Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan (the book)
By Horace Coleman
[Printer-Friendly Version]
The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the policies or stances of VVAW.
Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan
Iraq Veterans Against the War and Aaron Glantz
2008, Haymarket Books, Chicago
ISBN 978-1-1931859-65-3 (paperback), 237 pages, $16
This short book is like a good boxer's jab: Sharp, on target and powerful.
Kelly Dougherty, Executive Director of IVAW, writes:
When we return home from combat, many people would rather not hear our stories, would rather not be made to feel uncomfortable by being confronted with the grim reality of warfare and occupation, where morality becomes obscured and the lines between good and bad are fluid and hazy. (5)
She later writes:
By acknowledging our experiences, it pressures people to recognize their own responsibility for the actions being taken by a military that is ultimately meant to defend them. . . . It is often much easier for people to call us heroes and forget about us, forget about the sacrifices we've made and horrors we've endured. We must remind people that the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan are being waged by the United States as a country, not simply by our military or our political administration. (5)
Iraqi civilians testify about living under occupation. U.S. parents like Fernando Suarez del Solar (father of a son KIA in Iraq) and Joyce and Kevin Lucey (their Iraq vet son committed suicide) tell about their children's short lives and quick deaths.
Voices from the book:
A Marine Sergeant on the Rules of Engagement:
". . . My officers explicitly told me and my fellow marines that if we felt threatened by an Iraqi's presence, we 'should shoot them' and the officers would 'take care of us.'" (19)
By this time, many of the marines were on their second and third tour and had suffered such serious psychological damage that they shot people who were clearly noncombatants. There was one incident when a roadside bomb exploded, and a few minutes later, I watched a marine start shooting at cars that were hundreds of meters away and in the opposite direction from where the IED exploded. (19)
A Marine Corporal:
By my third tour, we were told that if they carried a shovel or a heavy bag or they were seen digging any where, especially near roads, that we could shoot them. . So we carried these tools and weapons in our vehicles in case we accidentally shot an innocent civilian. We could just toss it on there and be like, "Well, he was digging. I was within the Rules of Engagement." (22)
An Army Private:
We're not bad people. We were there because we thought that we were gonna make things better, because those people wanted us to be there. We showed up and realized that there's a whole bunch of people that wanted to kill us. How were we gonna short them out? The only way to ensure our survival was to make sure that we put them in the dirt before they put us in the dirt, to put it bluntly. (29)
An Army Reserve Staff Sergeant:
The Iraqis have been doing their thing for thousands of years and I think it is very pretentious of us as Americans to think we can go in there and spoon-feed them democracy. I think it's even more pretentious to try to go in there and change their culture and the way they handle situations. I think that it is a lost cause in Iraq. I think that regardless of when we leave, whether it is tomorrow or in a hundred years, the Iraqis are going to handle things the way that they are going to handle them. (37)
". . . I don't think that it's worth it to continue to lose American lives, to continue what we now see in hindsight as a pretty big mistake." (37)
A National Guard Specialist:
I like to explain it this way, especially in the South because it rings with truth to people down there: If a foreign occupying force came here to the United States, whether they told us they were here to liberate us or to give us democracy, do you not think that every person that owns a shotgun would not come out of the hills and fight for the right to self-determination? (41)
. . . I approached a man with my interpreter on the side of a road and said, "Look, are your lives better because we're here? Are you safer? Do you feel more secure? Do you feel like we are liberating you?" That man looked me straight in the eye and said, "Mister, we Iraqis know that you have good intentions here, but the fact is that before America invaded, we didn't have to worry about car bombs in our neighborhoods. We didn't have to worry about the safety of our own children before they walked to school, and we didn't have to worry about U.S. soldiers shooting at us as we drive up and down our own streets." (41)
A Navy Petty Officer describes his treatment at the VA: this way:
No therapy was recommended. Medications were recommended. They gave me three different medications. The first was Trazodone. The second was Paxil. And the third was gabapentin, a generic form of Neurontin. My doctor did not give me any information on these medications. (147)
. . . I left my appointment that day, and I went home and I did research on the medications that I was given. And I found out that the main side effect of all three medications is suicidal thoughts and suicidal tendencies. (147)
An Army Captain notes that:
From 2003-2007 no computer systems for tracking immigration or emigration were installed along the Syrian-Iraqi border. This surely contributed to the instability of Iraq. Foreign fighters and criminals were free to move transnationally with little fear of apprehension. It is probable that significant numbers of Americans and Iraqis were wounded or killed as a result.
There's more, much more. Read this book.
