Last year, I wrote a post about Army Staff Sgt. Courtney Hollinsworth, a career NCO from my hometown of Yonkers, New York. Assigned to the 4th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas, Sgt. Hollinsworth was 26 and had spent nine years in the uniform in his country when he died during an attack by insurgents in Baghdad. He'd already done two tours - in Afghanistan and one in Iraq - when he was called up and did what soldiers always do: he went.
My post excoriated President Bush for his execrable and dishonest reasoning in a national speech, when he argued that this country has invested in the Iraq war and that the deaths of soldiers like Sgt. Hollinsworth argued for pursuing a “return on success.” In that speech, the President infamously promised to pass the war along to his successors: "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home,” he told the nation.
I'm as guilty as the next guy of focusing too much heat on this little intramural squabble of ours while the meatgrinder in Iraq turns on and on - but the great thing about a blog is the open channel of communications it can create, and the surprises it can hold in store for the even the most hard-boiled authors.
I got an email this week from Specialist Rangel, who served with Sgt. Hollinsworth on his first tour in Iraq. And with his permission, I'm sharing it with readers - it's a soldier's-eye view of the political process that we all need to listen to from time to time:
Mr. Watson - I've read your work on SSG. Hollinsworth and greatly appreciate it. Hollinsworth was a personal friend of mine that I served my first tour in Iraq with and lived with him in Germany. Its sad to see these politicians bicker over human lives. Our service members have lost hope in our country. Most like me who joined to protect our great nation only fight for our brothers in arms now. America was built on bloodshed, now we must keep her alive and continue to bleed. It sucks, there is division within our country, money and blood. There are people who would do anything to attain the "American Dream" and there are those who go unnoticed that make the ultimate selfless sacrifice to give others that chance.
I don't have much to add - "money and blood" pretty much says it all. Sometimes it's good to get one right across the chops.
from Amazon.
