Post from a soldier who met Cindy Sheehan yesterday

[Suich]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/13/151152/915

Sorry if it's a dupe.

[progressivebydesign]

1. That was so beautiful... unbelievably so. Thank you for sharing it. n/t

[Tinoire]

2. Thanks for sharing that

It broke my heart... Thanks.

[MelissaB]

3. I haven't seen it. Thank you!

:kick:

[Pirate Smile]

4. Here is a post about another soldier that met Cindy.

08.13.2005 Jodie Evans

On Camp Casey...
You could feel it was going to be a scorcher almost before the sun came up. Most of us were already suffering from sunburns and fire-ant bites from a few days of Texas sun. The interview requests have been overwhelming so we organized afternoon and morning pools. Cindy was tired from an unexpected call very early in the morning from the Today show and the heat and sun exhaustion from the day before.

The first question of the morning pool came from a young soldier who had just returned from Iraq. He was polite, addressing her as Ms. Sheehan. Surrounded by cameras he told her he was sorry for her son's death -- he said he had lost many friends in the Iraq war also. "Death is a part of war and what we are doing is more important, bringing freedom to the world. Think of all the people who died for the freedom we enjoy. So your son's life is just a drop in the bucket."

Those of us standing behind the cameras gasped, but Cindy continued to listen to him calmly and openly. Caught short by the gasp, the soldier quickly added, "But I feel for your son." At this moment Cindy put her arm on his shoulder and, holding him to her side, walked with him out into the field. She asked the press to give them some privacy. They honored her in a way that I have never seen before. They were still shooting photos as the two walked away. Like a mother, Cindy drew the young man close, and they spoke for about five minutes -- during which the shift in his feeling was palpable. He stepped away and pulled out a book he had written about his experiences in Iraq and gave it to her. Then they hugged -- a long deep embrace. You could see the conversation continuing.

Cindy walked back toward s us and the press as the soldier left. Yet again, this woman had made me cry with her strength, her love and her courage. (Everyone else in the camp had tried to keep this young man from confronting her.)

As we walked back to our makeshift office in Casey's camper, she told me, "Do you know what that young man said as we were hugging? He said his mother agrees with me, and that if he had been killed in Iraq she would have done the same thing. And then he called me Mom."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/jodie-evans/on-camp-casey_5603.html

[Cha]

8. Finally, we get to the real people this

War On Iraq is affecting..

Cindy is Amazing..bush would be tongue tied.

[Liberal Mommy]

11. Phil Kiver

I'm pretty sure the soldier they are talking about is Phil Kiver. He was in Crawford and met with Cindy. There is a pic of him in The Lone Star Iconoclast (scroll down he is wearing the Iraq veteran shirt) When I saw his name on the Iconoclast website I decided to look him up.

This is what I found:

"I get tired of people saying, 'We support the troops, but we don't support the war.' Well, soldiers are soldiers. You can't support me but not what I do," Kiver said.

That is a quote from an article from News 8 Austin.
Can you believe this gentle lady humbled this soldier who had such strong convictions against everything that she stood for?
What an amazing lady who I can't wait to see tomorrow!

[Cha]

5. Thank you, Suich!

I so happy you posted that..I wouldn't have wanted to miss it.

That "Oregon guy" can sure write..

"Your actions in Crawford have served to galvanize the American people and to remind them of the sacrifices being made by its Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines during what seem to be prosperous and lazy times here at home. It is too easy for the average American to forget that the seemingly low casualty figures seeping in from Southwest Asia are represented by human faces - like the face of your son. While the nation dozes, ones and twos turn into hundreds and thousands of young lives forever squelched - 1,846 thus far, to say nothing of those whose lives have also been forever changed by being wounded and maimed in the conflict."

He's put into eloquent words the phenomena that is Cindy Sheehan.

[rateyes]

6. Now THAT is a letter that needs to be shared

with the world. Thanks.

[bleever]

7. This is how peace is made.

This is the message of Gandhi and St. Francis, alive and in action.

[Miss Chybil]

9. Kick.

:kick:

[hippywife]

10. He did write an amazing letter but

I have to say I do disagree with one point he made:

The duties of a soldier are a little bit different than those of civilians. Mostly they center around living the Army Values. Those values are:

LOYALTY
DUTY
RESPECT
SELFLESS SERVICE
HONOR
INTEGRITY
PERSONAL COURAGE

These are the duties and values of all of us in the peace movement, as well.

We are LOYAL to the values that our nation is supposed to espouse. It is our DUTY to speak out when our govenment is using its position of power to commit wrongs around the world. We RESPECT the lives of all peoples around the world and their right to live in peace and free from want. We also RESPECT the principles on which this nation was supposed to be founded but have yet to fulfill completely. We give SELFLESS SERVICE in the cause of peace, putting aside our own pursuit of pleasure and leisure to make sure the truth is out there and to take stands before our own communities against injustice. I would love more than anything to have an uncomplicated life instead of working to organize demonstrations and educational opportunites to present the truth. There is HONOR in working to preserve life that is worth living for all we share this planet with and we HONOR our committment to keep working towards that goal. INTEGRITY means not taking the easy way out and bringing the truth forward at all times, not resorting to the ugly spin and smear tactics of those who would silence us. And finally, it does take PERSONAL COURAGE to stand before your community, your country and the world to speak against the injustices when so many would rather we be silenced. Everyone working in the peace movement espouses everyone of these values and lives them on a daily basis when so many would rather not be involved and live their lives in silent consent to the tragedy.

We share your values, soldier. May you come home safe of body and sound in mind. We work to make it so.

[prairierose]

12. Hippywife....thank you...

your iteration of the citizen values deserves to be posted everywhere.

The young soldier whose letter started this thread is also to be commended as a young man of value and heart. I pray that he comes home whole and well.

[karlrschneider]

13. Most excellent. The true irony is that you actually DO agree with the

concepts, but you grasp their essence and offer explanations instead of simply writing the words as standalone soundbytes. Nicely done.
:D

[ClayZ]

14. I am sending this to my Navy/Army National Guard Veteran son!

Thank you for posting it! What an amazing heartfelt letter.

My son is a Federal Firefighter. He has always seemed to make choices that scared me. That boy/man of mine, ever since High School football.... ARGH!

I was panic stricken while he toured the Persian Gulf on the USS Constellation. He then came back and joined the Guard for 4 years, to get his Medic and EMT qualification. He was officially "Out of the military" just before bu$h took office.

I think he was rebelling against his hippie Mom. He is now married with two beautiful children.

I am very proud of him.

I feel such empathy with Cindy. I look at her face and remember the terror I felt while he was Military.

The whole world could use a little Mercy, NOW!