Sometime in the near future I will be going to my new base. They say change is good right? We shall see... Home is closer each day but some how it still seems like a lifetime away. Here is my new address
Sgt Zachary Scott-Singley
B Co 1-3 BTB 3ID
FOB SPEICHER
APO, AE 09393
All of you out there who read my blog, I want you to take care and I give you my thanks for your time and comments. When I first started writing I never thought that anyone but my friends and family would read. Again, Take Care
19 comments:
Hello, Sgt. Zach!
Did the package from Japan ever make its way to you? Thanks for the new address. It's a bit hectic now, but will try to surprise you with something fun soon!
I hope you have a safe move, Zach.
Take care --
Take good care Zach, My love and best wishes to you and your family.
Goodluck on the move. Keep us in touch.
Chrys
Zach,
With luck, inshallah, you'll be back in the U.S. and able to join the anti-war movement, help protest this war, call for the impeachment of the criminals in the white house, and somehow help make restitution (although - and I realize that this is not a simple decision - I still wish that american soldiers in Iraq would lay down their arms in protest). As one black woman at the D.C. rally put it, "No Iraqi Left me on a Rooftop to Die."
to those iraqis reading, please know that there are many of us living in the belly of the beast who opposed and continue to oppose the invasion and occuaption of Iraq. It is clear to us that this war based upon lies is one of imperialism with a goal of economic and military control. Thus, we have seen the installation of a puppet Iraqi government, torture of prisoners, killing of tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians by American troops, defense of the oil ministry (what a surprise), staging of events such as the piece of theater in which Saddam's statue was torn down, and in recent days a so called Iraqi constitution ultimately produced by a small oligarchy under american pressure and direction. Where is the Iraqi Congress? Oh right, they are not in session, will not vote on the latest draft, and most iraqis will never even have a chance to read it.
As to the ugly American history in Iraq, will the complicity of Bush Sr, Rumsfeld and company come out in Saddam's trial? Why aren't they being tried along side Saddam. They supported him for long years during which he (and they by their support) committed terrible crimes.
The summary: an ugly history of U.S. imperialism, lies, fixed intelligence, a president and defense sec. who won't ban and thus give every indication of supporting torture. Well I guess moral values don't fare too well in the face of greed and sancitmonious theocratic (as in Christian Coalition) thinking.
Thus, we protest, march, go to D.C. to demonstrate, write letters, call Congressmen... As the bumper stickers on my car say, "Impeach" and "Out of Iraq Now."
stephan
(jewish american writing on yom kippor - the day of atonement)
Hi Zach! Although I am believe in different politics (we had our lil discussion on a bike ride with our spouses and kiddos), I totally want you guys home! Every day is closer to the day our family will be together, I know Tara will be SO happy to have you back! April or May 2006, hopefully, we will be moving to Ohio and Rob will have a more normal life as a husband and dad as a civilian. We are blessed to be Americans to have the freedom to voice our anti-war opinions because of the way our country is run!
Dear Zach,
I hope you're not moving to Syria or Iran!
Hang in there.
Zach, Stay safe & I hope you keep writing about your experiences. Personally I look forward to your blogs. Can anyone write you? also, do you need anything that we can send to you?
H
by the way, I don't know if you follow baseball or not but we are in the playoffs right now. Houston vs. St. Louis & Anaheim vs. white sox.
H
Hey Zach,
I'm still checking your blog everyday. Stay safe. You'll be home soon. Your coming around the home stretch now. Keep writing to us. My bumper sticker reads support the troops, bring them home! We support you! I knew this war was wrong from the get go, no one would listen. Maybe they will listen to you.
Peace,
Margie from New York
Common sense?! Hurria! My dear! Didn't you hear? Common sense died with the last century.
Take care Zach.
All the luck for you and your wife and children.
