Stories From The Front Line

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Narrated by Gary Sinise

WWII in HD follows 12 men and women into the actual conflicts - from the Pacific Theater and North Africa to the prison camps and battlefields of Europe.

To view the Operation Gratitude-History Partnership Video Trailer: WWII in HD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHoGbR8sd1s&feature=channel_page

Lifting for the fallen

Oct. 26, 2007; Submitted on: 10/26/2007 02:09:52 PM ; Story ID#: 2007102614952
By Staff Sgt. F.B. Zimmerman, MCB Quantico

Andrew Farrar Sr. attempts to break his own deadlift world record at the Amateur Athletic Union’s World Powerlifting Championships in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month. Farrar was lifting in memory of his son, Sgt Andrew Farrar Jr., who was killed in Iraq in 2005. Joining Farrar was Col. Richard Anderson, MCB Quantico’s Security Battalion commanding officer, who was the younger Farrar’s CO at the time of his death

Hello, I just want to take this time to thank you for thinking of us that are serving this great country in a far off land.   We are part of the Combined Task Force Chamberlain that is named after the great civil war leader and former Governor of the great state of Maine, Joshua Chamberlain.   Our task force consists of two active Army Airborne Engineer Battalions out of Fort Bragg, NC, and a contingency of South Korean and Polish Engineers.  We also have a de-mining attachment, which consists of an Australian major and representatives of our task force.  I am the paralegal for the task force, and my job is to support men in a leadership position with matters pertaining to military justice.  You might not be aware this, but Afghanistan is one of the most mined countries in the world, and our country is working hard to rid this country of this danger. 

Our task force is also responsible for building roads and helping with the reconstruction of this beautiful country called Afghanistan.  Perhaps our most important mission is keeping the roads clear of improvised explosive devices and other such explosive devices, so that coalition forces can travel freely and continue to bring the message of freedom to the people of this country.  The improvement of the roads are essential in that it helps with the commerce of goods, enables people to travel much easier, and helps us bring the fight to the enemy.   There is so much more work to be done here, like bringing electricity to the people, and most importantly assisting them with providing security.  This country has literally been devastated by decades of war.  Everything needs rebuilding and improving -- the educational system, the Army, the police forces, the government, etc.    We have made great progress, but there is still so much that needs to be done.  I guess the big question is why Afghanistan? 

In order to appreciate what we are doing here you must understand a little of this county’s history.  As you well know, the Afgan people fought the Russians for their liberty for a decade.  We supported the Afgan people along with the Saudis during this conflict.  When the Russians were finally chased out here, a great void was created.  With no viable Government to govern this newly freed nation, the Warlords became the new bosses on the block.  Chaos ensued and then came the Taliban.  The Taliban is an extremely fundamental Islamic movement that is currently waging a guerrilla war against the Afghanistan Government.   When the Taliban initially invaded Afghanistan the Afghan people were happy, because they chased many of the Warlords out and brought peace.  However, it wasn’t long before the people of Afghanistan saw their true colors, and came to despise their new masters.  The Taliban soon established their brutal ways and tried to eliminate the culture of an ancient people.  They didn’t allow woman to leave their homes without completely covering themselves, and essentially denied the women as well as the general population many basic human rights.   The tried to eliminate completely the Afgan culture and way of  life – no pictures of loved ones hanging in the house, no listening to native music, no flying of kites, no shaving of beards, etc.  The Taliban was a brutal regime, and worst of all they provided shelter and aid to Al-Quieda.  

More importantly, however, up until our invasion this country was used freely as a training ground for thousands of Islamic militants that despised the western world, desiring to establish the Islamic Caliphate of old that once ruled the known world.  You know the rest of the story – 9/11 ensued, we asked the Taliban to give up Al Quieda, but the Taliban refused to break ties with those responsible for the attack of America saying Al Quieda was wrongfully implicated.  Consequently, we invaded Afghanistan, bombed many of the suspected Al Quieda training facilities and chased the Taliban across the border to Pakistan, where they continue to make their forays into Afghanistan in a vain attempt to gain back what they lost.  You see, Afghanistan was just the beginning of the larger plan for a new world that be subjected to the will the extreme Islamofascist.  However, they made the same mistake the Japanese did during WWII.  They mercilessly attacked us without provocation, and awoke the sleeping giant.  

I just had to provide a little background, so you completely understand why we are here.  Here we must make our stand, and here we must win.  Rest assured we are still fighting the Taliban and their foreign coalition.  They have not gone away, nor will they go away for many years to come.  Until then we will continue to help build the Army and Police Force of Afghanistan as well as a completely decimated infrastructure.   This country is so far behind it is just incomprehensible.  We build schools for the kids continuously because they have none.  Unfortunately, in a lot of cases as we build the schools so children can learn, but the Taliban come right behind us and burn them down.  They don’t want the kids to learn secular subjects like science, math and history.  They only want them to learn their extreme form of Islam, one that teaches a hate for the Western World.  I could go on and on, but that would take another page or two.  However, people need to know what we are up against.  This is an extremely important mission here in Afghanistan, and it is important that the American people not only support the troops, but also what the United States of America, NATO and the moderate Islamic nations that are trying to eliminate this threat.  Like I said, this war on terrorism, much like the war on fascism and communism before it, is here for the long haul.  It seems there is always someone opposed to freedom and the values that we cherish.  It has been said that this is the war of this generation.  I truly believe that.  I also strongly believe that is why the support of the American people is what is needed most in this war. 

