Iraqi Freedom and the price of Freedom

On October 15th, my son, Sgt. Nicholas Marshall was wounded in Iraq by an improvised explosive devise, commonly called an IED, while commanding a 60 vehicle convoy south of Tikrit. This same day, the Baytown Sun ran a column I wrote on the meaning of being a Veteran, which included this quote: “my son is a U. S. Army Korean War/Iraqi Freedom/War on Terror Veteran and is most likely running convoy escort as I write this, in the Country of Iraq”.

The explosion sent fragments through the side of the vehicle, injuring all three soldiers and through training and fortitude; they were able to drive to a safe area where they exited the heavily damaged M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle. All three will be awarded the Purple Heart “Red Badge of Courage” for the injuries sustained and will fully recover.

The Army M1117 Guardian ASV is armored to withstand a blast equivalent to 12 pounds of dynamite.

We greatly appreciate the prayers and outpouring of support, as I'm sure my son does.

The 15th of October was a Sunday and Nick’s name came up several times in prayer requests and the visiting Preacher told the congregation that a miracle would happen that day and it would be outside of the Church proper. I can’t help but believe God had his hand on my son and his soldiers. Some “expert” claimed recently that prayer has no recordable effect whatsoever. I guess he missed it this time.

I would like to say something. My son is no more important than any other son or daughter is to their loved ones and the injury of your children is just as difficult to you, as it is for Nick's Mom and me, when we received a call from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I do not like to hear about anyone’s child being injured or killed, as it hurts my soul.

Americans who answer the call to duty serve a higher purpose than many of us do on our jobs, as do fire fighters and law enforcement and that makes it doubly hard when they suffer injury or death. We should never forget this sacrificial fact. That is why my brother Terry and I attended the dedication service for Pvt. Wesley Riggs of Beach City.

Incidentally and on a lighter note, Sarnt (Sergeant spoken Army style) Nick was almost miffed that the Army made him call home. This kid has had his nose broken about 5 times in karate and Robert E. Lee HS sports and he was more concerned about his buddies’ injuries than his own. After a minute on the phone, he settled down and realized WE were worried and needed to know how he was fairing.

He reported 3 lacerations on his face, one requiring 10 “Army” stitches and bruises from the concussion. He will attend an EMT class for the next three weeks while convalescing and then only have about one month left of his one year tour in Iraq. The October explosion happened on his 65th mission and he told me early on, that running these convoy missions was physically and mentally the hardest thing he has ever done.

I have followed the war in Iraq from day one and am an avid reader of history. I realize all wars are fought over land and money and this war is no different and I've stated that many times. The sectarian violence in Iraq is not a civil war in the normal sense, but one between 2 religious factions (Sunni and Shia) and the vast majority of Iraqi's are caught in the middle, as are our troops.

Part of me says we need to pull out and another part tells me “circling the wagons” and letting the two sides shoot it out is the answer. 10 soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday and 100 Iraqi’s are being executed or blown up every day and this news is being over-shadowed by a few school shootings and N. Korea posturing, amongst other things (not that those are not important).

Americans are tired of the war, so it’s not big money-making news. The whole effort is increasingly beginning to smell like Vietnam to me and our support for a corrupt and inept South Vietnamese government, which fell exactly 44 days after we pulled out.

The Iraqi government needs to get off their duff and take control of their insurgent factions and get weaned of the United States military. Religion-based wars are the worst kind of fire to put out and we are finding ourselves in the same mess Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener faced after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The English had no answer for it, just like the French had no answer for Ho Chi Minh and what makes us think we can do any better? We should fight the battles we can win, for whatever reason Governments fight wars, but this one needs some changes.

If we ARE going to stay on in Iraq, then we need to do something that truly makes a difference and do it fast.