Great post as always, as the level of risk increases so the the chance of failure or death. The UDT/Seal teams operate at a level few of us outside can comprehend. It is amazing that so few casualties do occur and when they do they are prominent. Those inside understand the realm in which they operate and make and take decisions based on training, experience, and battlefield conditions. It is easy to quaterback with clarity and hindsight after the fact, but I doubt you would change to many things if you had to do it over again. At the level of expertise UDT/SEALS operate, poor decision makers were weeded out long ago.
Thank you again
Wow!
I've heard it said that the American Military's greatest weakness is the lack of belief in "acceptable losses".
But, as you have pointed out, I believe it is, among many other things, what places you guys above our enemies, who appear to have no value for human life, regardless of which side they are on.
It would seem to me that taking a close look at everything that happens in each mission is valuable not so much for assigning blame when things go awry, but for improving tactics in future missions. It's what I do as a performer, and it works, though too much of it can work against me. I suspect the same is for you, abeit the stakes would be much higher.
Froggy, while you are bound to feel the emptiness of absent comrads, I do hope that your reunion is postive and enjoyable.
The loss of so many frogs and nightstalkers is quite tragic but also noble, as you point out - leave no man behind. Men risking everything to bring home their comrades. Reunions in the context of war should make every gathering special, never can tell when someone may not make the next one. Remember the good times spent together.
"Since LCDR Kristensen was on the bird that crashed, it is clear that the SEAL leadership element at the TF had no qualms about going in to get the SR team. Since the Nightstalkers flew the mission, it is clear that their leadership element was willing to take the risk of a daytime insertion in order to rescue their SEAL brothers. And since the QRF did in fact launch, it is clear that the TF Commander decided in his experience that he had to make the attempt to get his men out of there. The fact that people died as a result of those decisions does not make them incorrect. Soldiers and Sailors die in war, that’s just the way it is."
THANK YOU!
One of the most painful things this last few weeks has been the second guessing in the media regarding the op and whether or not it was necessary.
Daylight or darkness, if my husband needed or asked for back up I know that his call for help would be answered and that is what gets me through when he's deployed. Knowing his guys will back him up every time.
I don't quite understand why that loyalty is even being questioned and it is painful to think that the mindset of some of our best warriors is being second guessed by people who will never be in their position and who form their questions behind the comfort of their keyboards.
John 15:13 KJV
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Now imagine how much greater this same gift is when given to those you do not know.
To those who are serving or have served in the military,to the firefighters,to the police officers etc. these special people who go in harms way to protect us.
Thank You.
Matt,
I couldn't agree with your comments about Operation Redwing more. Everything you said was right on. I used to work for the CIA until '97 and there were alot of very good men I worked with that have a mentality that most people would not understand. But yet they serve their country in ways that most people will never know about.
I wonder if there was some kind of leak in the intelligence element of the Op. I mean its almost as if the Taliban cockroaches knew the SR Team was in their sandbox and they KNEW the QRF Team was coming as well. Its the only thing I can think of that could have made things go so wrong for our Operators.
I wonder if we have a little "Mole" somewhere in the ranks of our Afghan friends.
-Steve O.
There is an account of what took place at www.thedonovan.com, in the form of a letter home from an officer who worked with the Seals who were involved. FYI.
It´s another world I will never be able to understand....
Froggy,
I have had the opportunity of reading your blog for a few weeks now but this is my first post. After reading your current post I felt it was time for me to jump in and say a few words. First, I want to thank you and all those on this forum that have served or are currently serving. While, like many, I will never know everything that you and your fellow SEALs do in defending our country and more, I do know that the commitment and sacrifice by yourselves and your families is significant and deserves the utmost respect of EVERY American. One of the reasons I have enjoyed your blog as much as I have is that it is a refreshing change from all the BS out there. I thank you and all those who contribute here for a breath of fresh air. It is nice to know there are still patriots in our country. Having said that I come to the main reason I felt compelled to post at this time. You mentioned the reunion you will be attending this weekend and the remainder of your post concerning the brave men who were lost only weeks ago. I would ask that when you go to the reunion you convey something for those of us who are supporters and PATRIOTS to all your colleagues be they active, reserve or retired. Depsite all the negative press and neysayers out there today there are many Americans like myself that are greatful for all those who serve and what you do for our country. We are fortunate to have brave men that will do what others won't to protect us. We will never forget those who have fallen on behalf of our country. While we can never claim to feel the same pain as the families or other members of the SEAL community itself, we feel a loss as well and understand that these fine men gave their lives for all of us. I will continue to keep the families and all those serving in my prayers and hope that you find some comfort at your reunion of being with your SEAL family. Your fallen Brothers will not be forgotten. I look forward to the continued meaningful and enlightening posts of your blog.
