Iraq Terrorist Shot While GI's Secure Mosque

Just a note about one of our sons being tried for shooting a wounded terrorist while verifying security of a mosque in Iraq. A reporter decided to uplink video data of the incident. The below comment is a perspective coming from a multi tour Vietnam combat veteran. I have no political affiliation. In the 60's I leaned toward the Democratic philosophy because of the Civil Rights movement. I was attracted to the Democratic Party's sense of fairness. As a boy of 18 growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Arlington, Va. I could not understand why any American that wanted to sit down in a restaurant and sit beside me to eat a meal, couldn't. My country was picking out certain Americans and treating them differently. My country wasn't holding itself accountable for it's own ideals.

When Kennedy confronted the states that had segregation, I was impressed. I felt and still feel that America's strength comes from our ability to freely associate with everyone. This allows us teamwork. Teamwork to keep our country strong and fair to all that enter our borders.

After reading the comment please feel free to communicate.

The reporter that sent the pictures of a soldier shooting a wounded terrorist might have been more mindful of the impact this would have on those that had protected him. The men that he was with undoubtedly kept this reporter out of harms way so that he could safely be embedded. These soldiers have been dealing with terrorists that fight to the death, even booby-trapping their own dead to kill one of our sons or daughters.

A moment’s hesitation on the part of that soldier could have been the difference between that reporter being alive today or his wife a widow. If that wounded criminal had a bomb strapped to him and this soldier shot him, this soldier would be a hero. As in all Monday-morning quarterbacking, we can debate this soldier’s actions and criticize, but the fact still remains that if the reporter had been wounded that same soldier now being investigated would have taken a bullet to save him or a Marine corpsman would place himself into harms way to administer aid. This is the brotherhood of combat.

That must be a consideration before a reporter makes this type of decision again.

If the other squads begin to feel that these reporters are there to make political money, or put themselves up for a prize or make trouble in any way, I fear for the reporter’s safety. No one is going to place himself or herself in harms way for a man not of the brotherhood. It is the brotherhood of watching each other’s back. That’s the way it is in combat.

If these reporters in their ignorance or arrogance think that they are somehow superior to these soldiers and they can trash them whenever they feel, they will not be as protected, and some will die.