[QuarterBoreGunner]

From Kuroshin.com (http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/3/20/95334/1309)

There is a long tradition of military commanders giving final words of encouragement to their troops before battle.

Below is a speech given by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment.

It seems somewhat ironic to me that our military leaders appear to be more eloquent, and have a better understanding of the meaning of what they are doing, than the politicians who instruct them in our name.




"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country.
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.

As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.

Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of
the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.

You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.

You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.

If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.

Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves."


My God, I can't even put into words how moved I am right now. Truly, the soldier and the men that are in command are the finest example of all that is great about humanity.
Damn.

[Bulldozer]

That was magnificent. That speech embodies all that is noble and courageous in a soldier. Bravo and Hoo-Rah!

[BigG]

Hear, hear! :)

[Blackhawk]

Outstanding, Colonel!

[Drjones]

*chills*


Thank you for posting that.

[Quartus]

http://www.thehighroad.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

A true warrior.

[sm]

Awesome !

[Ian]

We go to liberate not to conquer.
Too bad his commanders don't have the same goals. Bush and Blair don't even know what it means to liberate someone.

[F4GIB]

He's still incorrect about the flag.

It is wrong to ask soldiers to die for a flag they can't fight under.

In no prior war have US troops been treated this way.

[seeker_two]

Interesting sentiment except for one thing...

The Flag of the United States of America has represented freedom, liberation, and generosity for as long as it has flown. Everyone in the world knows this. Every nation knows the dream on which the USA is built.

NOT flying our flag betrays those ideas far more than flying it would.

[buzz_knox]

Bush and Blair don't even know what it means to liberate someone.

Those Afghanis who no longer face imprisonment or death for listening to the music of their choice or not complying with the Taliban's social mores might strongly disagree with you. Or have you forgotten them so soon.

[danny]

As I see it, soldiers can go into battle flying their flag. It's the hoisting up of your flag, on their flagpole, in place of their flag, that is a symbol of conquest and highly inappropriate in this case.

[Blackhawk]

Those are the rules of engagement. If any of the Marines or soldiers don't like them, they can take advantage of the out the colonel mentioned:Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.

[J Miller]

Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of
the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham.

I didn't know this. Duh, now I feel real ignorant.
Great speech, chills down my back. This is good and wise man.

God speed.

[Ian]

buzz_knox - There are plenty of people prosecuted in this nation for harmless violation of social mores too. The people imprisoned for plant possession would agree with me, I think. As would those arrested by the FBI on secret warrants. And the multitudes arrested for every other victimless crime we have legislated into existence. Machinegun possession, short rifle possession, consentory sex, unlicensed concealed carry, drug sales, and life knows how many grotesque state laws. As long as the Feds punish people for these things, they are patently unfit to talk about liberating anyone else.

That said, Lt Col Collins couldn't be operating under a better mindset. I hope all the other unit commanders feel the same way.

[DeltaElite]

Well said Colonel. :D

[buzz_knox]

So the fact that things aren't as free as we want, or as they should be, here somehow justifies your slander against two people who helped create a level of freedom in another country infinitely greater than they had before?

[Crimper-D]

Splendid sentiments.
Sounds like Douglas McArthur.:)

[Double Naught Spy]

danny gets it!

I don't think many of you fully understand the complexities of hoisting a flag up the flag pole on Iraqi soil by Americans or Brits. The reason it is not supposed to happen has nothing to do with the commands horrible treatment of our shoulders and not letting the fight under our flag. That is completely wrong and not relevant. It has to do with expressed opposition by other Arab countries that perceived the actions of the US and England as being one of agression and occupation of Iraq. The allied forces have worked very hard to stress that they have no intent of taking over Iraq as some sort of colony and that there is a very limited battle plan. Some Arab countries have been very distrustful of the allied troops and so as a means to not give the impression that we are still Muslim, oil rich lands in Iraq, the easiest and most visible manner is to not hoist flags up flagpoles of defeated areas. Raising the flag over those areas will be seen in a very poor manner and could be quite problematic in dealing with the rest of the Muslim world.


seeker_two, you obviously have no idea what the American flag stands for to those in countries who don't like the US. They don't see it as freedom and they sure as hell don't see it as generosity any more than they see themselves as the bad guys that need to be dealt with by the Americans. They see themselves as the good guys and the Americans as the bad guys and quite unfortunately, to a certain extent we have been a whole lot less than kind and generous in the places we have invaded. We are hardly an army of Gentleman Soldiers.

[bad_dad_brad]

Using General MacArthur is a good example, as he allowed the Japanese to keep their emperor and traditions and was a benevolent governor after their defeat.

We are kicking their (the Iraqi's) butts, but there is no need to rub their noses in it. It is enough to defeat an enemy, but to humiliate him breeds revenge. Just look at the Allies treatment of the Germans after WWI, and that drubbing helped Hitler come to power with the resulting WWII.

After this is all over, we need to lift the average Iraqi up, help him to become middle class, give him the vote, and he will be our friend. Throwing our flag in his face won't accomplish that goal. A true American, whether soldier or civilian, does not need to wave his/her flag to be proud, but need only live by his/her principles to influence by example.

[Lone_Gunman]

As far as I can tell, most of the Iraqi population is saying...

"Please, save us from Saddam, but don't fly your flag or eat bacon while you do it."

Kind of a picky bunch, really.

[Blackhawk]

"Please, save us from Saddam, but don't fly your flag or eat bacon while you do it."
Overstated.

More like "Please, save us from Saddam, but don't rape my sister or do something else to make me hate you while you do it."

And they're not saying it.

We're saying our ROE are to not inadvertently do things to make them hate us while we save them from Saddam.

That's been SOP for the American military for a LONG time. The Germans in Berlin KNEW they did NOT want to surrender to the Russians and desperately tried to make their way to the Americans to surrender.

The Iraqis have known nothing but the arbitrary and capricious brutality of Saddam for at least a generation, and they've heard nothing but evil lies about Americans for many years from nearly every medium available to them. We are not what they've been told, and we should not appear to be, even if it's a misconception.