A fellow PATRIOT,
Rich
Matt,
Just thinking about that day makes one sit up with tears in your eyes great full and filled with admiration and honor for those chaps.
If I may, “may your weekend be filled with wonderful memories of your brothers and may every toast made to them and others be filled with glory, honor, love and respect. May the acknowledgment of the Teams esprit de corps humble us outsiders and silence those who find it convenient to criticize when they themselves are warm and comfortable behind the safety provided by those brave souls. As we say here in ZA – “Ex Unita Virus” Unity makes Strength.
Regards to Julio and the boys,
I'm glad you brought this up again. The people that lost someone, as with all our service people's families, still are grieving. We should all periodically think about them and send them strength; when we pray and when something good happens that we can be thankful for.
I still have Mike Murphy's picture near my door and there it will stay. I feel a kind of bond since he's my younger cousin's age, we came from generally the same area, and he is gone but I am here. It's not a lot, but it is something that he should be remembered by a total stranger because that stranger is damn grateful for work he and people like him do. Incidentially, the picture is near the card from Pearl Harbor I have (with a picture of John Finn, who received the Medal of Honor) and one of the contractors in Fallujah, whose story really hit me (Jerry Zovko, whose parents came here from Croatia to give their kids a better life, who was raised an American, and who fought and died for us).
Apart from the sadness you'll feel, have a good time.
Froggy,
So many have replied and said what I want to say in much better words than I feel I am capable of. The loss of so many SOF (especially the SEALs)absolutely broke my heart. I mourn the loss of all of our soldiers, but these touched me more deeply. When you are at your reunion please know that you and your comrades, both fallen and still standing, retired, reserve or active duty have my sincerest thanks for all they do to win and preserve our (and others) freedom. Were I able to, I would give each and everyone of you a ginormous hug. As it stands, a cyber hug will have to do...so consider yourself cyber-hugged and pass it on to your comrades at the reunion.
Mere words on a computer screen cannot ever adequately express the admiration and respect I have for the men and women who wear our nation's uniform with pride and defend this country. I love them all, but in particular, I pray for and think about daily our SEALS, Special Forces, Rangers, Delta, and other operators in the USMC, USAF and elsewhere that step into the breach for us every day.
God bless them all.
And Thank You.
Froggy: Hoist a few for those of us who went forward and are waiting for US at the end of the road.
Helped out a 'little' with some 'stuff' during the Diwaniyah 'rhubarb'.
Blackwater Helo guys were the heroes that night.
Rich Johns
SFQC 6-78
Contractor Tikrit
Steve I too have wondered about the possibility of a mole. We need to start teaching the language to Americans so we can be our own interpreters and gather info for ourselves.
My gut keeps telling me that some folks may have stronger ties to Islam and or Jihad than admitted.
I wondered if they got ahold of a radio transmission somehow.
Matt, have a good reunion this weekend.
I'm very sad for the losses that these families have borne.
While the leadership involved obviously made the best decisions they could under the circumstances--I do believe that there are lessons that need to be learned from this tragedy.
Forgive me for asking, but why doesn't SOCOM have stronger attached air-support capabilities--other than two AH-64s? Apaches have already proved themselves to be insufficient at close air support(CAS) as we learned in the Shah-i-Kot mountains. What if the TF Commander had been given fixed-wing CAS instead of, or in addition to, these aircraft?
What the commander did have was the Air-Force’s traditionally favored CAS system (Army helos) and the near-equivalent of a large toy airplane with a video camera and maybe a couple of rockets mounted under the wings.
