e-mail from Allan Wall, serving with his National Guard unit in Iraq since January 2005, prefaced by my note to him. I’m glad to find he’s well and in good spirits, though displeased with the overall direction of our policy over there.
Dear Allan,
I realized I hadn’t spoken with you in a while. Your most recent Iraq dispatch at WND is dated May 30, 2005, and, oddly, it’s a description of old US Army bases, written while you were still stateside. Yet you’ve been in Iraq since about the start of 2005 as I recall, so I’m not sure what that’s about.
Hope all is well with you (or rather, not to be too pollyannish, I hope you are as well as you can be in Iraq). What is your assignment now, if you can tell me about it? When will your unit be returning home?
You can see how the things I was saying for years have now become the conventional wisdom, that we’re not really fighting any war there to win, but just treading water.
Best wishes,
Larry Auster
Larry,
Thank you very much, it’s great to hear from you. I read VFR every chance I get, you’ve had some great stuff on there.
Regarding my World Net Daily dispatches, well, I’ve written and submitted about 40 more after that last one they published , those 40 get us from Fort XYZ to Fort ABC back to Fort XYZ and then to the Middle East and eventually to Iraq. But they just stopped printing them, so I don’t feel like sending anymore until they start again, if ever. I guess I just can’t compete with articles about Al Quaida nukes in suitcases and stuff like that. It’s a drag to think I did all that work for nothing. Well, maybe my sons can read it someday.
I’ve had several assignments since my arrival here in January. Now, I’m serving as a liaison with the Italian Army. It’s been quite interesting. I’ve been impressed with the professionalism of the Italian Army, I’ve been picking up some Italian (not that difficult since I already speak Spanish) and have been able to pick up some of their perspectives. A rare opportunity. It’s strange, but our allies over here don’t get their just due, in my opinion. The Italians are doing a great job .
My unit arrived here in January, so I was mentally prepared to leave this coming January. But I’ve been hearing we might leave earlier. That could change of course. I’ll believe it when I’m on the plane heading back.
I’m proud of the work I’ve done here. I’m impressed by the way the soldiers have adapted to their situation and performed their missions. Soldiers have an innate ability to adapt and try to make the best of any situation.
And yet, I am EXTREMELY displeased with the Bush Administration’s handling of the situation. Look at what we have now. Fighting a tenacious insurgency with no apparent plan for success. Propping up a pro-Iranian government. Facilitating a constitution based on Islamic law?
It makes me ill.
Is that what so many died for?
Keep on speaking out at VFR.
Allan Wall
Iraq