Commentary on VVAW.org:
- Stand Up, Vote, Fight Back by Bill Branson
- Media Advisory: On Memorial Day, Veterans, Peace Activist and Friends Will Honor Long-Time Vietnam Veterans Against War Leader Barry Romo by Uplifting the Past and Future of the Anti-war Veterans Movement by VVAW
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Mourns the Passing of Long-Time Member and National Leader Barry Romo by VVAW
- On the Necessity of Struggle by Bill Branson
- Serving the Children of Vietnam by Bill Branson
- While Comrades Fade, Hard Lessons Remain by Bill Branson
- Stand Up For Your Rights by Bill Branson
- Putin's War on Ukraine Must Stop by Bill Branson and Joe Miller
- Putin's War on Ukraine Must Stop by Vietnam Veterans Against the War
- VVAW Statement on the Ukraine by Vietnam Veterans Against the War
- Afghanistan: Another Rich Man's War Ends by Bill Branson and Joe Miller
- We Have To Be Winter Soldiers by Bill Branson
- Fascism is Not an Option by Vietnam Veterans Against the War National Office
- Is This Who We Are? by W. D. Ehrhart
- Why We Struggle by Bill Branson
- We Must Continue the Fight for a Better World! by Bill Branson
- Into Another Rich Man's War (VVAW Statement on Potential War with Iran) by VVAW
- Forever Wars Demand Forever Opposition by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Joe Miller
- The River Keeps Flowing by VVAW
- The Struggle Continues by Joe Miller
- VVAW Still Teaching the American War in Vietnam: On Burns/Novick "The Vietnam War" by Joe Miller
- 50 Years of VVAW by Joe Miller
- For Peace, Justice, and Veterans Rights by Bill Branson
- The Importance of Vietnam and VVAW: Then and Now by Bill Branson
- Veterans Fight Back by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Bill Branson
- No New War in the Middle East by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Bill Branson
- Our War, Our Legacy by Bill Branson
- From the National Office by Bill Branson
- Get Out and Vote: Demonstrate Our People Power by Bill Branson
- What We Know and When We Know It by Meg Miner
- From The National Office by Bill Branson
- Blood on the Tracks - A Review by Horace Coleman (reviewer)
- From The National Office by Joe Miller
- Ken and Bill's Excellent Adventure by W. D. Ehrhart
- From the National Office by Barry Romo
- From the National Office by Barry Romo
- Soldier Jailed For Rap Lyrics Is Discharged by Dahr Jamail, truthout.org Reporter
- US Military Plans To Extradite Stop-Lossed Iraq War Vet to Iraq For Court Martial Over Protest Rap Song by Iraq Veterans Against The War
- A Letter to America: No Medal Jacket by Marc Levy
- The Worst Question You Can Ask a Combat Vet: Talking Dirty to the Kids by Marc Levy
- From Vietnam to Afghanistan: The Bling They Curse and Carry by Marc Levy
- The "Obama Drama" by Horace Coleman
- Matthew Hoh Resignation Letter by Matthew Hoh
- Just Like Hanoi Jane by Marc Levy
- Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan (the book) by Horace Coleman
- How What Happened in the Bush Administration Shaped What Happened in Iraq by Horace Coleman
- A Father traumatized by a son's wounds goes into action by Horace Coleman
- All Bets Are Off For Today's Vets by Horace Coleman
- Election Night Musing by Horace Coleman
- War Jokes Wanted: No Laughing Matter by Marc Levy and Susan Erony
- The Leftie Nation Throws a Rightie by Jerry Lembcke
- Thuy's Dream of Peace: Winter in America by Marc Levy
- Retraction of Article in the Veteran, Volume 38, Number 1, Spring 2008 by VVAW National Office
- Support PFC James Burmeister by Carol Rawert Trainer
- Support IVAW's Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
- Fake Vets Chasing Fame by Marc Levy
- William Hugh Davis: 1948 - 2007 - Anti-war, union activist by Patricia Trebe
- President of Vietnam Vets Against the War - Year-long tour convinced him it was wrong by Larry Finley
- You Tube videos of Bill Davis
- Iraq Dead Ahead: A Brief Military History and Civilian Guide to Arlington National Cemetery Iraq Dead Ahead by Marc Levy
- The Horror of War Can be Catnip for Young Men by Jerry Lembcke
- Iraq War Resister Kyle Snyder Arrested in Canada, then Released: U.S. Army Requested the Illegal Apprehension by Gerry Condon
- Vietnam Veterans Against The War Endorses HR 508:Bring the Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2007 by VVAW National Office
- VVAW Supports All the Troops
- A Primer on the Whys and Wherefores of PTSD: Whatever You Did in War Will Always Be With You by Marc Levy
- What the Fuss Is All About by W. D. Ehrhart
- Winter Soldier DVD Now Available at VVAW Store
- From Vietnam to Iraq: Ignoring the Veteran Healthcare Crisis by VVAW & IVAW
- Vietnam Veterans and Iraq Veterans Release Memorial Day Report on Veterans' Healthcare Crisis by VVAW National Office
- VVAW Statement to the People of Vietnam by VVAW National Office
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Denounce Bush Proposal to Cut Vets' Benefits by VVAW National Office
- The Struggle Continues by VVAW
- Stolen Honor - A Dishonor: Vietnam Veterans oppose Sinclair Broadcast smear even in reduced format by VVAW National Office
- A Troubling Tribute by Jan Barry
- Defending VVAW Against Swift Boat Vets Lies by Keith Nolan
- 40th Anniversary of Gulf of Tonkin shows history repeating itself with Iraqi War by VVAW National Office
- Anybody But Bush by VVAW National Staff and Coordinators
- Vietnam Veterans Say Torture Policy Not an Aberration - Dates Back To Vietnam War by VVAW National Office
- Chicago Vietnam Veterans Against the War and supporters honor fallen servicemen on Memorial Day by Chicago VVAW
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement on John Kerry
- John Kerry and War Crimes in Vietnam by Jan Barry
- Living with Lies by Dave Curry, Joe Miller and Barry Romo
- On the Oil-Slicked Road to Empire: Are We Really Safer Now? by Barry Romo, Dave Curry & Joe Miller
- No War with Iraq No Blood for Oil or Ego by Barry Romo, Dave Curry & Joe Miller
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement on the "War Against Terrorism" by VVAW National Office
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement on September 11 Attacks by VVAW
- VETERANOS DE VIETNAM CONTRA LA GUERRA DECLARACION SOBRE LOS ATAQUES DEL 11 DE SEPTIEMBRE
- VVAW Statement on Robert Kerrey by Clarence Fitch Chapter of VVAW
- Remembering the Tonkin Gulf and After by Joe Miller
- Indian Wars & the Vietnam Experience by Ben Chitty
- Recollections:Brainwashing Busts Out at Cecil Field by Mike Woloshin
- "Peace with Honor" by Ben Chitty
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