered that coalition forces are holding more than 100 children in jails such as Abu Ghraib. Witnesses claim that the detainees – some as young as 10 – are also being subjected to rape and torture
By Neil Mackay

[Minstrel Boy]

38. "In HIS grip":

[ElectroPrincess]

41. Maybe this is the cue for Dolly Pardon to sing that lullaby song?

Yes, stories such as this only serve to make me more disappointed that we have our soldiers over there. Tragic for all parties involved.

[HeeBGBz]

44. I got one of these emailed to me

From a repuke acquaintence, she's a military wife. Similar story with children and our fine soldiers and all the good little moments of an unjust war.

[Pastiche423]

47. Must not have happened in Fallujah, eh?

You may have swallowed this crock, but not everyone wears rose-colored propaganda glasses here.

[alcuno]

48. Now if someone could just explain what the cause is, I'd be fine with

this story. What is the cause? What is it? And don't give me any of that bringing freedom to the Iraqi people nonsense. You don't kill 100,000 of a nation's men, women, and children in a pre-emptive war in order to free them.

[Ms. Clio]

50. Well, if it's an e-mail, it MUST be true!

Like all the other bullshit spam in my mailbox!

Who knew???

[NickB79]

51. A little girl sitting alone in the middle of a road

With a live landmine directly up the road from her, within visual range?

My bet? Her home and family were blown to hell by US bombs and she was clutching that doll because it was the only thing she had left. It also doesn't say what happened with her afterwards. Did they take her with them, or let her scamper off to starve in the streets?

[Qanisqineq]

52. As much as this story is heartwarming

I say, "yeah, whatever!"

It doesn't sound believable. Quote: I asked for toys for the Iraqi children over here and several people (Americans that support us) sent them over by the box

That is damn near proof to me that this story was written by a freeper wanting to say "liberals are anti-troops" here in the U.S. Either that, or that marine is unusual in being both a bitter freeper and able to write about compassion while spending his days avoiding getting killed.

I'm sorry, but my husband is a very mushy and intelligent person and while he was in Iraq he never had the time to write me such a comparatively mushy, well-thought out letter. And things were BETTER in Iraq at that time!

Also, they gave candy and junk to the Iraqi children... and those kids would then turn around and throw rocks. He was in an "American-friendly" part of the country and was still getting shot at daily. There were just fewer IED's and convoys attacked there.

I don't buy it.

[leftchick]

55. I don't buy it either....

and even if it were true it does not make up for the hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded Iraqis at the hands of the US Military. Bring the troops Home Now!

[magellan]

53. Let's not be so cynical

We need stories like this one, just like we need stories about the dead and injured -- which I concede are not forthcoming from MSM. But taken on balance they remind us that while the harm inflicted on the innocent is never justified, there are good people out there who are doing their best to help where they can.

[TyeDye75]

57. Do we really need stories

that back up Bush' puppy dogs and candy view of the Iraq situation.

[magellan]

60. We need both

There's too much of a tendency to generalize otherwise. We who oppose the war need to be reminded that the majority of our soldiers are good people. Americans who support the war need to be made aware of the horrific conditions Iraqi civilians are suffering and the many innocent Iraqi lives being lost due to US troop actions.

[Ms. Clio]

70. We don't need obvious propaganda and lies, thanks just the same

Let's not be so gullible, eh?

[magellan]

83. Obvious?

How is it obvious? Loosen up your :tinfoilhat: once in a while.

[Ms. Clio]

85. Did you read the rest of this thread?

This is a well-worn propaganda piece that has already made the rounds in a variety of guises.

Please find a valid news organization that has reported this story? Oh, what's that you say, you can't? Because the "liberal media" just doesn't report all the wonderful things happening in Iraq, right?

Save your tinfoil hat insults, they are completely inappropriate in this case--nobody with any critical faculties accepts e-mails like this as valid evidence of anything.

[magellan]

88. Have you read MY posts?

Where do I say this e-mail is valid evidence of anything? Where do I say I believe the story?

[Cheswick2.0]

81. come on, it's not even well written fiction

It's about on the level with true confessions.

[magellan]

84. So what?

:eyes:

The point is we need to hear both the good and the bad stories concerning Iraqi civilians. What the average American doesn't hear enough about is the bad, and that's down to poor MSM coverage.

[Forkboy]

86. We need fake good?

talk about :eyes:

[magellan]

89. Where the fu*k did I say THAT? (nim)

[Forkboy]

90. When it was pointed out to you that this story was fake

you responded "So what?" "The point is we need to hear both the good..."

My response asks if we need to hear the FAKE good.That's certainly the impression I got from your reply to Cheswick.

[magellan]

91. What I meant was

...I never said we need "fake good". And if that's the impression you got from my reply to Cheswick then you're as wrong as he and Ms. Clio. My original post had nothing to do with the story being genuine or not.

It seems a few people here just want to read into things so they can pick a fight.

