My good friend Lost made a comment on another blog that made me want to share a blog i written some time ago. This is it, unedited.
We know this because of mass graves that have been found with thousands upon thousands of men, women, and children in them.
One of my best friends has been in Iraq for over two years.
He’s a Civilian Iraqi Police Advisor.
My boy Dennis.
Dennis was home this past week on a well deserved vacation. 300 missions so far, and he plans to keep going. There has only been one other advisor in Iraq to top this. Dennis is aiming for the top.
When he comes home, we always have the same talks, drinks and pizzas.
It has become therapy for both of us. Even if we don’t see each other for 8 months, life always returns to normal for just that little bit of time. Like he never left. When life was less serious.
I recall sitting in my family room watching the News, Dennis sitting next to me in his Police uniform, 2am, Dennis telling me he was going to Iraq. He decided to leave the local Police Department and serve his country elsewhere.
Of course, I was not happy with the idea at first. But I soon realized he had to do this, for him.
More than 2 years later, this past week, us sitting at his house, pizza, drinks, laughing about some of the stupid stuff we had gotten into in the past.
Of course I asked to see his videos and photos of Iraq from this past few months.
And of course as usual, he was thrilled that I was interested. We spent 3 hours talking and looking at these bits of history. I went into interviewer mode as usual. He laughs when I get that way. But he knows I will be using his story for the greater good.
With my arms wrapped around his neck, looking over his shoulder, we scanned through some of the happier photos and videos, one Iraqi Police Officer (IPO) who is a drug addict. I don’t recall his name now. But a funny guy, with no teeth, trying to speak English. Not a word was right. But it was funny to watch him hug all of the Americans.
Dennis said he was a great guy who they all felt bad for, so they took him under their wing. The man is trustworthy, that’s why they like him. He gave them a heads up that their station was going to get bombed one day. He saved hundreds of lives.
Of course in the folder of photos there is also pictures of women, children, babies who had all been killed and put into a mass grave about 30 miles south of Baghdad. There was only pieces of each left. But what I noticed was that babies, who were not even a year old, still had blindfolds on. You look at them and know there is no way to sugar coat it. What could anyone have done to deserve this? I ask him to move on, I wanted to know more.
We get to a video Dennis took of a man who had been shot right through the temple, he was dead, there was brain matter all over him and his wife. She was in the street screaming. They had been shot at while in a Taxi, for no reason. Passing the camera to a nearby Soldier, Dennis had wrapped the mans head up, knowing he was dead, but he said he couldn’t bring himself to tell his wife he was dead. She kept asking for Dennis to help him. Dennis is not the pillar of compassion, this brought it out of him. I have never seen sadness on his face, until then.
All dennis could do was help the Army put him back into the taxi, calming the woman by telling her that her husband just needed to go to the hospital. The video summed up their time there.
There was a few videos of IPO training. Where there were hundreds of these officers being directed by the Military. I asked Dennis why there were Snipers on the nearby rooftop, of course he asked how the hell did I see them, I reminded him of my great eye for detail and gave him a wink. He said that even during IPO training, they have to be worried about one of the guys turning their weapons on the CIPA’s, meaning turning a gun on Dennis or other personel. So they have snipers in case this happens.
So I began really interviewing him at this point, I asked him how he felt that the Media and also other Americans were treating him and the military like criminals. He gets tired of me asking him, but I like to compare answers every few months. He said that him and his buddies there know what the Media is saying. And that the Media buys their video footage from terrorist organizations who tell them what the story is. So of course it’s bias.
The media doesn’t care of it’s wrong, as long as they make their deadline on the story.
He said “have you ever noticed the Media does their story from a nearby rooftop? They never get their own footage.” I never realized this before, it makes sense though.
He also pointed out that Obama has already began taxing him. All contractors are being taxed there. He was obviously angry.
Skimming through pictures of Iraqi children and women, you can’t help but to notice how happy they look to see us there.
One video was of a woman thanking the Army, she kept touching their shoulders with her hand and saying something about “Allah willing, America will save us”. Had she been seen touching and hugging our Soldiers, she could have been put to death.
I could hear the pain in her voice but also the hope.
Her children will love America for what they are doing. This is how paying it forward works in times of War.
