A Letter Worth Reading

[lcpd24]

This from COL Ren Hart - what a great piece!! - We know this is happening - we just don't hear it enough. The mainstream press almost never prints anything like this.

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As I'm sure you know, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment has been serving in Iraq (its second deployment there) for the past year.

As the regiment prepares to come home, it has received the letter pasted below. I believe many of you will find it an interesting counterpoint to much of what we read in the press.
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From: Mayor of Tall ?Afar, Ninewa, Iraq

In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful

To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall? Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing
with life.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists
who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many
months.

To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us 0restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and
stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.

Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed.



Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city.



Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young.



This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi?s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally destroyed them.

I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.

The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom.

Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military
feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was clean, withlittle collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.

God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women.



From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget.



To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their
souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in
every flower growing in this land.



Let America, their families, and theworld be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.

Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven?t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.

NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID
AL-JIBOURI
Mayor of Tall ?Afar,
Ninewa, Iraq

R. Ren Hart '56,
Colonel, US Army, Retired
3093 Stevenson Drive
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
831 655 1189
http://www.west-point.org/society/wps-mp/

[VIETNAM 1968]

Thanks Dennis for sharing with the rest of us. I totally agree with one point of the letter--That being: Letters like this most likely will not be printed. It is a shame that all we ever hear, and read, about the struggle in Iraq IS THE NEGATIVE SIDE-- without any chance to learn about the GOOD THAT OUR MILITARY FORCES ARE ACCOMPLISHING while Serving there.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of the men and women that are putting themselves IN HARMS WAY while serving in Iraq. They are not only helping THE GOOD IROQUOIS, but also PROTECTING ALL THE REST OF US, LIVING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. September 11, 2001 showed us that America is not invincible and subject to the same terrorist acts now going on in the rest of the world. If these terrorists are not stopped in places like Iraq, WE WILL ONLY HAVE TO FIGHT THEM ON OUR OWN SOIL HERE IN AMERICA!!

To all of my Vietnam Veteran Brothers and Sisters I also again state:

WELCOME HOME


VIETNAM 1968

great post!

man get this letter posted on the TV news and they will turn it around to make it sound like our guys and gals were the thugs, not the terrrorist.