All war veterans deserve thanks, but Iraq and Afghanistan vets stand out | Opinion – Florida Today
Lin Williams, Guest columnist Published 6:00 a.m. ET Nov. 11, 2020
Lin Williams(Photo: COURTESY PHOTO)
When I read of the troubles our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are having, it breaks my heart. I offer this open letter to those veterans from a family who knows war and has returned home.
My family has a simple tradition. If there is war, the men join. So I've known veterans, all family members, from six wars.I knew them well because each summer we would gather at my grandparents'ranch in Idaho to harvest the hay and brand the calves.
We heard of my granddad who, beside his two brothers, fought in the trenches of World War I;of my three uncles in World War II, and of my dad and uncle who served during Korea. Soon, each of my cousins went to Vietnam. I was the youngest to go. That made nine of us for that war.
So I offer this from the perspective of men who know war. Our judgment is that you, the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, were dealt a pretty rough hand.
A lot of you were in a war zone too long. Most Americans were in the trenches of WWI less than a year. WWII, because of the scale of the war,involved months of preparation before days and weeks of intense battle. Korean and Vietnam veterans typically served one year in country.
Because of IED's, suicide vests, and random rocket attacks, you were in a combat zone every day. And you were probably sent back, or volunteered, for your second, third, sometimes fifth, tour.
You served with dangerous rules of engagement, while required to be culturally sensitive. I don't know how you fight a war without beer. Or how you came in from the field and video-chatted with your loved ones in a reassuring way.
Coming home was rough.
When my granddad came home, he was able to homestead land and begin a respected life. The WWII, Korean, and Vietnam veterans came home to a more functional veteran's program. You're getting an underfunded program and a "Thank you for your service." You were rode hard and put away wet not because of you, but because of our culture.
After you serve, it's normal to be jacked up on adrenaline for two years. It feels like the world is moving in slow motion and every conversation is trivial. Thetreatment of choice usually involves fast cars and rough bars; don't mix the two. My cousin, who served with the Long Range Recon Patrol on the Cambodian border, made that mistake. He took two innocent people with him and he was a good man.
You will not be the most patient person in any room for at least 10 years. Say "I'm sorry" when you should. It will make you and them feel better.
You can't look for validation from an ambivalent public.Think as a father might who, after working adouble shift, looks in on his children all snuggly and asleep.Feel that pride, knowing you carried the water for your family, your country, though they live lives unaware of your sacrifice. Hold that pride in yourheart forever.You earned it.
Spendtimewith people like you. In college, there was one table where veterans drank coffee between classes. We never talked about the war. We were just together and it made us feel less alone.
Don't fall into a gumption trap. Go to college, start an apprenticeship, find a job you don't hate, and apply the discipline and energy you have in you. You will be successful and then you take the next step. Most of us never had a master plan.
The night before we buried my granddad, all the men in the family gathered in my grandma's kitchen. Every branch of service was represented. Men from three wars were there. My brother and a cousin were destined for your wars. We were burying a man from a sixth. We played poker for nickels, drank whiskey, and smoked until dawn. We told stories of harvests and hunts, liberties in foreign ports, and granddad.
You would have been welcome in my grandma's kitchen that night. Uncle Johnie would have slapped you on the back, poured you a whiskey, and asked if you brought any nickels. We would have found another milk can for you to sit on and dealt you in. You would've felt like one of us, because you are one of us.
The next morning, you would have been invited to the funeral. You would have smiled to see us, all in dress uniform, focus hard to walk granddad in a straight line from the hearse to his grave. When they played "Taps," you would have fought back tears of pride, because we are the people who make it possible for our country to sleep all snuggly and warm each night, oblivious to the realities that we know.
Lin Williams, who served two tours off the coast of Vietnam as an aviation ordnanceman, lives in Venice.
Read or Share this story: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/11/11/veterans-day-tribute-those-who-serve-iraq-and-afghanistan/6234058002/
Read more from the original source:
All war veterans deserve thanks, but Iraq and Afghanistan vets stand out | Opinion - Florida Today
- The Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces is behind the drone attacks on Iraq - Yahoo - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Iraq, But Funny at Lookingglass Theatre | Weve Got Your Ticket - CBS News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Turkey gives drought-stricken Iraq more water in boost to PM Sudani - AL-Monitor - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Is Kurdish Protection of Assyrians in North Iraq a Myth? - Assyrian International News Agency - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Eight OPEC+ alliance members including Iraq move toward output hike - Iraqi News - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq to hand over weapons in first step toward disarmament - AP News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Reconstruction Firms Hear Plan for Rebuilding Southern Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Gates Vows to Focus on Iraq, Troop Welfare if Confirmed - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Corps' Command Change Marks Year Of Iraq Transition - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Iraqi Government Prepares to Take Control of Sons of Iraq Program - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Top NCOs Inform Soldiers in Iraq of Wartime Training Changes - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Operation New Town Molds Trust in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - On the Ground: Forces Build Cooperation, Security in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Sheik Meeting Leads to Information on al Qaeda in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - On the Ground: U.S. Forces Build Security at Sea, On Land in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Biden, Odierno Preside Over Naturalization Ceremony in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Face of Defense: Marine Amputee Who Returned to Iraq Earns Fellowship - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Face of Defense: Twins Serve Together in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Face of Defense: Deployed Soldier Keeps Wheels Turning in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Face of Defense: Canadian-Born Soldier Serves as Sniper in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How regional shifts may shape the future of the Iraq-Syria relationship - Amwaj.media - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- News - Hagel: All Assessments Needed for Full Picture in Iraq - DVIDS - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Sadr Links Election Participation to Militia Disarmament in Iraq - kurdistan24.net - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Refusing the leash: How Iraq shut its skies to Tel Aviv and held the line with Washington - thecradle.co - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- In Iraq, restored tomb of biblical prophet Nahum quietly attracts Jewish pilgrimage - The Times of Israel - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Rockets fired at northern Iraq