Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2007 > August > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSomething special will await tired Marine in Iraq
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
She kept her nephew stocked with snacks and sundries during his first tour of duty in Iraq.
That won’t be necessary this time around, but the prayers and wishes that he return home soon, in one piece, will be.
“He is on an air base and they have better amenities than before,” wrote Judy Wilkes of Lilburn in an e-mail. “So we don’t have to send food and all like before.”
I met Wilkes in December 2005, a few weeks before Christmas, at the post office off Britt Road.
She was in front of me, mailing a package to 1st. Lt. Matthew Reeves, her nephew. A Marine.
Wilkes, along with Reeves’ parents — Rhonda and Wayne Reeves of Scottsdale, Ariz. — kept the young man and his unit well stocked with supplies. Magazines, CDs, DVDs and Ramen noodles — anything that helped make time spent in the chaotic Middle East a little more palatable.
Here we are nearly two years later and we’re still entrenched in this invasion, occupation, democratization — whatever you prefer to call it — in Iraq. It’s been four years since this particular war on terror began. Long enough for facts behind the U.S.-led assault to change. Long enough for talk about Iraq policy, military troop surges and war progress reports to fuel a Beltway debate that basically pits pro-withdrawal politicians against colleagues who prefer to stay on task, finish the mission.
While the debate rages, though, the reality remains unchanged for enlisted service personnel.
Reeves, who is stationed at a military base in California, served seven months on his first tour. He returned to his wife, Danielle, in April 2006. This June, he was redeployed to the Anbar province.
He and his mother, Rhonda, spoke by phone last Sunday. They had great reception. It sounded as if he were right next door, not a cazillion miles away. The young man sounded tired, but cheerful, Rhonda Reeves told me in an e-mail.
“We talked about family,” she wrote. “He talked about his work and how hot it was in Iraq right now, about 120 degrees.”
She says her son has been unwavering in respect to the country’s mission in Iraq as well as the role he plays in trying to accomplish it.
“His take on the situation in Iraq is that the military is there to do a job, and that they will accomplish their mission,” Reeves said. “He thinks a lot of good has been done to help the Iraqi people.”
On the homefront, Danielle, his wife, copes.
“Matt’s wife is like many other military spouses,” Reeves said.
“Of course, she misses him, but she and so many other wives accept their husbands’ duties and support them. These spouses support each other and help out in any way they can. They are emotionally strong and handle their responsibilities with dignity as well as amazing grace.”
War supporters have been quick to label those who oppose the Iraq War as non-supportive of the U.S. troops deployed there. It’s as if the two can’t co-exist, like you can’t be against the war yet be for the armed forces. Like patriotism is, and should be, blind loyalty. Pure nonsense.
I, like a growing number of citizens on both sides of the political aisles, don’t have a problem with the soldiers. We have issues, though, with the American government that launched and is running this conflict.
Like Wilkes, l support and respect the troops, the job they’re doing. And I join her in wishing that they all come home, safely, soon.
“I wish that Matt had not had to go back again,” said Wilkes, an administrative assistant for Bradshaw, Pope & Franklin, an accounting firm in Norcross. “… My heart especially goes out to the families of the men and boys who never get home alive.”
Reeves, it is hoped, should be home by February or so.
When he returns, he’ll be welcomed by his wife and the family dogs — Riley and Ani. He’ll also be a first-time father.
Baby Girl Reeves is due sometime in January or December.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Rick Badie
Comments
By MrLiberty
August 17, 2007 9:41 PM | Link to this
I know this isn’t going to make me any friends, but I do not support the war or the troops who have volunteered to participate in it.
The case against the war is clearly obvious to anyone who gets their information from somewhere other than FOX news, but the argument against the soldiers may not be as clear.
Since the Vietnam war it has been clearly obvious that our government (under both parties) has no interest is maintaining a defensive force of military personnel. They both believe that there is no point in having a military if you are not going to use it. Anyone who volunteers for the military under the belief that they will get education, training, and will never be put in harm’s way except to defend the united states is sadly disillusioned. Panama, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Grenada, and all of the other non-newsworthy conflicts we have been involved in have involved political or business interests of the then-current administration, but have had nothing to do with the immediate security of the US. Anyone who had joined the military since 1975 should know better.
