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Hugh Hewitt posts an astounding memorial letter to 1st Lt. Joshua Palmer:

He was so proud to go to Iraq. The same as when he had vowed to help the Mexican children, and the Chinese children, he felt that he could now help the Iraqi children. The week before Josh was killed, he had requested special permission to stay another year in Iraq. He didn’t want to leave until the work was done. He loved the kids there. He wrote home, asking for candy and toys, because he loved giving it to the kids and watching them smile. Every night, he ate dinner with Iraqi families. He loved them, and they loved him. He believed in what we are doing there. He told my cousin Laura that he wanted these children to have the chance to grow up with democracy, the way he did, so that they would have an honest chance of making their lives better. “Josh was exceptionally passionate about service to his country” was the way that one of his best friends, Ryan Hansen described him. Josh had a deep seated belief that the military had a benevolent purpose in the development of countries. One of his favorite books, Starship Troopers, talks about the military’s role in society. Dominic, when asked to describe why Josh had joined the Marine Corps., said, “He was a great student of history and he thought that it was warriors that make countries strong and prosperous.”

What an amazing fellow; you need to read the entire letter. To commemorate Veteran's Day and this story I'd like to reprint something that I wrote back in April, when I first unknowingly featured the picture of Lt. Palmer's men praying above his body:

The news from Iraq has been so relentless yet muddled that I can't even distinguish a clear narrative from the situation. But at least once a day, usually when I hear about the highly professional cordon-and-destroy operations in Fallujah, or any of the casualty reports, I get hit with a wave of emotion that cuts straight through the clutter.

First comes sadness about the loss of guys that come from this country; men that made the choice to die in the dirt in some backwater locale like Iraq. My mind tells me that these losses are acceptable and part of the bargain that we strike to build a better society, but my heart feels pain and guilt about the brutality that they face in my stead. I'm not sure that the average American even partially grasps what it must be like to defy modern weapons: high explosives, automatic gunfire, grenades, little pieces of metal shrapnel flying through the air, all of it possessing the ability to effortlessly pass through fragile human flesh to horrible effect. I can't fathom how anyone can carry themselves in such an environment. And it fills me with grief to think that these guys who were raised in the same bubble that I was, with largely the same opportunities, are getting killed and maimed by the dozens.

Which is the point at which the next emotion comes in: pride. Tremendous, jingoistic, unadulterated pride. People of my generation haven't exactly embraced unironic heroes, the type of folks worshipped for larger than life deeds - but now we should seize the opportunity. All politics aside - everyone should be amazed by Americans that choose to fight and die, and comport themselves with more compassion and efficiency than any other armed force on earth. It's so historically odd how modern America has been brainwashed out of equating patriotism with any jingoism; how we have transitioned from a society that celebrates warriors into one that doesn't quite know what to make of them. It may be different in fly-over country, but I could easily walk into any bar or office in DC and find a significant number of people that look at the actions of our war-fighters with disinterest, distaste or outright scorn. There's a Kos around every corner.

But I can't fathom any of that. I'm simply blown away by the men and women that are fighting over there. They animate cliched sentiments that hibernate in times of peace and irony; they so often give us the gift of something noble to venerate. Support them. Support their sacrifice. Support their mission by talking about them, by talking with friends about the war, by trying to reason with those that don't understand how vital their mission is and think that their sacrifices are a waste. The true test of a successful society lies in the strength of its defenders and how its citizenry rises to the challenges to its existence. The military has the first element covered; the second part of the bargain is our role in the fight. Blog, write, discuss, argue; struggle to nurture this pride in our warriors and maintain the popular support needed to finish this job. Because if we leave Iraq before the mission is done, we devalue the dead and shame ourselves.

They make us proud; let's return the favor.

Posted by Bill at November 11, 2004 02:08 PM | TrackBack (6)

Comments

Posted by: pickled_shuttlecock at November 11, 2004 02:48 PM

Posted by: Just Me at November 11, 2004 03:26 PM

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Posted by: Salt Lick at November 12, 2004 11:18 AM

Posted by: Lola at November 12, 2004 03:13 PM