What Our Troops Deserve

Brian Bresnahan served in Vietnam and has been to Iraq as well and these are some of his impressions of our Marines serving their country. Unlike what you may have been reading in the papers these days or hearing on the news, he speaks of their dedication, loyalty and professionalism.

"It's an unforgettable experience to accompany an infantry unit that has every Marine, without specific command or direction melt into exactly the right place. Each one, knowing his job, from the time they dismount the vehicles or walk into an area, is either posted or patrolling precisely where he should be.

I stand in awe of the corpsmen that run into the middle of a firefight to retrieve or give aid to a fallen Marine.

I am encouraged when I remember the Forward Air Controller being shot at by RPG's who simply peeked back around the corner at the rest of the platoon, in a humorous, cartoon-like way and kept talking to the medevac helo and close air support gunships.

To know that young men like Corporal Stephen Flannery exist should reassure all of us. Every time I stepped into a group of Iraqi's I knew he had my back. I knew he wouldn't be gawking at something around him. I knew, without looking, that he was doing his job and that he would act swiftly and decisively when the time came.

They were inspiring to work with, and they taught me how to be a better Marine. From them I learned lessons which I apply today and will for the rest of my life. Like the time an older Marine taught me to "Never argue with a pig. You'll only get dirty and you'll make the pig look smarter than the pig that he is." As tough as Marines are though, there was always compassion, because another would say "feel sorry for the pig, his lot in life is to be a sausage."

These fine young men and women deserve all the support we can give. We observed Iraqi Liberation Week last week and did so with relatively little fanfare. With news cycles stuck on immigration issues and disgruntled generals who haven't gotten over Secretary Rumsfeld urinating on their fire hydrants, the hard work of the troops was again overlooked. This, during the very week our focus should have been on them.

The young Marines and Corpsmen I served with, those still there, and their counterparts in the Army and Air Force have given and are giving their blood, sweat, tears, and lives so the Iraqi people could taste just a little bit of what we have. They do it without complaint. They do it without asking for the recognition of their endeavors."

The entire column can be found at Families United for our Troops and their Mission.