well sunday I got an email from one of the interpeters from my iraqi battalion, he told me that my interperter "Tom" was killed in bagdad saturday. Dont know the details yet but I am mad. His real name was Hyder, but he picked the nickname "Tom" so he wouldnt have to worry about someone finding out he was a terp. He was a great guy, always upbeat even when we were doing almost back to back patrols, was not afraid to get into a fight. We sat around alot and BSed about all kinds of things, from music to movies, he would teach me some arabic and I would help him with english if he had questions. A few days before I got wounded, while he was on leave, his uncle was killed in bagdad so he got an extra week of leave. I didnt get to say goodbye to him. I always knew that in a firefight I could yell out "TOM" get on the radio or do this or that and he would do it. He wanted a safe and free Iraq he could raise a family, he had a Fiancee and was planning to get married in a few months. To some of you he would have just been another Iraqi casulty, but to me he was like a brother, always able to count on him. He will be missed.

Gu Yallah hyder, Salaam aleikum, and Ashufuk Baadyen my brother.
(Go with God, Peace be with you, See you Later)

In memory of your friend

"Gu Yallah hyder, Salaam aleikum, and Ashufuk Baadyen my brother.
(Go with God, Peace be with you, See you Later)"

Loosing friends in peace is hard, loosing friends in war is especially hard.

Noonanda,
I'm very sorry to hear about the death of your friend in Iraq.

Sorry to hear that SSgt, you have my condolences.

He sounds like a really good man, sorry about the loss but thanks for sharing him with us. You will meet again.

Noonan,

I'm sorry to hear of your friend's death. He sounds like a really wonderful man. Thanks for sharing this with us.

My sympathies on the death of your friend. I do not think of any of them as "just another Iraqi." All life is precious, and too many lives on both sides have been lost.

Losin' a shipmate's always tough, more so methinks when they're a friend. I'm truly sorry for your loss!

I am sorry. Words just don't express how sorry I feel. Take care, you and yours. Please, is there any way to stop the madness here?

I am so sorry to hear of your good friend's death noonanda. I pray for his family and for all of those over there in harms way.

KT

So sorry, Noonanda. "Tom" does sound like a great guy. It must be very hard to hear such news when you're so far away, but I'm really glad that you are.

None will ever understand the brotherhood of a native who gave his loyalty
to an American In-Country. The solidarity of a man whose humanity
was beyond nationality, whose heroism was simple, based on the warrior
life. Honor above ethnicity, brotherhood above race.

God damn it hurts. I weep for your dead brother, he defined
what makes you different, special. Sh*t it hurts, and I didn't know him.
But, I know the thread, the knit. God damn, the whole
f*ckin' thing wasn't worth his life. But, that's between you and me.

The rest can debate BS, argue politics...but will never understand the
loss, the blood, the dedication. Sh*t forget about it...few others
will understand anyway...f*ck it. We'll see him in Valhalla, if we live
as he lived, if we are true to The Way. Sorry man...sorry. Live your life
in a way he would be proud of...that's your memorial.

Prayer's out to Tom's Family and his fiancee.

I've met a great many Iraqi patriots, that have courage beyond my comprehension. Although I didn't meet him Tom was obviously among them.

Gu Yallah hyder, Salaam aleikum

Simple.

Stop killing people.

GTF out of there.

So your saying abandon Iraq, let it turn into a safe haven for extremists? you are also saying that everyone who has died there was for nothing? That ever American and Iraqi that died while trying to make Iraq safe was for nothing. You are saying that my friend tom was not worth the effort. This is total BS. Have you been there, do you know what it is like besides what you see on TV??

Some of you may think I am all pro-war. Well hate to tell you but I aint. I am the one going in harms way. There is nothing I would prefer more than peace. But there are people in this world who want you and all americans dead. they want everything we stand for destroyed. I will not let that happen, I will be dead before I let that happen. There is a saying that "Evil prevails when good men do nothing". Well Tom was a good man, and he refused to let evil men terrorize the civilians in our area. He would talk to people trying to find out what we could do for them to help make their lives better. He cared about the people, even though some may have been insurgents, their religon was different from his, that their way of life was different. And you are saying to piss it all away, pull out, let evil men have their way and let iraq turn into another taliban type haven for extremists. So one day someone from that place could maybe kill americans here, cause we didnt have the guts to solve the problem while we had the chance.

you really have no clue.

Simple --


I wish it was that simple; unfortunately there is alot of hate, anger, fear, foolish pride, and simple machismo in other places of the world that create a cocktail for blood.

Life is just alot cheaper outside the little enclave called the US. Sad but true.

GTF out of there -- well that will take Iraq and US soldiers dying off of your favorite News channel... see no evil...

