Michelle Malkin: Blog, Soldiers, & The President's Speech

GOOD POST-CONVENTION READS

By Michelle Malkin · September 03, 2004 08:31 AM

Rush on the Moderate Myth.
Victor Davis Hanson on momentous months ahead.
Jim Geraghty at The Kerry Spot on the Dems' Ohio bloviations and other amusing observations.
Holzer and Holzer on Kerry's Silver Star "typo."
The New York Post op-ed page.
And, for sobering reminders of what has been happening outside of Madison Square Garden, the Belmont Club is covering the carnage in Russia. More at The Backcountry Conservative.

BLOG, SOLDIERS & THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH
By Michelle Malkin · September 03, 2004 03:34 AM

Some of the most moving moments of President Bush's convention speech this evening involved his remarks about our brave troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. In one passage, Bush mentioned a letter from an Army specialist:

Our troops know the historic importance of our work. One Army Specialist wrote home: "We are transforming a once sick society into a hopeful place ... The various terrorist enemies we are facing in Iraq," he continued, "are really aiming at you back in the United States. This is a test of will for our country. We soldiers of yours are doing great and scoring victories in confronting the evil terrorists."

That young man is right — our men and women in uniform are doing a superb job for America. Tonight I want to speak to all of them — and to their families: You are involved in a struggle of historic proportion. Because of your service and sacrifice, we are defeating the terrorists where they live and plan and making America safer. Because of you, women in Afghanistan are no longer shot in a sports stadium. Because of you, the people of Iraq no longer fear being executed and left in mass graves. Because of you, the world is more just and will be more peaceful. We owe you our thanks, and we owe you something more. We will give you all the resources, all the tools, and all the support you need for victory...

The letter writer that Bush cited was Army specialist Joe Roche, serving in the 16th Combat Engineer Battalion, who wrote a piece in April for The National Center for Public Policy Research titled "Keep the Faith: A Letter from Iraq" (also cross-posted on The National Center blog).

As the National Center recounts, Roche's piece was published as an op-ed by more than two dozen major newspapers including the Houston Chronicle, San Diego Union-Tribune and Sacramento Bee, and it and similar comments by Roche have been read aloud on-air by major talk hosts including Rush Limbaugh, Michael Reagan and Tony Snow. And now, by President Bush.

Roche's piece inspired nationwide blog activism, The National Center reported:
As a result of the essay, and thanks in large part to the efforts of talk radio hosts and more than 200 very supportive Internet blogs, a suggestion by Roche that care packages be sent to troops with extended deployments in Iraq resulted in a large number of such packages being sent.

As Roche wrote to talk radio host Kirby Wilbur of Seattle's KVI Radio, whose listeners were especially active in asembling and mailing care packages: "Many many care packages from the Washington state area arrived... some were even sent down in convoys to our soldiers deployed in Karbala and Najaf. I simply can't tell you how important and encouraging the packages were for the soldiers during those difficult months."
Amy Ridenour, The National Center's fabulous blogress, has further comments here.

The blogosphere has revolutioned the dissemination of information from the war front. Our troops have been able to publish their firsthand accounts unfiltered and unedited by the anti-Bush media. Military bloggers, both those serving overseas and those recently returned to the U.S., have lent us their invaluable insights (lists of military bloggers here and here). And soldiers can react immediately to the lies and propaganda being spread on their behalf.

In the same spirit of Joe Roche's letter, here is an excerpt from another soldier's letter that I read the other day on Jen Martinez's invaluable military blog:
We WANT to be here!
Ranger Randy White shares an email from a Soldier in Iraq:

Captain Ron Hayes in Iraq sent us his response to protesters at the GOP convention who want to "Bring our Boys Home!"

It has been interesting to follow the news reports from the Republican National Convention, to include the protests in New York by 10s of thousands of people. I am all for standing up for what you believe, which should include voicing your opinions against wars and against presidents, if that is your calling.

But, it really makes me mad when I see people with signs that say things like, "Bring our Boys Home!" There have been several pictures published of protesters carrying flag-draped coffins, and carrying these types of signs.

I have news for you.

The soldiers in Iraq, and Afghanistan do not want your sentiment, or your voice that would have the lives of those already lost dishonored by not finishing the job.

Regardless of how you feel about why we went to war, America made a commitment. It's time we see the job through to fruition. Lack of resolve by many U.S. citizens is the main reason for a lack of trust on the part of those being liberated.

Iraqi citizens are waiting for our resolve to crumble, and see us depart before adequate Iraqi security is established. Al Qaida does not have to beat America in a fight in order to win, they just have to get us to go home.

Ask yourself, what would happen to Iraq, if America were to take your misguided advice and went home before finishing the job?

So, put down your coffin ... put down your sign, and have some American resolve to finish the job we started. We have brought the fight to those who wish to bring the fight to American soil, and we are making great progress...
Captain Ron Hayes2nd BN 147th FASouth Dakota Army National GuardCedar II, Iraq
Bravo!

The New York Times would never have quoted Army specialist Joe Roche or Captain Hayes (yes, I checked) on its front page. But who needs the New York Times? As many of our outspoken men and women in uniform have discovered, they no longer need to depend on the mainstream media to get their message across to families, friends, and even the president. Thanks to the blogosphere, getting pro-America military voices heard is a mere mouse click away.