[Peace-discuss] An Open Letter to GI's in Iraq

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

Paul asked: "That's really powerful. Thanks for posting it, Mort. I wonder 
almost every day why every single soldier who has served doesn't turn with rage 
towards the real targets - the suits in DC. They seem to persist in the same
malaise of ignorance that the general population does even though they've  
often personally witnessed the consequences of U.S. foreign policy."

The answer is simple but complex. Warriors do not think like you or others 
who see events unfold.  Warriors are assigned to fulfill and then do complete 
the assigned combat mission.  Their reference frame is different from others who 
are not engaged in combat.  Warriors perceive themselves as immune to injury, 
illness, and death. Only when they face mortality do they even reconsider 
events, but that does not mean they will stop. During Gulf War 1, I treated 
causlties in Iraq who after I bandaged them up went back on duty without any 
thoughts for what had happened or would happen to them.  They only thought was to 
finish the assigned combat mission.   Today, almost 30 years after the end of 
the Vietnam War that many of us fought in the physiologically and 
psychologically injured "Nam vet" will suffer in silence because of a concept that General 
Douglas Macarthur called "Duty, Honor, Country".  Today, over 250000 Gulf War 1 
veterans are now disabled from 10% to 100% and the death count increases 
daily. At the same time the Gulf War 2 casualty count is exceeding 10000. The 
frustrating part is that the majority of the American public does not do anything 
to help the warrior. Then when we think about, if anyone even does, collateral 
damage  (non combatants) non one cares. Then we have the real casualty count 
for so called "enemy"  and "coalition / allies" warriors,, but, that count is 
considered irrelevant.  So when you wonder why warriors do not rebell or as 
you wrote "I wonder almost every day why every single soldier who has served 
doesn't turn with rage towards the real targets - the suits in DC" to understand 
why they do not "turn with rage" you must think about war and participation in 
war not from your perspective but that as a warrior. From our perspective we 
have been abandoned not only by the jerks in D.C. but by the American public.  
War is not planned and fought and sustained by jerks in D.C., who got it 
started,  but by individual warriors at platoon, company, battalion, and brigade 
level.   The warrior also asks why individuals; who read a letter such as this 
or who learn about the reality of war not from the perspective of those in the 
peace movement but from a warriors perspective; do not do something to help 
the warrior obtain medical care for combat injuries, obtain compensation, 
obtain effective military combat education and training that will sae lives while 
optimizing their capabilities, obtain rqeipment that is not defective, and stop 
the nonsense. I and other warriors who have tried to stop the nonsense and 
who have combat related injuries can only wonder why those who read and learn do 
not help us.   A warrior comes from a different calling and once engaged will 
continue unabated, unless they see the light.  However that light must be lit 
and displayed in terms that the warrior understands.   Many of us are trying 
to do that and can use lots of help but that takes working from within the 
mind of the warrior not going into the mind of a warrior and asking them to 
change.  Today, too many individuals scold the warrior but do not see the need for 
help. And many of us do turn with controlled "rage" on the suits in D.C. and 
go up there and testify and try to make a change by preparing and implementing 
new programs.  BUT WE NEED HELP. WHO WANTS TO HELP?  Any volunteers?  


I wrote this poem some yars ago to explain it and this was used on the 
history channel and prat of Secrets of War series.  I hope it explains the concepts 
code warriors live and die by. .

This poem is dedicated to SFC John Sitton, a hero of Vietnam and the Persian 
Gulf Wars, and all the others who defend our nation.

"FORGOTTEN WARRIORS"

By Doug Rokke, Ph.D.
MAJOR, Medical Service Corps,
U.S. Army Reserve

ONE MOMENT AN INDIVIDUAL WAS WALKING THROUGH A MEADOW OF
FLOWERS.

IN THE NEXT MOMENT SONS, DAUGHTERS, HUSBANDS, AND WIVES
BECAME SOLDIERS.

THEY DEFENDED OUR NATION AND PAID WITH THEIR LIFE OR HEALTH.

THE CITIZEN SOLDIER ----- THE MINUTE MAN.

OUR NATION IS BUILT ON THEIR WILLINGNESS TO RESPOND TO OUR
NATIONS CALL.

SOME FOUGHT IN THE JUNGLES OF VIETNAM, YET MANY RESPONDED TO FIGHT IN A 
DISTANT DESERT WAR.

THEY FOUGHT WITH SKILL AND DETERMINATION AND FREED A LAND.

THEN OUR NATION'S WARRIORS RETURNED HOME TO PARADES AND PARTIES AND JOY 
SPREAD FROM SHORE TO SHORE.

BUT WHEN THE GLOW SUBSIDED THE WARRIORS REMAINED ALONE AND FORGOTTEN.

WE ASKED THEM TO FIGHT AND THEN FORGOT TO PROVIDE THEM MEDICAL CARE.

WE RESEARCH AND STUDY AND SEARCH FOR A CAUSE DELAYING RESPONSE THROUGH 
IGNORANCE AND FEAR.

YET THE FORGOTTEN WARRIORS SUFFER IN SILENCE WITH HONOR AND HOPE.

FOR ALL THE FORGOTTEN WARRIORS WANT IS MEDICAL CARE.