It will not stop the killing, it will not make Iraq a safer place, it will not make the MiddleEast any safer and it will not make the world any better. IMHO

Well said N.

The really story here isn't about us. It's about the Iraqi's. This Iraqi in particular.

There was an expression they used up North...I'd just butcher the spelling so the English translation was this:
"I gift my Eyes to You"; to which the reply goes
"Your Eyes are Safe with me"

That was no flipant expression that's one brother to another which I'm sure you considered Tom to be.

j

SSGT, I am sorry for your loss. It must be hard, but while attacking another poster with whom you disagree philosophically ...I disgaree with Jeff too... please do not take the road of the hyperpatriot.


I agree with some of what you say, but come on, most of the insurgents in Iraq couldn't care less about America and what we stand for if they were ignorant of us existing. Plain and simple: They want us out of their country.

Your friend, whom I admire in death as you obviously admired in life, had a different way of wanting what was better for his country than many of his fellow countrymen do. But it is their country, not ours. They will eventually find their way or they will not. We cannot force anything o them unless we plan on staying.

You are not in control of how the military responds to threats to the USA. That is up to the civillian command who are answerable to the people...the citizens who vote.

I do not believe and hope you are not going to be dead...dead before you allow anything you imagine is happening, to happen.

____

Please do not take my post in the wrong way...but I get riled when I percieve citizen soldiers to be assuming a higher level of citizenship and patriotism than the rest of us.

and again, sorry for your loss.

d.

Well I dont know how Im being a "hyperpatriot". He pretty much said my friend death and that of everyone during this conflict was for nothing, and he is wrong.


So the foreign fighters that have come to Iraq want us out of their country?? How do you figure?? I know for a fact that there were foreign insurgents in our area, we even were able to kill a few of them. And most of the insurgents dont "just want us out of their country", they are Sunni's who want it to go back to the way it was, the sunnis in power having all the money and prestige. The other ones are Criminals that are making money by kidnapping/ extortion/ murdering/ the local populace who has no choice but to give in to their demands. Or they did have no choice until we started securing our area.


I talked to many Iraqis who were glad to have both US and Iraqi forces in the area making it safe for them.



Well I vote, so I am also one of those citizens



Im not sure how you think I am saying I am better than anyone Else, Im just stating the facts.

SSgt. , I did not see where this was said...for nothing....but it is his opinion and we are free to disagree with him without playing the "I love this country more than you do" card.

Please, if you do not feel this is what you did...play the card....my apologies, but it looked that way to me, at the time.

Your post about the insurgents not all being local????? This is true but the vast majority...by the Pentagon's own admission...are local.

Criminal gangs and others yes, but it is still....their country. I understand the CinC asked you guys and gals to do a job. But he didn't lay it all out ahead of time as is required because the public would not have supported the mission you so desperately want to defend.

It is an honorable and worthy mission, but it was formulated and executed without the consent of we the people.

I can assure you many of the families I know who have people over there do support the goals of the mission, but not at the cost. The President and his advisors have split families and friends...the nation over a failed and flawed policy.

Many people want the troops to come home...and not all for the same reasons. So please, be kind to those who disagree. We support you with all our hearts and our heads, but our guts tell us it is time to save what can be salvaged and to pull out.

Of course the Iraqi's want us to make it safe for them. We made it unsafe when we messed up and disbanded the army and the government after we achieved victory.

The troops did a remarkable job in toppling Saddam. That should've been the end of it, militarily.

We have tried nation building before...it failed: Haiti.

You are a citizen and a soldier. And I am stating facts and opinion and so are you.

and seriously, I do thank you for service to our nation.
d.

Although I totally disagree with the Iraq War,
I don't want to leave folks high and dry like
the Montanyards of Vietnam. That's why I
believe "redeploy", rather than a total pull out,
is more rational. That's why I want to base our
Ops in new places - Kurdistan, and the northern borders,
while we let the Sunnis and Shiites shake out most their differences.
Just an idea.

Fifth try! I agree, except I'd like to give a chance for our government, not just our troops, to do it right.

Oh....horse "expletive deleted"

I kinda knew that someone would try to turn my friends death into a political statement. Thats what set me off so much.

Lets put this back in perspective. I learned from a young lady, the daughter of my friend since high school, that interpreters in Iraq are your life line. They protect you and you protect them.
When any one talks about a brother hood or sister hood that is what you lost.
This is grief and condolences, prayers for the soul departed.


Politics unnecessary. Their are other topic areas for people to post opinions on. This is not one.