Certainly thrashing the leadership involved with misplaced blame would be heaping injustice on sadness. However, how wrong could you be if you blamed the Air Force or the Navy for a lack of CAS for the rescue mission? Or, maybe SOCOM should blame itself for not recognizing the critical need to have massive and overwhelming firepower available, if not for the surveillance team, then certainly for the rescue mission.
Sorry for the rant. But, there is some blame that could be justly applied here. Tasking B-52s to support a surveillance team might not work, but surely there's something more that could be done in the future.
I can't add much -- everyone here has said it so well. Matt, do please convey our thanks and deep appreciation to all your comrades at the reunion. I know this will be a much more solemn event than last year's (I well remember your post after that one).
As far as placing blame goes, this is common in business, too, although deaths are not usually the disaster that occurred. As for blame and punishment at SOCUM, I'm quite sure the decisionmakers who sent the QRF have been suffering horribly ever since for the loss of their brothers.
A brief comment to KJ:
Thank you again for what you endure as the wife of a SEAL. We are grateful beyond what we can express. And pay no attention (if you can) to the whinings of the MSM and the Left about loyalty -- they cannot speak or write of what they do not understand. There is no respect for loyalty, patriotism, valor, honor, courage or faith among them and this is why you're hearing the crap you are. They literally cannot comprehend what would make anyone want to do what your husband and our best warriors and defenders do. They cannot comprehend, so they disparage.
Hindsight is forever.
For the NOW, please at this reunion just let all your friends and buddies know that we honor them for what they are willing to sacrifice (have sacrificed)for this country, for freedom, for ourselves. A most humble and heartfelt, 'thank you, thank you, thank you!' Stay strong and celebrate
being in such excellent company! I hope you have a great reunion.
Froggy, I'm sure the men that have gone ahead would want you guys to have the time of your lives. Please do, as mentioned earlier, pass along the well wishes and gratitude of we who support all you and your mates have done/do.
As for the retrospective analysis- I've often wondered about what it would be like in the military- in combat- and I always hoped that in the heat of the moment I would have what it took. I've also thought about what it would be like to bear the responsibility of ordering others to do the heavy lifting, and maybe dying. It seems, to me at least, that it might be even harder in some respects to carry that load. It's one of the reasons that I really despise what Cindy Sheehan is doing, since I feel that President Bush really feels for the guys on point. Regardless, criticism might be painful, but it is necessary for growth- and I've always felt that one must seek it out rather than try to avoid it- but it should be seen as procedural critique rather than personal (unless someone really blows it, which I'd bet is unlikely).
The price we are willing to pay (as a society) to preserve life, even on the battlefield- or perhaps particularly on the battlefield, is one of the reasons we are the greatest nation in the history of mankind- and guys like you and your fellow SEALs are a big part of that.
Thanks.
Matt, I hope you enjoy the reunion and are able to rekindle that same bond with your brothers you felt when you attended the memorial at the Punch Bowl. I'm sure you guys will honor the lives of the fallen and celebrate them like only a comrade can. 
I don't know if you read this or not http://www.thedonovan.com/ but scrowl down the page and there is a good item on the operation and what happened there. Some of what you said in your post is true. They had UAV observation of the team. When you read this you will see how close they came to getting to the team, damn close.
Matthew, I am in total AWE of all the Special Forces, but especially of you SEALs. I'm so glad you have this site. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your past service, and what you are doing now.
Jim: Forgive me for asking, but why doesn't SOCOM have stronger attached air-support capabilities--other than two AH-64s? Apaches have already proved themselves to be insufficient at close air support(CAS) as we learned in the Shah-i-Kot mountains. What if the TF Commander had been given fixed-wing CAS instead of, or in addition to, these aircraft?
Let me second Jim's point. Are air assets that carry JDAM's pretty much stood down in Afghanistan? Whatever happened to those 250 lb bombs the Air Force is said to have developed that might be useful for situations like this?
The basic point here is that I can't believe helicopters could have gotten there faster than airplanes, so it's strange that airplanes did not take care of the problem.
August 18, 2005
Thursday 050818
“Murph”
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor”. From here on it will be referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
Post time to comments.
www.crossfit.com
This is the mom of one of SEALs lost in Afganistan.
