Last Week's Newsweek

I'm a bit behind, been under the weather lately and thanks to Buckarooskidoo for updating things around here. I have spent some time over the past few days reading through last week's Newsweek. If you didn't see it, the entire issue was devoted to letters, journals and emails from U.S. troops killed in Iraq. Portions of letters are used to give a history of the war through the eyes of the men and women who fought it. These brave people are no longer with us, but their words live on. I encourage everyone to take some time and read what these people had to say.

Audio and video snipits are available on the website as well. Here's one snipit to give you a feel of what you will find:

Smith
May 11, Fallujah

I honestly do not remember how many days I spent out there. I am doing my best to ignore the passage of time.

Eventually, we surrendered and went back to [Camp] Manhattan. It sure looked that way to us on the ground. The Marines pulled back, Iraqis showed up with old Baathist-era flags and tried to cross the bridges we were guarding. We were not allowed to shoot them. This happened about the same time the press learned that detainees were being abused in the prison east of Fallujah. Goody.

What did Hajji learn that week? First, the U.S. can be defeated. Second, if he surrenders he will be stripped naked, have electrodes attached to his testicles and [be] made to stand in a tub of water. F---ing brilliant. Where is my goddamned propeller-hat? I need to get into the spirit of things.