Dennis said that he will stay in Iraq until he is kicked out and he would stay 20 years of they let him. He added that pulling out of Iraq will be the death sentence for millions of good, innocent people. He showed me people who would be killed the day the military left. People who have helped him and many others. He noted a group of children that would be killed if given the chance because of their open love for the Troops and America. Running with homemade American flags. These children are the future, and happy and hopeful future. A future that radical Islam never wants anyone to see.
He ended by talking about the President. He said that President Bush was one person they always knew loved and supported them and that they never once felt like he sent them into Iraq for no reason. “Look at the pictures, those people are safe because we are there, is that evil?” He said that the new President will only bring death and destruction to America, and he is scared of what will happen to everyone who’s serving in Iraq.
He said that the new President will bring happiness to Terrorists,
Misery to the innocent,
And evil to America.
Many people believe they know so much about a War they have never fought. About people they have never seen. We are only left with pictures from those serving and only have their stories to make assumptions by.
The fact is, no one knows. You can’t know.
Unless you’re the one taking the pictures and telling the story. I'm only a spectator, an outsider who has never been to War. What do i know? I sure don't know how it feels and neit
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| My best friend is in Iraq |
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TroutFishing
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Jun 4 @ 6:07PM
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Thanks for being brave enough to tell the truth.
  
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RightWingRepublican
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Jun 4 @ 6:12PM
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We have to tell it somehow. I think of it very realistically. If he get's killed tomorrow, i need to know what he is thinking. We are letting many men and woman come home and are scared to ask them about what they lived. They need and want to talk.
Dennis doesn't talk at all, only to me. He wanted people to hear this.
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magne
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Jun 4 @ 6:25PM
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We all die once is the best comfort.
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Wing_Zero_75
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Jun 4 @ 7:19PM
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Uh oh, there you go again RWR. How many times have I told you not to confuse people with the facts?  Why would the people of this country want to know whats truely going on over there? I think maybe your friend is racist, he dare to make a commet against obama the great.......disapointment.
On a serious note though, its nice to know that there are people over there that know what they are doing is right. Its a horrible shame though that the people over here, who think themselves to be armchair generals, know more about whats going on than the ones there. I hope he comes home ok and in one peice.
Larry
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edthepoet
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Jun 4 @ 7:58PM
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I think its great that Dennis wants to share his thoughts with you when he apparently doesn't do that normally, thats mean he has major trust and faith in you, bravo
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magne
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Jun 4 @ 8:16PM
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Sorry my comment might confuse you..here you go again.
Live life fully but when it's time to do what you have to do or they want to do they do it, the easyest way to make up our mind ,no matter where we go on busy road, in the war, we all in risk of danger,even you don't go nowhere you still can get sick.
so my point is no matter where we are or what we do sooner or later we all gonna find the last day on earth.
They will be heroes, if they come back you cheers if not we have to make up our mind that we die only one time, they are happy to be the heroes, let 's be proud of them and comfort ourselves What I comment.
I feel so sad for them too , you lost many american soldiers,
Next time when you meet him,give him alot of love,anythign to make him happy as a best friend can do.
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ttomtarr
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Jun 4 @ 9:30PM
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Have you any idea how this story will end?
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edthepoet
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Jun 4 @ 9:33PM
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I do want to add one more thought, in life it's very rare to find a person to lay one's weary mind, he is blessed to have found a place.
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Fender
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Jun 4 @ 10:24PM
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Wow.
*
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RightWingRepublican
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Jun 4 @ 11:23PM
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Thank you Ed. I'm lucky to have him. Seeing him now makes me happier than i ever was. Before he left, we would go on vacation everywhere and all the time. There was always something to do. It was hard losing that.
Last year when he came home for a few weeks, we went to Tennessee (gorgeous) and Canada (really gorgeous) and just had fun. I was happy then.
No Tom, i have no idea. I'm clueless. In the past few weeks, i heard of a Iraqi Police Officer started shooting at his advisors. (i believe 3 were killed) and i spent the day googling and calling etc. trying to find out if he was one of them. He wasn't. But it was awful to even hear it happened. Just struck fear into everyone here.
He believes in this cause even though many people don't. He's the one who deserves that opinion. If anyone knows, he sure does.
Fender, wow to you too.
Love you guys
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legacy1
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Jun 4 @ 11:30PM
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We are letting many men and woman come home and are scared to ask them about what they lived.
