On Duty In Fallujah
Ralph Peters spoke with several Marines from the 1st Platoon, Fox Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines in Fallujah, Iraq recently. Today he writes about them and how they feel about their mission.
You'd expect complaints. I didn't hear one. And talking to three Jersey boys, I was surprised to hear just how positive they felt about the mission.
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Lance Cpl. Justin Blitzstein of West Milford told me. Self-assured and ready for anything, he added, "Anybody who doesn't think we should be here should see the difference we've made in the way these people live. And everybody here's a volunteer. We want to be here."
Lance Cpl. Jason Hetherington of Cape May County leapt in, "The progress from us being here [in the police precinct] less than six months is unbelievable. People who don't think we're making a difference should just see what we do."
A thoughtful man, Hetherington paused to choose his next words. "We were surprised that it wasn't a combat situation in Fallujah anymore. It's rewarding to see the kids out in the streets and the shops open."
Blitzstein nodded. "We were amazed at how easy it was when we moved in. We were the first Marines thrown into the meat grinder, right in the middle of Fallujah, but it worked out. It was good planning on somebody's part."
How do they cope with the tough living conditions and cramped quarters? The Marines built themselves a workout room, and at night, they run up and down the stairs. (It's still hot after dark, but not as deadly.) And the mission's demands keep them focused.
"The more work, the better," Blitzstein said. "It makes the time go faster. Better six busy months than one month doing nothing."
Peters says he could not get any complaints at all from these guys, even trying to ask leading questions. (And he also says that there were no officers or NCOs around making sure the Marines stayed on message.) Here in the states today is Labor Day. We should remember those who are laboring for this country in Iraq, too. They are making a difference.
By Maggie, Monday, 3 September , 2007 @ 3:28 pm
Semper fi, guys … I love everyone of ya over there!