Therefore, keep up the support.  I just want to let you know that your efforts of support do not go unnoticed.  Everything you send goes to use in some form or fashion.  It’s not what is in the box or letter that matters most.  It is the thought that counts.  It is what is in the heart of the American people.  We are a great nation, and we want to do what is right for the world.  Yes, sometimes our leaders mess things up, but it is us, the people, who in the end get the ship headed in the right direction.  Rest assured, we are doing the right thing in Afghanistan.  We might not be able to answer every letter, respond to every package, but we do appreciate your support.  You don’t know how many strangers have come up to me and thanked me for serving this great country while traveling through airports.   I have even seen people stand up in the Airports and applaud troops when they walk by.  It means a lot and I am grateful.  We are all grateful, so keep the faith and hang in there, and continue to support us and don’t forget to continue to support the great U.S.A., in spite of the bad decision our leaders sometimes make.  

In retrospect, we will all look back and know that we did the right thing to fight this evil that wants to take away all we live for and believe in.  Remember, freedom is not free!  Hundreds of thousands of great American heroes have died in foreign lands to make this country what it is today.  Therefore, the next time you drive to work in the morning or head to school look around and be grateful that you can do so freely without fear of someone trying to do you harm because you believe in freedom.  What other country can you live in where you have a right to pursue happiness?  Only in America, baby!   Americans always try to the right thing, and doing the right thing cannot be a bad thing, so do your thing man, and we’ll do our thing and together we’ll get this thing worked out. 

Sincerely, SSG E.W. 

Dear Friends,  
I normally don’t do “form letters,” but I am so busy these days that this is the only way I can keep in touch with you.  I have now been in Afghanistan for two months and I thought I would take a few minutes to let you know what I’ve been up to.   For starters, let me tell you why – after four and half years – your military is still fighting in Afghanistan.   

The United States and our Coalition allies are fighting two groups of people in Afghanistan today.  The first and main group is the Taliban (“the Purists”), militant Muslim fundamentalists.  In short, they believe that Muslims should live their lives today just as the Profit, Mohammed, did in the 9th Century.  The second, much smaller group we’re fighting, is al-Qaeda ("The Base," in Arabic), which is a worldwide network of terrorists, formerly led by Osama bin Laden, who are bent on attacking the US and its Western allies because of our status in the world today, our continuing support of Israel, and also because they consider the United States and the West in general to be decadent and a threat to Islam.  As you know, bin Laden planned and coordinated the attacks of September 11th from his then-base in Afghanistan.  In October 2001, the US and our partners in the Coalition attacked al-Qaeda and the Taliban government giving them sanctuary. By late November, the enemy was defeated, but bin Laden and many of his supporters escaped to neighboring Pakistan, and many others went into hiding in the outer tribal regions of Afghanistan.  It is these remnants that US Soldiers are fighting today.

The US and our Coalition partners have three primary missions in Afghanistan: 1) Destroy the remnants of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban operating today in Afghanistan; 2) Continue to help the new government of Afghanistan to establish democratic institutions that will lead to long-term stability here (this involves a great deal of humanitarian assistance programs, such as building schools, roads, hospitals, etc); and 3) Train and equip a professional Afghan National Army and Police so that they can defend their country against Muslim extremists and terrorists.  

I live on Camp Eggers, a small US camp in Kabul, the capitol of Afghanistan.  Our camp is named after a Special Forces officer who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2002.  I am the Director of Public Affairs for the Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan.  Our command is called "Combined" because it has Soldiers from countries other than the US.  CFC-Afghanistan has about 23,000 Soldiers from the US, Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, and a few other European countries.  As the Director of Public Affairs, I am responsible for all of the Coalition’s public communications – press releases, press conferences, etc.  I oversee the communications of about 80 public affairs Soldiers at several locations around the country.  My job involves a great deal of coordination with the government of Afghanistan, and the US State Department and Department of Defense.  Public communications is a sensitive mission in Afghanistan because the Taliban do their best to misconstrue what the Coalition is doing in Afghanistan.  To say the least, I stay very busy here.  

One of the great things about my job is that I frequently travel around Afghanistan with our 3-star Commanding General  I have seen some of the most beautiful places this country has to offer, but I have also seen some places that I never want to see again.  The one message that I would like to share with you is that your Soldiers are doing magnificent work here.  Despite what you may see on TV or read in the newspaper, Afghanistan is not falling apart.  We have big challenges here, but the fact is that we are killing and capturing a great deal of the enemy, and Afghanistan is slowly but surely making progress towards a stabilized country.  Some of the Soldiers I meet are absolutely amazing.  I recently visited US Soldiers at one of our camps near the border with Pakistan.  This is an area of intense enemy activity.  The driver of the vehicle I was riding in was a “kid” of about 23, assigned to the 2^nd Battalion, 87^th Infantry Regiment, 10^th Mountain Division.  He had been in the Army for four years and had just re-enlisted.  He was on his third deployment (two previous tours in Iraq, and now he was two months into a year-long deployment to Afghanistan).  He had been wounded twice in Iraq and had spent a total of four months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.  Even though he has come close to death twice, he told me that he loved what he was doing.  I was humbled by this young man’s devotion to duty and willingness to endure great physical hardships.  Life at the tip of the spear is indeed very tough, but this kid had no second thoughts about the life he has chosen.    

Well, I guess I will sign off for now.  I hope each of you is doing well.  On behalf of all the American troops serving here, I want to thank you for your support.  Regardless of your personal views on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I know that we have your support and that you think of us often.  
Sincerely,  
T.C. Col., U.S. Army, Afghanistan

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