Funny, I wish I could have asked my father what it was like but see RWR....he died in vietnam made to believe in the same type of shit the government at the time was selling to the people. Now, I listen to my uncle who speaks of nothing but horrors and atrocities that no man should have ever seen or witness.... 
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RightWingRepublican
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Jun 4 @ 11:34PM
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You're probably right, he's just selling shit the gov told him to tell me.
I only allowed this ridiculous comment because you included some info about your father.
Take your anger elsewhere, it's not welcome on this blog.
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imlost2
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Jun 5 @ 7:43AM
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Awww that story gave me chills. I know exactly what you mean about the pictures, my kid's dad is a Seabee and had pictures from Desert Storm that were similar. I couldn't continue to look at them. War isn't pretty and the torture from Saddam was horrendous, the sad thing is he did this to his own people. My friend is in Iraq now, his fourth tour, he volunteered to go as well and his stories he returns to tell me are the same. Of course the media doesn't want to let you know how happy the people are and the progress going on. That doesn't sell news. I only know if I was a man in Iraq with a family, I would be relieved that I didn't have to worry about someone storming my home anymore to take me and my children to their would be graves any longer. Well except for the terrorists we have yet to get rid of, but those are on their way out too. Thanks for opening up our eyes yet once more. Humanity is what it is, we shouldn't worry about borders when we see wrong doing and humans suffering before we take a stand and turn our backs on our fellow man. How would you like it if it was your family that was lead to their grave and no one cared? Take care Lost
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RightWingRepublican
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Jun 5 @ 8:16AM
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See, i keep saying that when i'm tired that my math (and everything else) goes in off mode. lol
Lost, So you obviously know what it's like to be right there with them when you see those photos and hear the stories. It's terrible for them and hard for us.
I can be human when i feel the need. lol There are some things i have feelings about.
Please tell your friend how much he is appreciated. 4 tours is a lot to handle.
How would you like it if it was your family that was lead to their grave and no one cared?
I have that video here on my profile about Radical Islam. I won't ever watch it again because of how disturbing it is. (it may have been censored now, not sure) but it really shows Islam for what it is.
I should have corrected myself a long time ago, i don't hate Muslims. It's not the Muslims who want this evil. It's the Radicals who do. Their Quran is flat out evil and filled with awful things (there's a few passages in my Bible that freak me out) but the difference between Radical Islam and Muslims are taking the words and using them as leverage to murder and terrorize.
Anyone who has never seen Islam at it's worst should get on youtube and start looking. Everyone needs to see it for what it is.
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RightWingRepublican
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Jun 6 @ 4:07AM
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I just had some moron email me and basically said that this is fabricated.
Yup, you're right moron, total bull blog. Total lie. (There's no hey stupid emoticon) 
Even with the truth being told right to their faces they still want to believe in their retarded ideology. 
I will be sure to let him know you think his story is bullshit.
No wonder are troops feel like shit, it's because of morons like that.
Stupid ass.
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musicianfriend
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Jun 11 @ 2:11AM
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Wow..this was an excellent blog RWR
Tell Dennis not to worry...because theres more of us than there are morons...whew!
Wow..that was a great story...Dennis is a great man....
I knew that the Iraqi people were happy we are there...ITs the first time in some of their lives to ever have peace..
PEACE? Yes...Peace...its safer there than its ever been..
Like she said..go and watch some videos and read some of the things that people who live there have written..
I get tired of those who never really research anything...yet have an opinion based only on their 'special little political view'...without checking anything out..
Iraq is better that we are there....
My cousin is the guy that set up the computers in the powerstation...he made friends with these Iraqis...they are nice to him ..and he to them...
They were very very poor there and liked the Americans..For the first time..they have real jobs...making real money...
America does have a dark side..but that side has nothing to do with her people....The people of this nation are good. caring people..Weve done alot of good for many people all across the globe..
Im proud of my country.....ALL MY LIFE!..
The leaders and their 'Puppet Masters" ....well..thats another story....not so good..
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mystery2u888
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Jun 17 @ 5:07AM
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kjac
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Jun 17 @ 9:49AM
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All political bluster aside, thanks for sharing. There's a lot of people, some on this thread, that equate bitching on the internet to fighting for freedom. It's good to hear from someone who actually fought the fight, rather than just telling others to support it because they said so.
My first kudos in three days goes to you, who'da thunk it?
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