[BernieBear]

58. Free Per Post

[manic expression]

61. Well, now...

We murder 100,000 civilians in Iraq and now its OK because WE GAVE THEM TOYS! Give me a break. Americans never cared when 4,000 Iraqi children died A MONTH from sanctions, but now suddenly, they want to donate toys. Now that we've destroyed the country, thrown the region into chaos, killed and injured countless people, destroyed lives and ruined what was left of their infrastructure, toys will do little to heal any of this. This is a meaningless gesture compared to the immense suffering inflicted upon the Iraq people by the US.

[Sterling]

63. Yes apparently a fucking beenie baby makes you forget

About your dead relatives and lost limbs. I cannot believe someone was stupid enough to post this.

[SammyWinstonJack]

66. An Ohio beenie baby no less

:eyes:

[Trajan]

62. This is pure unmitigated BS .....

I generally support the soldiers ... I dont blame THEM for the policies forced onto them by the neocon assholes in the WH ....

Nevertheless ... This is pure poppycock ... THAT girl wouldnt have had a 'mine' to worry about, had the american government behaved as rational states do ....

Furthermore: Bravery ? ... HOW is a child 'brave' when they cannot possibly fathom the danger such a mine possesses for them ? ...

IGNORANT ..... not brave ....

This kind of projection really gets my goat ...

Dont we ALL love 'little girls' ? ...

Dont we ALL think them cuter than punch ? ..

That isnt the point though: is it ? ...

A BILLION cute little girls holding dollies cannot POSSIBLY wipe away the pain and suffering felt on BOTH side by innocents who have been harmed ...

This appeal to emotion is fallacious; it is absurd ... and it is absolutely disgusting ....

Please .... STOP trying to pretty up the ugliness of war, with posed images from Hallmark cards ...

Get real ....

[Bouncy Ball]

67. Hmm, funny, I got the same email from my repuke mother in law

except that it had a different name attached to it and it was a soldier in the Army, not a Marine.

Oh and the kid clutching the teddy bear was a BOY.

Funny how that works, this made up bullshit.

Gee now that I've read that obviously made up piece of claptrap spam I feel so much better about our troops being used to kill innocent Iraqis!

:eyes:

[Bouncy Ball]

68. Oh and malnutrition rates have doubled in the last two years

among Iraqi children from the level it was at pre-invasion. That's per MSNBC. So yeah let's keep sending them dollies when they have nothing to eat, sporadic (at best) running water, and no access to medical care. Ever seen a kid die from dehydration brought on from diarrhea? LEave it to bush voters to do things that make THEM feel better and don't do much to really HELP the people in question. It's all about them.

[Disturbed]

71. Disgusting....

and stupid propaganda. A lot of suckers probably believed this dumb story. Another example of the Right Wing no shame bullshit.

[Bouncy Ball]

72. I can just see my mother in law when she got it in her inbox,

reading it, smiling, thinking of me and my husband (her son) and our opposition to the war and thinking to herself "See? Things are good! We send dollies! Our Marines are so kind and wonderful to the children!" and she forwarded it to me without a thought as to whether it was true or not, felt all warm and fuzzy and got in her big soft bed feeling not a care in the world.

[antigone382]

69. I wonder if she was related to Aysha Saleem

the four-year-old girl whose entire family was killed in a Fallujah air-strike.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2838256&mesg_id=2838256

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

74. and i have a bridge you might be interested in.

[Bouncy Ball]

75. Hey someone upthread

asked her if she wanted Amway!

ROFL!

I have a great little money making deal I'd like "Nancy Drew" to go in on with me!

[mediaman007]

76. Freeper BS

I will look for this from my freeper friend. I think deep down inside he knows its Sh*t, but he forwards them to his mailing list anyway.

Sounds just like the NRA stuff and the anti-gay messages that he forwards.

Next time they wave at the little girl she will probably watch them roll over a roadside bomb, since they blew their home to hell in Falluja.

[prof_science]

77. Funny

I don't have friends like that. I tell them to STFU and that's about the end of it. :grr:

[w4rma]

78. Unsubstantial meaningless forgetful BS. This occupation is not about

doing good deeds. It's about power and manipulation.

[Cheswick2.0]

79. is there some factory where they crank this fiction out

gag.

Yeah, look at the little girl with the bear and forget the ones with no arms and legs cause we dropped a bomb on their house.

[Forkboy]

87. Yes,it's called the Pentagon

:)

[Goathead]

82. This story is bullshit

It is either completely fabricated or some heartwarming crap to make white America feel good and decent after they bombed the living crap out of those Iraqis in Falluja. Either way I ain't buying it. Those Marines are nothing but killbots and they are going to have to live with the consequences of their actions for the rest of their lives. I have seen posts like this on Neocon/freeper boards, mostly by people who don't want to face the truth that the U.S. is commiting genocide over there. They always begin the same way: "Good News from Iraq" and crap like that. I suspect the poster is a freeper who is posting crap like this to "expose" DUers as "unamerican"