airport, one hits house; two lightly wounded - The Times of Israel - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- United Nations in Iraq condemns attack in IDP camp in Duhok [EN/AR/KU] - ReliefWeb - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Iran, Iraq hold critical talks following delivery of Araghchis letter on regional security - Tehran Times - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Turkey to Increase Tigris and Euphrates Water Flow to Iraq Starting Wednesday - kurdistan24.net - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Turkey approves increased water flow to aid Iraq amid growing crisis - rudaw.net - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Iraq pilgrimages proceed by land due to flight restrictions - Tehran Times - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- 'Oh, here we go': For Iraq veterans, bombing of Iran opens old wounds - San Antonio Express-News - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Woman in Najaf Dies of Hemorrhagic Fever as Iraq's CCHF Cases Continue to Rise - kurdistan24.net - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Israel illegally used Iraq's airspace to attack Iran - Mehr News Agency - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Has the UK really learned the lessons of Iraq? Don't count on it - The New Arab - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Turkey hands over Babylonian and Akkadian clay tablets to Iraq - The Jerusalem Post - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- 'Iraq, But Funny': A new satire tracing 5 generations of Assyrian women hits the stage - FOX 32 Chicago - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Iraq calls on Sudan to cease fighting - Iraqi News - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Redefining and Strengthening the U.S.-Iraq Relationship Through Energy and Security - The Washington Institute - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Iraq revives bid to resume oil exports through Turkey - Arabian Gulf Business Insight | AGBI - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Syrian authorities uncover mass grave near Iraq border - Shafaq News - - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- 3 prominent ISIS terrorists eliminated in northern Iraq - Iraqi News - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Emirates extends flight suspension to Iran, Iraq routes to resume soon: What travelers need to know - Times of India - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Statement Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of IRAQ - - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- From Iraq to Iran: the US quest for Israeli military dominance and its fallout - South China Morning Post - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Israel-Iran war recalls the 2003 US invasion of Iraq a war my undergraduate students see as a relic of the past - The Conversation - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Trump is making US intelligence parrot his line on Iran - it echoes Bushs invasion of Iraq - The Guardian - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- David Harsanyi: Trump learned the lessons of Iraq - UnionLeader.com - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Texas Firm In Talks To Supply Iraq's First LNG Terminal - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Assessing Trumps Claims That He Was Very Much Opposed to the Iraq War - The Dispatch - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Iraq War architect Condi Rice heaps praise on Trump admin for Iran strikes - The Independent - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- In Iran, we risk repeating the mistakes of Iraq 22 years later - The Boar - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Noors world collapsed when the US invaded Iraq. She has a message for Trump about Iran - SBS Australia - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Van Havel honored for heroic actions in skies of above Iraq - WTVB - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- How Yasin in Iraq risks his life to share the gospel - Open Doors UK & Ireland - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Iraq War architect Condi Rice heaps praise on Trump admin for Iran strikes - MSN - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Trauma nurse who treated Iraq war wounded takes reins at famed DOD hospital in Germany - Stars and Stripes - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Iraq: New US$930 Million Project to Extend and Modernize Railways, Promote Regional Connectivity and Boost Growth - World Bank - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Iraq arrests pro-Iran commentator who claimed radar struck by drone aided Israel - The Times of Israel - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- US Air Force Awards $118M Contract Action to Vectrus for Base Operations Support in Iraq - GovCon Wire - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- World Bank approves over $1bn for projects in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon - Euronews.com - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Is Trump Repeating Obamas Iran Mistake and Bushs Iraq Disaster? - Middle East Forum - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- World Bank approves over $1 billion for projects in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Can China save Iraq from its water crisis? - ThinkChina - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- World Bank approves recovery funding for Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon - Latest news from Azerbaijan - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- In the Iran-Iraq War, F-5s and MiG-21s Fought to a Standstill - Trench Art | David Axe - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Cartoonists take: Iraq: Mission Accomplished and One and Done - Daily Freeman - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- World Bank Approves Over $1 Billion for Infrastructure and Reconstruction Projects in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon - kurdistan24.net - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Did Iran target US base in Iraq after striking Qatar? Iraqi official says the missiles 'never arrived' - The Economic Times - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Trump downplays Iran's missile strikes on US bases in Iraq and Qatar, calls response 'very weak' - The Kyiv Independent - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Hauntingly familiar? Why comparing the US strikes on Iran to Iraq in 2003 is off target - The Conversation - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Column | Trump bombs Iran, talks regime change, raises the ghosts of Iraq - The Washington Post - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Not our war: Iran-backed militias in Iraq stay on the sidelines amid Israel war - Ynetnews - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Iraq Welcomes US-Brokered Ceasefire Between Iran and Israel - kurdistan24.net - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Judicial uncertainty deepens in Iraq as fate of top judge remains unclear - The Arab Weekly - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Crisis in Baghdad: mass resignations reported at Iraq's Federal Supreme Court amid power struggle - Iraqi News - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Iran said to launch missiles at US bases in Qatar and Iraq in retaliation for strike on nuclear sites - The Times of Israel - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- US Forces Face Heightened Regional Threat After Iran Launches Targeted Strikes On Qatar And Iraq Bases, Prompting Bahrain To Seal Off Its Airspace... - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Is U.S. repeating its Iraq mistake on Iran? - news.cgtn.com - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Iraq Warns of 'Broader Confrontation' Following Iranian Strike on US Base in Qatar - kurdistan24.net - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]