Exeter mom rallies support for troops
By Elizabeth Kenny
ekenny@seacoastonline.com
PORTSMOUTH - Most of those gathered in the drizzling rain in Market Square on Saturday didn’t know Natalie Healy.
In fact, the majority of the more 20 participants had never met her son, Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel Healy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan in June.
Nevertheless, they stood in the rain for nearly two hours to shake Natalie’s hand and tell her they supported her, the troops, the president and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Natalie Healy, of Exeter, said she’s been concerned over a number of peace vigils that have been taking place across the country, particularly the one in Crawford, Texas, where a mother camped out for two weeks near President Bush’s ranch after her son was killed in Iraq.
"I’m down here to support the troops," Natalie said Saturday, waving an American flag and holding a photo of her 36-year-old son in his uniform. "I don’t want the only message to be what they’re hearing from Crawford, Texas. ... Not all Americans feel the same as Cindy Sheehan."
Her message is meant not just for the troops, she said, but also for al-Qaida.
"We won’t wimp out," Natalie said. "We will finish our mission to help establish an Iraqi democracy."
Natalie said the troops need Americans’ support more than ever, and peace vigils are sending the wrong message.
When asked if she believes Americans could both oppose the war and support the troops, Natalie said she didn’t think it was possible.
"It’s nice to say you’re supporting the troops, but when you holler, ‘Get us out of there,’ you’re aiding the enemy," she said.
Nathan Ritzo, of Portsmouth, who served in the Army and was recently deployed to Iraq, said he was pleased to see the rally, explaining that when he first heard about it, he knew he needed to come out and support it.
Ritzo said he was tired of the media constantly showing the negative things happening in Iraq rather than many of the positives he saw each day.
He described the peace rallies he saw on television or read about on the Internet while he was in the Middle East as "disheartening."
"I was proud to be there, fighting for freedom of expression and not having our opinions oppressed, but it seems a little disingenuous," Ritzo said.
As for Sheehan, Ritzo held a sign that read, "Wage Peace: Leave Crawford, Texas. Go back home. Vote in ’06."
According to The Associated Press, Sheehan did leave the camp on Friday after receiving word that her mother had suffered a stroke.
Meanwhile, many who support Sheehan have decided to continue the vigil until the president leaves Texas.
Natalie had said she was hoping Saturday’s rally would serve as a counterbalance to Sheehan’s efforts and help promote a surge of support for the war and the troops.
Dick Menard, of Portsmouth, a retired Air Force veteran, stood alongside Natalie.
"We need to eliminate them before they attack us again," Menard said when asked about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Asked how he felt about the Sept. 11 Commission findings that Iraq was not connected to the Sept. 11 attacks, Menard replied:
"It’s all one war. We’re at war with a culture. ... It’s irrelevant; it’s not a factor if there is a direct connection or not. It’s the culture."
Across the street from the rally, Lisa Horwitz, of Eliot, Maine, was spreading a different message.
Horwitz said she often spends her Friday evenings in the same Market Square spot where Natalie was Saturday, only then she’s surrounded by other Seacoast residents participating in a peace vigil that has continued for close to four years.
"I respect that (Natalie) is doing that, but I do not support the war in Iraq," Horwitz said. "I do support those who are there. ... I believe in diplomacy."
Elaine Healy, who had never met Natalie, was one of the first who gathered in Market Square for the noontime rally. Elaine said that after reading about her in the paper, she knew she had to come down and show her support because four of her family members who are in the military might be going to war soon.
"We’re like the cheerleaders at the football game," she said.
As the rally came to a close, Natalie said she was impressed by the number of people who came to support her cause.
"I’m thrilled and amazed," she said. "All this was put together in less than two days."
God bless you, Froggy, and God bless the memory of those magnificent men who died that day. We can have great hope and trust that they are in that good Place which awaits us all, with the One who calls us all home.
Understandably, the military must look at every situation and evaluate. That is their nature, and very likely why we are the force to contend with today. The TF Commander made decisions that were likely spur of the moment and logistical at that time. He should never be faulted for this. None of us will ever know or understand what happened that day, and all we can do is support the decisions made by all parties involved and contributing. Those men went in to save their comrades. The mere notion of this in any other situation would be awesome, at best. Regardless of why or how, these men are heroes forever. Brave, incredible, selfless heroes. I don't care what anyone says, they are magnificent.
