This was sent me by a Marine Reserve field grade officer serving in Iraq in a civilian capacity. He has also served there in combat in uniform.
Major General John Kelly is the Commanding General of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) (Forward). He is the senior Marine in Iraq. I have known him since 1984, when he was a young captain and I was an even younger lieutenant and one of his platoon commanders. This was a letter he wrote to the parents of Sgt Michael Ferschke, who was buried yesterday in the Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Knoxville, TN.
Yesterday in a nameless spot in the Iraqi desert near the village of Ayn-al Faris east of Lake Tar-Tar, ...... was on patrol when they took fire from a seemingly abandoned house they were about to search. With him at the time were several other Marines two of whom were wounded and are recovering. They live and fight as a team, these young men, and his buddies did what Marines have done from the beginning of our history, something they do without thinking and always without hesitation—they risked their own lives to save his. In spite of grave danger from the continuing firefight they struggled to save his life, but he was already gone to God. They were with him when he died. He was not alone and was surrounded by the finest men on earth...
I did not know your son, but I am sure he was just like every Marine I have known in the three decades and more that I have served. Like my own two sons who are Marines and have served here in this war, I bet he was a good looking young man, fun loving, into sports and a good son—but not perfect—boys never are. He was also different Mr. and Mrs. ......, because he chose to leave the comfortable and safe confines of his home and walk a different path than all the rest. The path he chose led him to be one of the nations finest, to be a Marine. When he did not have to raise his right hand and swear before his God to serve and protect this nation and its people, he did just that. We all owe him an eternal debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. We also owe you and all who loved him a debt—one that can never be settled...
In my private moments I well up and come near to tears when I think of them. They are not just tears of sorrow, but also of joy and hope that we still have men of substance who are not afraid to step forward and face our enemies without flinching or backing down. I never had the privilege of knowing ......, but I will remember him, and pray for him and for all those who mourn his loss, for the rest of my life.
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8 comments:
Nicely written. It's a shame so many of our young men and women have died fighting a senseless war. What a stupid interventionist foreign policy we have...
Dear Anonymous,
You are not alone in your opinion. Americans have been saying the same thing since the Revolutionary War. That was a little bit before 1776 in case you're interested.
But can't you, perhaps in the wee hours of the morning maybe, consider the thought that you might not be there typing those words on your shiny computer, that you might be typing in German or Russian or Japanese or Arabic if it were not for men determined, at the cost of their lives, to keep you comfortable?
Regards,
Roy
Never having served in the armed services I can't possibly know what it is like to do the job these folks do. But I tear up in pride for those that do serve. And those for that make the ultimate sacifice I pray their families heal and we all honor their memories.
Thanks, Roy. I couldn't have said it better. In fact, I might have been tempted to go all acid on anonymous. It is the vacuum created by Jodies like anonymous that great soldiers try to fill and still get the mission done.
Do not, Roy, equate the Second World War or the Cold War with the current happenings in Iraq.
Dear Roy,
Not ever threat is existential - Iraq was certainly was not. I question anyone's judgment who can't see that.
Our precious military should be used to DEFEND our country (hence, Dept. of Defense).
Dear Questing Parson and Anonymous #1,
If you examine "Just War Doctrine", developed principally by The Catholic Church over a period of a thousand years and a core curriculum at US Military Academies, you will find that the question of existential threat is a bit more broadly defined than you apparently see it. Threats against our national interest are not restricted to an actual attack.
We have a a rather vague Constitutionally defined system to determine whether we go to war or not. In a lot of recent incidents it has come down to the President pulls the trigger and the Congress has the power to deny him the bullets. This happened in Korea, Vietnam and a number of minor actions. In the case of our first war, against the Barbary Pirates, Jefferson simply presented a fait accompli. He dispatched the Navy and there was no way for Congress to recall them.
In the case of Iraq the decision was debated at some length and for the first time since WWII the Congress passed a Declaration of War.
For me, the question of whether we should have invaded Iraq is moot. It was decided. It was done. You can talk all you want about the 1976 World Series. I find it uninteresting.
Regards,
Roy
Elmo,
I'm not familar with the term "Jody" - I presume it's a pejorative. You can call me that, but how about Hackworth (RIP) and Bacevich? They both are certainly not "Jodies" and they opposed the Iraq invasion. My guess is both were more highly decorated than you AND know a lot more about military strategy. Don't forgoet Odom and Shinseki...
But, I suppose, you'd rather listen to Wolfowitz, Perle, Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc.
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