A small handful of soldiers have realized the error of their ways and the immorality of serving the empire in this war crime. They are paying for their mistakes honorably in military prison. They have my utmost respect. Of course I would rather have seen them never enlist. Others have not, and have simply served, hoped to keep their head low enough to get out alive, and never considered that there were alternatives to the immoral role they were playing.
Over 1.5 million innocent Iraqis were killed by our illegal sactions during the 90’s, and tens of thousands more from the bombs we dropped. As many as 100,000 or more are now dead because of our current intervention to illegally remove one man from office. If one cannot see the immorality of such behavior, then that is the bigger problem.
The men and women who choose - yes, freely choose to serve in our empire’s forward legions of conquest have a responsiblity to themselves and their humanity to examine what they are really getting themselves into before they sign on the dotted line. To think that the soldier in this story believes it is alright to bring a child into the world while he serves in this capacity only makes me wonder further about his sense of priorities.
If one is to feel anything for the men and women advancing the empire in Iraq and Afghanistan it is sadness for their inability to see how they have been used by a military/congressional/industrial complex that cares as little about them as it does about the innocent citizens consumed in their wars.
By Peachy
August 18, 2007 8:24 AM | Link to this
I support the troops. Every man in my family - both sides - is ex-military. My husband’s cousin just got back from a year in the sand, and thank God he’s getting out in about a month. I could not be more proud of them all for the sacrifices they have made for their country and for me.
However, I do not support their current Commander-In-Chief. I think he’s sneaky, foolish, and completely ignorant for what is good for our country’s morality, standard of living, or reputation on the world stage.
Support Our Troops; Impeach The President!
p.s. I am a registered voter and did cast my ballot every election since 2000 - so I have the right to complain!
By Peachy
August 18, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this
oops, I meant “…ignorant of what is good for our country’s morality…”
my bad :o)
By Fiddler
August 18, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this
MrLiberty, you make a level-headed and convincing case. It’s too bad dissent is viewed as unpatriotic by certain people in this country. Some of those that praise and pander to the soldiers are more interested in maintaining the status quo.
Peachy, my son enlisted in the Marines (against my wishes) and I worry about him every day. The lies and hypocrisy click here of this adminstration will never be atoned for however. The populace is more indignant about Mike Vick than they are about Iraq. That worries me alot.
By Michael H. Smith
August 18, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
It’s a little short of my September commitment to restrain myself on the subject of Iraq. After that, as promised to a certain Senator and more importantly, as conscience can no longer endure the silence of long-suffering for the good of those presently in harm’s way, duty demands of this citizen to again raise his voice publicly in outcry to the objectionable mentioned briefly, though, fervently shortly after “Mission Accomplished”; which was “the appropriate time” to have spoken out against the army of liberation becoming the army of occupation.
I will not defeat politically at home our military fighting abroad. However, their Commander in Chief is my President and the citizen is not held to observe a military code of conduct; it is rather Mr. Bush, our President, whose conduct is held answerable to us, the citizen. We the citizens are his “Commanders in Chief”. It is not our right to criticize President Bush; it is our very duty to criticize him and his service to the country.
I will not beleaguer the readers with further digressions, Mr. Badie. Suffice to say, the Iraqis have been given an opportunity purchased by blood – their’s and ours - to choose between the choice of tyranny or freedom.
A people who will not fight for their freedom and liberty do not deserve freedom or liberty.
The fight now belongs to the Iraqis.
By AV8R
August 18, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
Rick it appears that you have unleashed a bag of dung this time.The kids we send in harms way deserve better than these maggots are giving.You can tell Judy Wilks And Rhonda Reeves That Matts In our hearts and mind,Our prayers are for his comfort and safty, Semper Fi.
By Michael H. Smith
August 18, 2007 6:44 PM | Link to this
In deed, the kids sent do deserve better: Far better than Mr. Bush has given them and by many times far better than we have allowed him to do unto them.
I [Rick Badie], like a growing number of citizens on both sides of the political aisles, don’t have a problem with the soldiers. We have issues, though, with the American government that launched and is running this conflict.
