Wednesday, August 10, 2005

From one soldier's view

Yes, the article is about one soldier, Terry Rodgers, and the story about him, how he was injured and his feelings is important. I'd suggest reading it. However as I read it, comments that he made about some of what happened prior to his being wounded made me think.

I've included them below.

"I didn't have a political view," he says. "I'm not into politics."

Most days, Rodgers's platoon would patrol the town in Humvees, then set up a TCP -- traffic control point -- where they'd stop cars and search them for weapons. Or they'd do "house calls": "We'd pick random houses and just go in and search 'em." Sometimes they'd do a "dismounted patrol," which meant they wandered through the streets on foot.

"We didn't have any incidents when we were out walking. The biggest incident we'd have on foot patrol is we'd be mobbed by little kids asking us for candy.

"We did hit the wrong house quite often," he says. "We had these overhead maps, satellite maps, and when you're on the street in the middle of the night, it's hard to find the right house. In those instances, we'd say, 'Sorry,' and give 'em a card with a phone number to call the Army and we'd pay for the damages."

"We started looking for a building that would be suitable for a patrol base," he says. "And we took this building over. There was a family living there and we had to kick 'em out. . . . They weren't too happy about it, but there was nothing they could do."

I realize we are at war over there, yet it's obvious this type of treatment is not out of the ordinary. Nor do I bet most Iraqis said after having their home raided in the night by mistake, "Hey no problem, stop and have some coffee". I haven't had much luck in finding a dollar figure for the amount of damages we've paid but I haven't given up on that yet.

Now that he's back home, this soldier who wasn't into politics, joined because he was bored and enjoyed playing the bad guys in laser tag practice missions in the Mojave desert refused to see President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Condi Rice when they visited the hospital he was in. Why?

"I don't want anything to do with him," he explains. "My belief is that his ego is getting people killed and mutilated for no reason -- just his ego and his reputation. If we really wanted to, we could pull out of Iraq. Maybe not completely but enough that we wouldn't be losing people -- at least not at this rate. So I think he himself is responsible for quite a few American deaths."

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

It remains important that we listen to our vets and their families, pro-Bush, anti-Bush or non alligned.

We have got to get behind our people or else we are completely screwed. No, I don't mean you need to support the war, but we need to support the troops.

Very interesting post. Lisa.

Anonymous said...

Lisa, can you give me a link to that either here or via e-mail?

Unknown said...

Steve, it's linked in the title but if you can't get to that

Here

:-)

Anonymous said...

I found it Lisa, its a hell of a read. This was a great post. I urge everybody to take the time to read it.

Unknown said...

Thanks Steve, I thought it was a good read too, not just from the point I was trying to make but as well what he has gone thru.

His refusal to meet with Bush has made the kos set but not many have focused on the deeper issues as pointed out by the article.

Anonymous said...

Oh, he's another wounded vet, and that's the truly important part of the article. Its been amazing to read these stories since I started tracking the GA 48th last week.

Yeah, there's a cynical use of these guys from SOME of the Kos people. The hard left and hard right are really using these vets in a perverse way.

We are going to have to deal with what's going on over there. There are now more than 13,000 physically wounded vets. You don't hear a lot about them, but we need to know and talk about them, not ot mention the 1800 KIA and the people coming back who have seen things they shouldn't have seen.

This is something we need to deal with as a country for the soldiers, whether we believe in the war or not.

Help me down from the soapbox, Lisa.

Unknown said...

You know I am horrible at that Steve, as most times you are move level headed than I can be about it.

The financial problems some of these wounded vets are experiencing is to me inexusible, then adding to that the recent discussion of kicking older vets out of veterans homes where they have lived for years suggesting the "community" take care of them?

If they have served they deserve alot more than what they are getting.

Scott G said...

I don't like the way many are using the Vets because to many, they are just political issues. A lot of talk about what Bush is or isn't doing and a lot of talk about how the left doesn't support the troops. I agree that they should all be treated with more respect than just being pawns.

I saw a anti-abortion bumper sticker that said, "a country that kills it's children has no hope". I ask what kind of hope a country has when it does not do whatever it takes to help those it sends off to fight for it

Anonymous said...

Well said, me4. We need to get some support to the guys in country as well as the returning vet.

Its the least we can do after the way things have happened, and i am really trying to be cautious about what I write regarding vets.

Scott G said...

I keep trying to convince the VA to hire me as an advocate, but they keep letting the fact that they don't have any openings keep them from doing it. I would kick ass to get the vets what they deserve. Some would probably call it assault, but I will call it preemptive lobbying.

Anonymous said...

That's a great story. Waiting for more. » » »