God bless them for their incredible courage, their steadfast discipline and dedication to their brothers, and most of all, god bless their families who will have to endure this tragedy for the rest of their lives. I wish them peace and comfort in the days, months, and years ahead.
One can find out more about the PNAC (Project for the New American Century) Neoconservative agenda (which Cindy Sheehan discusses in the email below) by accessing the following 'Whose War?' article by Pat Buchanan (it initially appeared in his American Conservative magazine):
http://www.amconmag.com/03_24_03...4_03/
cover.html
Forwarded:
Cindy Sheehan is hurting her cause by smearing an American citizen 'James Morris' in calling him an anti-Semite and saying that he doctored her email to ABC's 'Nightline'.
She also sent this email to two other people Tony Tersch, a retiree living in Thailand, and Skeeter Gallagher (access the following URL):
http://www.slate.com/id/2124788/...idebar/2124791/
Three people have seen her original email which mentioned the PNAC Neocons and her son dying for Israel.
Nobody had doctored Cindy's email as those were her original words.
At first Cindy's claim was that James Morris hacked into her email.
James Morris a hacker? Not hardly!
Cindy changed her story about that (access http://www.slate.com/id/2124788/...idebar/2124791/
) and has disingenuously denied writing those words about the PNAC Neocons and Israel in the letter that she asked James Morris to send to ABC's 'Nightline' on her behalf.
The only way to settle it for good would be for Cindy Sheehan to allow access (via her internet provider) to her email send history for March 15th, 2005.
Morris is willing to do the same with his email account for March 15th, 2005 as well.
If Sheehan declines this offer, then we will know that she indeed did write those words which she vehemently claims she didn't.
Here's Cindy's slander:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ci...-
12_b_5830.html
Access 'Comments' section at the following URL by scrolling down to the 'Comments' link near the bottom:
http://representativepress.blogs...-spc-
casey.html
More on Cindy Sheehan at following URL (James Morris mentioned there as well):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cin...i/
Cindy_Sheehan
The original letter (sent from Cindy Sheehan to James Morris) is included below:
From: SCINDY121@
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 12:54:21 EST
Subject: nightline
To: justicequest2000@
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1110909261"
X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5116
Content-Length: 7462
Dear James
Could you forward this to a NightLIne producer? Check it out first and see if I should change anything or add anything.
Thanks
Cindy
March 15, 2005
To Whom it May Concern:
Imagine my distress when I turned Night Line on last night and I was confronted with the gory details of my son's murder in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq on 04/04/04. Imagine, also, my sorrow and rage at the side of the story that you presented to the American public.
I was on the Night Line Townhall Meeting in Washington, DC on 01/27/05. After I spoke (which I think was a fluke), Ted Koppel dismissed me as being "emotional." First of all, how can I approach this discussion without emotions, MY SON WAS KILLED, AND KILLED FOR LIES? Second of all, that show was not fair and balanced and I think the conclusion "Should we stay" was foregone.
The show last night was also not fair and balanced. To see all the wives being interviewed who had not lost their husbands and to hear what "hard work" it is to be left behind when their husbands are at war. How hard to you think it is to have a child killed in an illegal and immoral war? In this "wonderful" group of families left behind, we had exactly ONE of the wives call us..she is Diane Rose who was my son's Colonel, Frank Rose's wife. The last time we heard from Diane was in October and we feel we have been left behind by anyone connected to the 2-5 Cavalry. Is support only given if your loved one stays alive? One wife was quoted as saying that Sundays were the hardest for the families left behind. My son was killed on Palm Sunday last year..how does anybody think Sundays are for my family?
A distraught father who lost his son was shown telling how much his life was so adversely affected. Why wasn't a mother (like me) who has been an outspoken critic of this war and of the President's policies interviewed for this piece? Why wasn't I given a chance to talk about 04/04/04 and the series of lies, mistakes and miscalculations that led to my precious oldest child's death??
General Chiarelli was quoted as saying that 04/04/04 was a "wake up" call to the 2-5 Cavalry. If he thinks it was a "wake up" call, let me tell you how having 3 Army officers come to my door on 04/04/04 and tell me that my darling son was KIA. I have learned so many details of that day and of my son's experience in Iraq.