We are in absolute agreement Mr. Badie.
By Jack
August 19, 2007 7:26 PM | Link to this
Mr. Bradie,
I am a former U.S. Marine and U.S. Army soldier. I did five years active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and 2 years active duty in the U.S. Army. I SUPPORT our troops everyday of my life. I tearfully cry for their safe return and know first hand of the tradedy of battlefield blood and death. I have personally attended funerals of my friends that did not make it back from Iraq. I got to look into the eyes of their parents and wife and tell them what a great lose they were to their country, their friends and their families.
I get on my hand and knees every Sunday at church and pray for a successful future end to this war in Iraq and pray that until then, that every American support the troops. God is the head commander of this war and with positive thinking Americans and alot of prayer we can and will emerge from this war with a successful outcome. Its not about will America win or lose this war. Its not about what political party makes the right decision. Its about helping another country, helping the Iraqie people, I guess you could call it being on a missionary retreat. Our military doesnt use language such as win or lose, we use words like help, freedom, love, praying to get rid of dictatorship and religous beliefs that bring bloodshed and death.
Everyone of my buddies that are still to this day serving in the military tell me I hope we dont pull out of Iraq, we have a missionary mission of forever changing the Iraq peoples lives for the better to complete, and I dont want to find my best friends life to be cut short and sent home in a box to be lost without a purpose and without the mission to be complete. We dont care who is President, all we care about is completing the mission.
Nobody except for those that have been called to war truly know the sacrifice, tears and blood it takes. To look into your wifes eyes, and your childs eyes, tendererly kiss your wife goodbye, board the plane knowing that your going to war and might not make it back. That you have kissed your wife and kids goodbye as they have tears running down thier faces and having your young 3 year old screaming dont leave, i love you daddy. It rips your heart and guts out and no matter how big of a man you think you are, you board the plane and begin to cry like you never have before, aching for the deployment to be over quickly and longing to hold your wife in your arms again and tuck your kids into bed agian. For thousands they did not get to do this. They died for America with only the mental pictures of their family and the pride of dying for their country. Death in combat and on the battlefield is real and so is the pain of missing your wife and children.
Support the troops even if you dont support the war. Mr. Liberty, your point of view sickens me but your entitled to your opionion. Myself and my fellow troops serve with pride and we truly serve to serve others.
By A Soldier's Wife
August 19, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this
I’m a spouse as well a former soldier. I gets so tired of people saying that you can’t oppose the war, yet support our troops! I support our troops everyday! I don’t believe in this war because we are burying soldiers every single day. Our great soldiers are dying for what, to help people who are killing their own people. I can see if we were protecting the U.S. from the insurgents, we are attempting to protect them from their own people. My hubsand has been gone two out of the four years that we have been together. American can’t save the world. Support our troops just not the war!
If anyone is offended I’m sorry but that is how many soldiers wives feel today. We are left with the pieces that they leave behind when they deploy.
By Bonedaddy
August 20, 2007 7:15 AM | Link to this
Semper Fi Marines! God speed to all soldiers. I support you ALL and the cause for which you are fighting and dying. My family loves all of you soldiers, and the families of the soldiers that are sacrificing so very much.
By Michael H. Smith
August 20, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
I hope you’ll broach this subject of Iraq once again after September Mr. Badie. I can’t speak as freely now, though, I’m twisting and turning to cut loose. While this surge, as it is called is on going in Iraq, it is a particularly sensitive time in military and psychological warfare terms. Mr. Bush is the object of my discontent NOT the fighting men and women who can only follow his orders; nor is my descent even against the idea that sometimes “war” is unavoidable. Where the troops can’t speak in their own defense, I can. For it is the duty of every U.S. citizen to defend and protect this country. As some valiantly do so often abroad with rifle in hand, the others must in no less intense manner serve at home in voice and with pen in hand.
To “A Soldier’s Wife” and to the mothers and families of all whose treasures now serve in the military, you have my support too. And soon you will have my full voice unrestrained.
Like rest of you, I’ve got folks in the fight as well and to them and to this country I remain, Semper Fidelus.
By curmudgeon
August 20, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this
Jack It is Mr Badie not Bradie, ya dipshyt!