Respect and greetings from Holland
Jan
Stephan,
I'll be in DC this January and will be participating in some of the protests there myself. I'm a soldier who served in Iraq. However, you may be saddened to know that I'll be on the other side of the street that you're on. I'm in support of this war. We did the right thing. You'll also find that the vast majority of soldiers that have been there do too. Why do you think reenlistments are going so well among deployed soldiers?
So, make sure you say hi to me while you're out there on the "other side" and I'll do the same.
Oh, and Zach. Take care and good luck.
cj,
Why do I think reenlistments are doing so well among deployed soldiers? Ever heard of a tax-free bonus? Almost got me. Luckily for everyone I came back before my window opened, so there went that idea. And did you know that a voluntary extention counts as a reenlistment by the command? Soldiers who are scheduled to be in Iraq past their ETS think, "well hell, I'm gonna be here anyway. May as well be eligible for promotion - I'll extend for the length of the tour + a few months." Then the command chuckles because they're bulking up their stats without having to commit to anything other than continue to pay a soldier they would had to have anyway. My former platoon was 60/40 liberal and 70/30 against the war. Guess we weren't part of this "vast majority" you speak of. But congrats on being involved in protests - it makes me happy to see people actually care about things and use those freedoms I defended. Are you out? If ya are, once again congrats. Feels good to breathe civilian air again, doesn't it?
Nope, I'm still active duty. And I'm talking about returning soldiers, not soldiers who are still deployed, though that counts for a lot reenlistments too. However, no one's putting a gun to their head to reenlist and they do it anyway. Regardless of the reason, they're still reenlisting.
Anyway, one day I'll be a civilian and I'll enjoy my job at the Taco Bell drive thru. No responsibility, no early morning formations, and no officers to deal with.
CJ: In our unit, the biggest cause for reenlistment was a desire to _avoid_ Iraq. Between August '03 to July '04, every single person who reenlisted in our company went to Meade, Gordon, or some other non-deployable strategic unit, and most of them would have been stoplossed and stuck here for OIF3 if they hadn't reenlisted. Just FYI
Reenlisting to avoid going back to Iraq and a sense that the war is wrong are different. Let's face it, war isn't pretty and it's not something many people WANT to do. I work with many people who wouldn't volunteer to go back and would fight every effort to return. But, they believe in what we're doing there regardless. They've just been through stuff they don't want to go through again.
Then there are people like me who don't learn from their experiences and have volunteered three times to go back. I don't think there were many days that went by when I wasn't shot at or was almost blown to bits. I didn't join the Army to sip tea and enjoy sitting on the sidelines (though that's what I'll be doing when I get to Meade). But, I'll protect freedom to the death. That's what a military is for.
During the last three years I have been wondering where all the old Vietnam war protesters went. Where did they go? Has anybody else asked the same question?
I now realize the many suburban white collar war hawks of today where the college student war protesters of yesterday. I know many of them. Their poster boy is an ex-Hofstra University Vietnam War protest organizer turned ultra right wing hawk. His name is Norm Coleman (Senator from MN). His pictures from the 1960's with long scraggily hippy hair are truely ironic (and a bit scarey!). This is the guy who shouted obscenities in a bullhorn about Nixon. Now he kisses up to hardcore prowar politicians like Santorum (R-PA)
These armchair generals can play war with no risk to their own bald heads and beer guts.
Is their hawkishness due to the guilt that they (mostly privileged whites) now have because they got to stay home while their blue collar peers slogged through the jungles of Vietnam?
I grew up a blue collar farm kid amongst many war vets (including my family). They never or rarely discussed what they went through in WW2 or Korea or Vietnam. Nearly 100% of the farm familes in my neighborhood had some connection to the post WW2 military at some point.
Now I live in the suburbs amongst many pro-war white collar Republicans. Their hawkishness makes me sick to my stomach. I also notice they make no attempts to get their kids to join up.
And those farmers I grew up with? A very strong majority were Democrats (about 70-30).
Bring back the draft and this war ends next Tuesday (Maybe Wednesday at the latest).
I love you zach email me soon and travel safely
love,
lil sis
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