The very first thing that went wrong happened in November at Ft Irwin, California...the 2-5 Cavalry went for desert training. They received open desert warfare training and my son was killed in an urban guerilla attack, which he hadn't been trained for. Also, he was wearing an inadequate helmet and a Vietnam era flak jacket. Casey was stationed in a very dangerous place, like the General said: FOB War Eagle. I have subsequently learned that the soldiers of the 2-5 Cav who were stationed outside of Baghdad had Kevlar body armor. I have also found out that Casey slept in the back of his Humvee for the last 2 weeks of his life because there wasn't any room on post for him to have a cot. How tired and overworked was he before he went into that battle on 04/04/04?
In addition, my son was killed after L. Paul Bremer inflamed the Shi'a by taking away their tv station and newspapers. The Abu Ghraib scandal was about to break in America...but it was well known by the Iraqi people that their citizens were being tortured and defiled in the prisons. My son was a sitting duck by the time 04/04/04 rolled around.
The very worst thing of all, is that my son was sent to rescue some fellow soldiers trapped in an ambush in the back of a LMTV..which is basically an open air trailer. It would be the equivalent of driving through Dallas on 11/22/63 in a Convertible. The troops stationed at FOB War Eagle were sent ahead of their tanks and Bradleys!!! They had to go into battle in the back of LMTV's and non-armored Humvees. This is just proof to me that our troops are as important to their leaders as bullets are. It is a small miracle that only 7 of them were killed in the ambush. Luckily for the rest of the moms, it was dark. After my son's murder, there was an article in Stars and Stripes that quoted one of Casey's superior officers as saying. "04 April taught us a lesson. We won't send soldiers to battle without their armor any more." How do you think that made me feel? It was like "OOOPS, your dear son was killed. Life happens. Oh well, you live and learn." The General was also quoted as saying that the insurgency "surprised" them. Why? Has there ever been an invasion/occupation of a sovereign country that hasn't been resisted? Anyone with half a brain and an even rudimentary understanding of history would know that all occupations are resisted. The Pentagon and the Army brass did not plan adequately for an occupation.
Then Gen. Chiarelli said the thing that upset me the most. He said that the loss of life was terrible, but at least Iraqis had elections on 01/30/05. With the continuuing insurgency and with Iraqis and Americans losing their lives everyday there, how can he be proud of that? I may remind you and the General, that Iraqi elections was not the reason that our President and his Neo-Con war mongers invaded Iraq with our precious human resources. I will give the two reasons given for the invaseion here: Saddam had WMD's and he was an imminent threat to America. Saddam could have WMD's on our shores within 45 minutes. Condoleeza Rice used fear as a factor when she said: Don't let the smoking gun be a mushroom cloud. Rumsfeld and Colin Powell pointed out to us where the weapons were on a map.
The second reason that America was given before the invasion was that Saddam was the biggest sponsor of world terrorism and he supported Osama Bin Laden! Oh really??? The hijackers were predominantly Saudi Arabian as was Osama (who is still at large, by the way). The theory that Saddam had anything to do with 9/11 was disproven by the 9/11 commission's report. A huge factor in Americans believing all this bull is that our media..the Fourth Estate didn't do any research and expose the lies for what they were: justifications for invading a country that posed no imminent or long-term threat to America.
One reason that the President DID NOT give for the invasion and occupation of Iraq was so that Iraqis could have elections. As a matter of fact, that was Ayatollah Ali al Sistani's idea..not Bush's. If the president in his lying and betraying in the lead up and rush to this insane invasion had told the world that we were going over there to give Iraqi's elections, would we the people have gone along with the invasion? Would we as compassionate Americans have thought that it would have been worth billions and billions of dollars; hundreds of our amazing children dead; tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi women and children dead: a country lying in ruins? I don't think so. I certainly didn't raise my son to be an outstanding citizen of the world to go and die so some people could have ink-stained fingers!!! If anyone reading this has children, would you think it was worth it?? Instead of some Congress leaders showing ink-stained fingers at the SOTU address they should have held up blood soaked hands.
Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel. Am I stupid? No, I know full-well that my son, my family, this nation, and
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