Supporting the troops?

How often is it that we see signs saying “SUPPORT THE TROOPS. END THE WAR!” Truly, I tell you these signs make me want to punch someone. A close friend of mine, a sergeant in the Marine Corps just got back from serving in Iraq. He missed his wife and extended family while over there but he was proud to be serving our glorious nation. He was in the same room as our president as he gave a speech to the world about how our mission has met great success in Al Anbar province of Iraq and that success is spreading to the whole nation. He told of how Iraqis are rejecting the terrorists. My Marine friend was excited about the speech. He was abundantly happy that America finally heard the truth about his mission.

Sadly, no one heard that message, because it was played during the day, without anyone from the liberal media really commenting on it. Fox News talked about that but people who watch Fox are ridiculed by everyone else. The story got nowhere, and people feel that we are losing Iraq despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. When I informed the Marine of this it deeply saddened him. Sergeant S. strongly supports our mission in Iraq along with every other Marine I have ever met.

As I walked with another Marine, Lance Corporal V., we saw a sign declaring that we must leave Iraq and together we flipped off the sign in great anger for we believe in our mission. I was honoured to take a stand on the war alongside a Marine, even though no one saw us. That very Marine in now serving in Iraq and I just read her blog about her fellow Marine who has died. After discussing the sadness of his death, these are her words “I pray his family does not think he died in vain”

I know another Marine, Lance Corporal B. who is infantry. When he goes to Iraq, he may very well die. Knowing this, he does not back down in his support of our mission. Even with his brother who is also a Lance Corporal in the infantry serving in Iraq currently, he does not wish for him to be sent home, despite the fact that his brother could die any day. Does he not care for his brother? On the contrary I have seen his weep over his brother. But he knows two things. 1) there is very little chance either he or his brother will die. Very few American warriors have died in the big scheme of things. And 2) if he does die then his death will not be in vain, for it will have supported our liberty and the liberty of the free peoples everywhere.

I tell you truly that to tell us that supporting the troops means ending the mission is a slap in the face to all four of these very brave men. As to the Marines who don’t support our mission, I have yet to meet any. Don’t tell us what the troops believe, let them speak for themselves!

SUPPORT THE TROOPS! SUPPORT OUR MISSION!