“We won, we’re going home! We won! Its over! America, we brought democracy to Iraq!” Bless the poor survivor of America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq, who shouted these pathos- (and bathos) filled words out of “the back of his Stryker vehicle.” Jubilation among the soldiers, the second most abused and bamboozled people to have (voluntarily) taken part in the Iraq fiasco, is more than understandable. The first are the Iraqis, whom we conscripted involuntarily. (MURDER BY MAJORITY.)
I noticed that Keith Olbernmann and Rachel Maddow, who were honest about Bush’s war during the Bush years, have reversed course, declaring victory. I suspect this has something to do with the fact that 1) their guy Obama now owns the Iraq war. 2) Midterm elections are nearing.
“Amazing. We finally made it out, we made it back. We’re good. Happy to be here. Happy to go home. We got our mission done successfully and it was good to go.” So said Pvt. Nicholas Kelly. I’m chocking back the tears as I write (thinking of stuff like this, which I chronicled during the years of writing about Iraq).
Pvt. Troy Danahy of Hampton, N.H: I missed “Just America in general. I just miss grass, simple, little things, winter, snow and all that.”
After a mere week of 90 plus degrees in the shade here in the Pacific North-West, the olfactory sensations that come with the cool never fail to make my heart overflow for this beautiful landscape that is my home. Can you imagine how intoxicating the fragrance of home is to the poor men who’ve suffered the suffocating climate of Iraq, that barren, inhospitable, dangerous dump?
I’ll leave it at that. It’ll be a while before these men arrive on these shores of ours. Still, Welcome home. I’m a little tongue-tied, emotional, and teary-eyed myself.
Is it really over, or is this just another of their cruel, craven jokes?!
UPDATE: Recommended: “Iraq in the rear-view mirror” by Ned Parker. The Powers That Be have promised that the remaining troops will not see combat. I presume this means no more patrols for IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).