I guess that I have a different view of the War and the Politics behind it, I can see both sides and being in conflicts of gun battles, being shot at (when i was a boy-19) at first I was scared as hell wondering if I was going to die a painful death, and then I wondered why I was there, and then I got mad because some Cuban was trying to kill me and I did nothing to him. Then the thought I am disgracing my uniform,country and the marine corps. because I'm hiding like a mouse instead of fighting like I was trained to do, then when the shooting stopped I gathered the courage to look and see where the shots came from, then with out thinking my training took over and I laid down a barrage of gun fire so that we could get in a better place to fight. After that day and all the thoughts, emotions cleared, I realised I was now a man, trapped in a kids body,old enough to die for my country fighting for rights and freedom, but yet I could not go home and had a stinking beer, The up side to this is that as the transformation from boy to man was visibly seen and felt, kind of like closing the chapter on one story and opening one on another adventure, in this one gets to see the big picture of a war, not the one sidedness of politics or media.

Denzil Washington

you hear of all the movie stars on the front page news adopting baby's from a third world country, but NOT one word, even on the third page, about the aselfless act of one man in hoolywood, no news reporters or cameras, as he toured a VA hospital in texas that takes care of the wounded vets from the war, he asked how much does it cost to build more care centers, when he was told he took out his check book and wrote a check rite there on the spot, he asked for no recogntion,just to serve and care for the vets that unselfishly served our country,

The good side.

Everything and every one has a good side, on the tv,radio,and news papers they report 90 percent bad or negative news, what about all the good, is our society that demented that all we care about is the bad,gory or negative? lets take the war for example, we don't hear about the solder that took a bullet for a little Iraqi girl/boy, or the dedication our young boys and girls putting forth to seeing that the war stays over there, as to see it won't come home here to their families and loved ones, you may think I don't have a child there or going there, well I do, and I am damn proud of my son wanting and willing to serve his country instead of sitting at home in mommy and daddy's basement playing video games, yes I'm scared for he is my only son, but my being proud and supportive of him and his disision to serve this great nation, and all the young people of our armed forces, I look at this war in the eyes of the good people in Iraq, lets say we had a president (dictator) and he was killing thousands of people, raping and torchering, and we were unable to stop him, so a country comes to our rescue and removes him from power, I would be so grateful to have my freedom back, as to where the war is politically, that's due to corrupt governments all the way around, to date we have lost about 4,000 men and women in this war, that is damn little compared to WWII where we would lose 20,000 - 50,000 in a single battle, Korea 10,000 - 15,000 , Vietnam 5,000 - 10,000 so compared to 4,000 in 4 yrs! GET THE HELL OVER IT!! it could be worse, the medical advancements is out of this world, starting at the Civil War medical improvement took off, plastic surgery,prosthetics, vaccinations and so on, granted killing has being perfected to this day, but with weapons comes responsibility, that is why you will see solders take a bullet, jump on a grenade, and risk there lives to save the lives of others,