"THESE EAGLES SUFFER WE LITTLE BIRDS TO SING".



Recently, I was asked to comment on if the soldiers feel like they are being used as fodder by President Bush. Working with the injured from Iraq and Afghanistan, I get a good picture of the soldier's state of mind, especially those who come through my hospital in Germany.

I have been in Landstaul Germany for almost a year and I have seen quite alot of injured soldiers physically but amazingly only a few who were bitter, angry or felt that they shouldn't have been in Iraq or Afghanistan. I met a commander of a strker battalian who when one of his soldiers got hit in the neck and almost died, he personally called the young man's Mom, comforted her, then gathered his men together and found the enemy and ended up on my ward as a result.

He gave me a link to the journalist who was with them and it shows pictures of what they do and stories of how they have helped the people there.

I think it will suprise you to find that the soldiers themselves feel 100 feet tall when they are down range. It is more of a neutral view then what you see on the news. go to my links section to go to the reporters site.

I don't tell people what side to be on politically, but I can tell you that the majority of the soldiers I take care of do not want to leave, they fight to go back to the war. On the other hand not every oneof them is a President Bush fan either but they still want to fight, and help rebuild those countries.

I met Don King last week, and have heard really bad stories of the man, that he is a crook , a murderer etc. Personally I thought the man was a American hero on that particular day because he took time to honor the soldiers, and used his celebrity status in a positive way.

I don't allow my personal view or the person's reputed acts, cloud or diminish the good things that they do. I guess the same goes with the President. You may not always agree with their means or their agenda, but now that we are there, we have to get the job done, so that the rest of us back home do not have to go through any more 911 type tragic events. I don't want my kids to grow up without me, but if I have to give my life to help protect them in the long run I will.

Regardless of how we feel politically, the fact is these young soldiers need our support as Americans first. There is no clear answer to whether the war is right or wrong, sometimes people have to respectively agree to disagree. But when young folks are hurting there is a clear answer. They don't need our accusations, they need our love and support to help nuture them back to health, otherwise we will have the messed up generation that followed the Vietnam War.

I have an Uncle I have never met. Uncle Merv. He was killed at age 26, shot down over Belguim on the last days of the war, fighting Nazi Germany. He left a wife and 3 kids. I actually went to the cemetary in Belguim, where he is buried. I felt alot of pride, and emotion due to the fact that he died so young and that he died protecting his family, including me from experiencing the horror that befell the jews. This is what was written on his tombstone "These Eagles Suffer we Little Birds to sing". This is relevant today, and should make us proud of our modern soldiers as a whole, and help keep us focused on the task ahead of us, building a road of freedom and of peace

It is good to "agree to disagree" on points that divide us, and to unite on those common things we share. I hope this has been helpful. Please e-mail if you want and check out the rest of my "blog" especially the post of how you can donate some of the things the soldiers need, if you would like to help.

Have a great day.
Cheers

SSG OZ