Cleared this with GB, so here goes...
Got another email, by the way of his Pa this time, from a friend serving in Iraq.
Lars' Pa is with the Department of Defense and will begin a 6 month tour in Iraq in December. Yes, they will both be in-country at the same time.
If you want to send this young warrior and his troops a care package send me PM. I will provide his mailing address by PM. There is not much to send packages for them to arrive before Christmas. I can also provide an idea of what they can use.
Lars is a Contender man and here is the post...
Hi Family,
I've sent you guys two messages in the last two days that froze as I sent them, maybe they made it through to you? I got Linds package, and grandmas, and one from you too, Mom. The last 10 days over here have been very exciting and very rewarding. About a week ago they blew up a bridge we normally use to get into our zone about 2 minutes after we crossed, using a truckfull of explosives. The fireball was hundreds of feet high. Then I got in a night time firefight. We didn't kill the bad guys, but we got their car full of weapons. Then a few nights later we caught 2 carloads (9 guys) of badguys with weapons. There was a 15 year old kid with them, who claimed to be hitchhiking. Then I found a bayonet in his belt and a hand grenade in his pocket. We've found IEDs, mortars, machine guns, aks, RPGs, and grenades by the score. This is what I came to do, and it is giving me a great feeling of efficacy. We also found some IEDs before they could be blown. I don't want you guys to worry, but I want you to know we are doing good things over here. Now I know I have made a difference that will save American and Iraqi lives. Oh, guess what the latest nasty trick by the enemy is? They have started handing out super realistic toy guns to children, hoping that Americans will mistake them for real weapons and shoot a child. I have seen some of the replicas, and from 10 feet or more away, its impossble to tell them apart. Many soldiers think that Iraqis are dumb, but that perception is just a language and cultural barrier fueled by ignorance on both sides. Any propaganda campaign as ruthless as that requires cunning, intelligence, and the will to comletely disregard the safety of children. That is the type of enemy we face, and we can't underestimate them. I love you guys very much, and can't wait to see you. Love,
Lars
