I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care.
I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.
You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage.
– Tomas Young, Iraq War Veteran
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get this letter spread far and wide, from sea to shining sea. This brave man, two years younger than myself, is paying the ultimate price for the deceptions of our war crazed political oligarchs. How many more deaths will it take before we stop these people?
The above is merely an excerpt from the letter. The entire thing can and should be read here.
In Liberty,
Mike
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It is unfortunate that this brave American is dyinn because of decisions made by Bush et al, and equally sad that he is still ingnorant of why and how 9/11 was perputrated by the same gang of criminals…..!
Actually this sucker is dying because of his own decisions.
His whole letter is an abdication of responsibility for his own actions. He blames Bush. He blames Cheney. Yet nobody made him sign up, and even after he joined he could have quit.
Plenty of people went to jail rather than go to Vietnam. This guy could have done that instead of following orders.
Karma’s a bitch.
Yes,Warren , Karma is a bitch. It has nothing to do with this man’s plight.
He believed in his country.
You, on the other hand, are a spineless, cruel jerk.
@Karen – I guess that makes me a spineless cruel jerk also… many more of us out here…you know, people that take ownership for my own actions… maybe you should also!!??
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That is exactly what I thought also but here is a cut and paste from the Snopes article… Looks to me like joining was volunteer and he went through his own choice… Actions have consequences and younger people generally do not think things through well enough…
He volunteered – He Volunteered – HE VOLUNTEERED….
I just finished 23 years and I had gotten out originally in 1995 while thinking it through and went back in after 9/11 KNOWING the risks and facing them… these actions were MIGHT choice just as his actions were HIS choice… he is a coward in my eyes no matter what he throught about the “illegal” war in Iraq!
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Mr. Young’s travails began three days after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The 22-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., was watching a speech on TV by President Bush who was atop the rubble at the World Trade Center. The president issued a rallying cry, saying, “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon.”
Motivated to help his country, Mr. Young enlisted in the Army and was sent to Iraq.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/tomasyoung.asp#8Do3sdilqRDtFFY8.99
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i’m a vet that served during the gulf war(didnt see action). of course, then; i was a deeply patriotic person coming of age under Reagan, but seeing what a mess missions of the US militaries have become; i would not tell anyone to serve today.
The US military was always a gain for US corporations and its government, but it at least used to liberate people and countries(i.e. South Korea).
I think much like England, the US’s best days are behind it and using its military for anything more than protecting its homeland just isnt worth the costs. The US is no different than empires before it and its period of influence on the world no longer has much affect and we can thank those in DC over the past 20 years for that becoming reality.
As building cranes fill the skies of DC building upon the riches
Of the current govt spending bubble on war and
Bank bailouts . Need some Jedi on the inside to
Break the chains for these animals to no longer seek
Unlimited wealth n war….”so you’re saying I gotta a chance ?”
I’ll tell the dying Vet. Not to worry because The Lord thy God will have the last word on the Injustices of this world. Think of the Rich man who entered HELL. There is Justice
This poor fellow has learned nothing. No outrage for having been indoctrinated with the idea that America needs to protect itself by destroying the lives of countless people in other countries who had nothing whatsoever do with any transgressions whatsoever. He went over there and perhaps killed and wounded and destroyed property. And now he complains that someone put him up to it? How was it not evident to him while he was over there that what he was doing was brutal, non-thinking, and patriotical insanity? Now he suffers and still believes what he was doing was someone else’s responsibility?
If he had blamed public schools and allegiance to the pols, he might be seen more symatheically, if that is what he wanted to accomplish.
I’ll take the vet’s side.
Of course he made the decision to enlist, and that’s his responsibility. I imagine he realizes it.
That doesn’t change the fact that he, like the vast majority of young Americans, was brainwashed from a young age to make that decision. Some people see through the propaganda, most don’t.
So he’s still confused about Afghanistan. Our ‘leadership’ really messes with our heads.
He is a victim, even if he did, maybe, victimize others as well.
Oh, the poor guy. Those of you who sneer should remember anyone get conned. Even yourselves. I would like to think someone will stop to take your hand.