My Dear Friend,

My heart breaks for you and for the people of Iraq, that such a noble man has died. It is a loss to the whole world when such a precious gift is lost to all of us... and we are ALL the poorer for his passing. Brothers come in all colors, shapes and sizes... next door or on the other side of the world... What bonds us is the common essence of basic human values... family, honor, integrity, conscience, and duty. I don't care where you are from, when you encounter such people, there is an understanding and a trust that only grows with time. I have met such people in my life... and lost them... and it is a deep and painful loss. No doubt under the threat of warfare with survival or death dependent upon your mutual reliance, you forged a relationship of love that is as deep as life itself. Know that all of mankind weeps with you... that his memory yet lives in you now, and his Fiancé, and his family. When fools speak to you of the uselessness of helping others... recall to them your dear friend, of his desire to help others and his sacrifice on the battlefield... and teach them to fight no more.

- vmaus

St. Crispen's Day
From Henry V
... he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.

He was your brother, Sarge. He was my brother. He was Marine's brother, and Doc's, Tom's, IStoodForYou and Indianhead's. I, as insignificant a warrior as could ever be, hurt for him, and you, and all of us who have lost a brother.

You wanna find out how critical an interpreter is, read Assassin's Gate.

Our troops have done it right. They deserve better than they're getting from this den of thieves.

I'll give our government 10,000 chances to get it right, but in order to get it right, they have to do something besides what they're doing. I guess you could say they're still on their first chance, and they desparately need a second. I want us to succeed in Iraq; the consequence of failure is too great to consider.

In spite of words to the contrary, it appears the White House is willing to consider it, though.

Agreed. There is a time and place, and this just ain't it folks.

Any time is a right time and place. Thats so more people will not be killed for nothing. We will leave Iraq. Its just a matter of when and how many more people have to die before dumb s..t Bush admits he Fu.ked up. Bush does not know what to do so he says keep doing what we are doing. In other words someone will have to clean up the mess he created. Thats the story of Bush's life. Read his life story. This will not end well under Bush. I will bet Bush now wishes he could put Saddam back in charge and say NEVER MIND. Funny how the number of troops we did not need in Iraq keeps going up.

David,

I'm usually on the same page with your thinking, but this time you're acting as vile as Fred Phelps. This is not the time. This is not the place. You're attending a wake and acting boorish. Stay out of things of which you have- obviously- no understanding.

I have a complete understanding of what is happening in Iraq. Hundreds die each day. What about them? Only people you know count right? I do not care what you guys think. To Bad. I only care for the next US soldier who will die for nothing. Go into mourning for that person and care for him.

You mourn none of them, the fact that you think that's a valid answer shows none of them are even human to you, you're just Phelps in drag.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your friend. Your words above say it all.

Stay safe, know you have our support!

I'll second that winston! David needs to learn some manners. No! No! David!

KT

Noonanda, I'm very sorry to hear about Tom. Tom's love for his country and his willingness to actively commit himself to helping his country is truly laudable.


This article is from one of the local newspapers in our area and I imagine Tom's reasons are probably not that much different than Fred's but Fred's story has a happier ending.

Freddy ended up in Apple Valley largely due to the efforts of Lt. Col. Michael Baumann who is now retired.

Relevant exerpts:

From March 2004 until February 2005, Freddie risked his life many times as Baumann’s interpreter. There was even an insurgent campaign to kill any Iraqis working with the Americans. Interpreters were special prizes. Freddie’s name hung on banners in Baghdad declaring the bounty for his head. Yet, despite the fact that many Iraqi volunteers abandoned the U.S. authorities, Freddie stayed on.

“You know you’re making a change and you look at what you’ve achieved. If you turn your back, who’s going to do it? Somebody has to step forward,” Freddie said.

“I know he didn’t have to do what he did, but I guess I thought he could see what tomorrow might look like in his mind’s eye and his commitment to that, that’s what was fueling him,” Baumann said. “He wanted to help change Iraq.”

<snip>

“After the war, hopes were high and we started seeing the American troops trying to interact with the community and trying to put the government back together. But, nobody would step in, everyone was afraid,” Freddie said.

Despite having to sever all ties with his family, Freddie was compelled to help the Americans.

“At 25, I knew absolutely nothing of freedom. There comes a point where all the chains are broken. There’s a hand, an American hand, reaching down saying help me help you. All of a sudden I get this chance, this hope I had lived for for 25 years,” he said. “Yeah, I’ll put my life on the line.”

<snip>

Freddie said he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see his family again. But then, he never in his life dreamed he’d be making a snow angel in America.

http://www.hometownsource.com/2006/april/4baghdad.html

So David, you want to name a better place to kill terrorists.

Would you like it better if we was killing them in New Jersey or Pennsylvania?

Then tell me where Bush Fu.ked up. Today marks 5 years since we were attacked on 9/11. In that 5 years Britains been attacked, Spain has been attacked, but the USA has not been attacked. Tell me all about how that is Fu.ked up.