Thread: Iraq is heating up!

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Originally Posted by stovens

I got another email from my brother last night. It's funny that he refers to MASH episodes to decribe what it is like over there. The visual works for me. I thought some of you would like to read this excerpt from his email last night.
"Sorry I haven't written, the last 3 weeks has been very intense, almost like a dream, if you remember the MASH episodes of patients just lined up for miles and then another helicopter coming in, well you get the picture. At one point even though we wear gloves I couldn't get the blood out between the creases in my palms. I've included some recent photo's mostly of me wearing body armor inside during the especially dangerous times, the picture of me with the Flag is actually my bed, I share a room with another surgeon., and one of a typical dust storm we get at least every couple days. The air quality here is very poor here, they say 20% of the particulate mater is feces... I believe it, the air literally stinks.

Overall, I'm doing fine, definitely feeling the effects of chronic fatigue and lack of sleep. We've set an all time record for the 5 years of war here, for the most #surgeries, and # surgeon hours in a 24hr period. Overall people are hanging in here, they come from all over the US, and are ordinary folks but doing extraordinary things. I've never seen so much dedication in my entire life to doing the right thing, regardless of age, sex, skin color, we work till the n'th degree to keep people alive. We take all comers, even the burned children the Iraqi hospitals have sent home to die, we have some incredible stories of survival others, and incredible devotion of soldiers to taking care of their buddies. I don't know what the right thing to do for this country is, but I can tell you if we just left in 60 days, everything every life that's been lost, and the Iraqi's have lost literally thousands will be for nothing, and thousands will die due to the unrest. These people want the same things we do, to live in peace, to go to work, to earn enough to take care of their families, and have their children grow up healthy.
Iraq is a very harsh place, men in their 20's look like their 50's, its rare to find an Iraqi 60 years old, those in their 50's look 75. "

Give your brother a big thank you---- and please forward some of his notes to those who keep carrying on with all "the glory of war" talk..... Just thing what a group of such dedicated medical professionals could do in a non-wartime ER and Trauma Center!!!!!!

The West is paying a huge price for arrogance.

Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

The West is paying a huge price for arrogance.

You got that right!!!! Those in the Muslim world who didn't hate us sure have reason to now!!!! Thanks GW....

Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

The West is paying a huge price for arrogance.

I'll abide by the rules and not say what is really on my mind, suffice it to say that I don't agree with you.

You know Guys
I'm with you both. I'm saddened by the effect this conflict has blown up it to on a world scale and view of the US. I wish we never got into this, because there will be no easy way out. Yet I hear all the stories of the Iraqis who are greatfull for whatever help we can offer. The middle east is such a different culture tha we can't project our value system on them, and yet from a human rights issue, what was happening there and many other places in this world are pretty bad too. Saddam was a bad person, yet he kept the country stable under his sadistic regime. No easy answers, never will be, wether your for or against this! If there was no war we'd have a hell of a national health care budget! What I can say is I'm proud of my brother helping people in their time of need. Steve.

My oldest daughter is a Registered Nurse and is in country and very possibly has run into your brother and that makes me just a little prejudiced.

i totally agree with you stovens.

You can support the troops and still be totally against the liars that sent them there..... Just like Vietnam it was started because of a bunch of politicians telling each other and the public lies, and now we're supposed to believe that it doesn't matter why we're there but we can't leave because chaos will reign????? Doesn't matter when we leave, chaos will reign....


Support the troops........But don't buy into the lies....

Most importantly, hold the people responsible for sending them there to be there with the big checkbook to take care of them when they come home!!!!!! At least then it won't be a total repeat of Vietnam..... Don't wait twenty years to welcome them back......

Originally Posted by stovens

You know Guys]Yet I hear all the stories of the Iraqis who are greatfull for whatever help we can offer.

I guess so! But why is it that they need help?

Originally Posted by stovens

You know Guys]Saddam was a bad person, yet he kept the country stable under his sadistic regime.

If Saddam was a bad person for keeping peace within his own borders by executing 141 people who may or may not have been rightfully executed, (I forget the exact number or reason) what does that make this present force who is responsible for bascially murdering, what is it now, some 4000 US men, and for what cause? Not to mention the hundreds of thousands (300,000 I think not to mention soldiers from other Countries)of Iraqi citizens who have been killed because of the invasion. And for what just cause? What was the reason again, I forget, it keeps changing. Needless to say, we are way out of line.

Just imagine if China marched into the US and did this! Hey, it matters not to me, I am just one person who still tries to use reason in all things, and this one just doesn't add up.

Originally Posted by stovens

You know Guys]If there was no war we'd have a hell of a national health care budget!

ummm, don't you suppose the 10 billion(let me see if I can write it out, $10,000,000,000.00) a month that is spent on the war, dwarfs any health care deficet? Why not throw money at our own citizens, not to mention, not killing our own. Like I said earlier, it really doeesn't matter to me, I am only effected in a small way and I can over look rising gas prices.
I am just saddened for all the looses of innocent non warring family members in Iraq,...cause they had no choice.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

You can support the troops and still be totally against the liars that sent them there..... , and now we're supposed to believe that it doesn't matter why we're there but we can't leave because chaos will reign????? Doesn't matter when we leave, chaos will reign....

I agree, support the troops by all means, and then get them out of there.

Lets end this thread . I didn't post it to become a political opening. Start a new one if you wish, this was for those who like hearing updates from my brother, nothing more. Please respect this thank you, Steve.

Stovens- Thank you! I am about ready to explode reading this. Give your brother heartmost thanks from a veteran.

I agree with you Stovens, right now it's about your brother, we all are grateful for his dedication and bravery. We want to hear how he is doing so keep us posted and we will just send him positive thoughts along with prayers.

Richard