Letter From Iraq

Hello Everyone. Dale has limited access to the Internet right now so I am doing a guest post. I have attached a copy of a letter that Dale wrote to Evan's Highschool Creative Arts Class at First Flight High School. The students in this class all wrote letters to Dale before he left to go to Iraq and his response to those letters is not only touching, it is very insightful and powerful. It is the best letter that I have ever read.

Enjoy your day everyone and please take some time out of your day today to VOTE!
Blessings,
Nancy Hamilton

Dear Ms Leatherwood & Class,

I want to thank you for all the letters you wrote to the soldiers in my Battalion. I took the time and read every one of them, and I am sure the guys will be impressed and moved by your support of them. Some of you pointed out that you either disagree or have reservations about the war, but still shared your support for the men & women defending our Nation. I am impressed with your honesty and your willingness to see beyond your personal feelings about why we are there. Our soldiers need and appreciate your support. Let me share a little about them and what they do.

Our soldiers are doing a job few are willing to do. The decision to join the military should never be one taken lightly. It is not for everyone. I once read that the bravest thing a soldier will ever do is sign up to serve, the rest is simply their duty. You should know that our young men and women are eager to serve their Nation even when death is starring them in the face. They believe there are things worth dying for and our way of life is one of them. I am not a soldier, but I am proud to be serving beside them. For the most part, they are unshakable in their commitment to making Iraq a safe place for families to live, play, and go to school, things we take for granted.

There is something else you should know. I have been on several missions with the units over here and they do a lot more than defeat the enemy. On one mission they traveled into hostile areas to deliver a wheel chair to an 8 year old girl who has never been able to walk and who is totally dependent on relatives to carry her if she moves at all. On another mission they delivered school supplies to two local schools. Things like back packs, chalk, pencils and paper. Again, things we take for granted. They check to make sure local health clinics are safe enough for people who need medical attention can go without fear. What they do is really incredible. They have even built schools and clinics when none exist or they are destroyed.

I am telling you these things because I think it is important to know that our Country does more than defeat the enemy. One thing that separates us from all other countries is our humanity and compassion for others. We may destroy, but we never leave without rebuilding and often leaving a nation better than it was to begin with.

I am so proud of our Country and the young men and women who defend her. I am also mindful of the many who served so valiantly yet never made it home to see the great things their sacrifice made possible. Next time you see a soldier thank them. They won't expect it and they don't do it for your thanks. They do it because they believe in something bigger than themselves. They believe in this great Country and they believe in you. They know that your freedom of speech is important, that your right to choose how to worship, where to live and what to become are important. They know how much you are capable of accomplishing when able to do so free of fear.

What our soldiers do and why they do it has nothing to do with politics. To engage in war is not their decision, that is left to our elected officials. However, our soldiers stand ready at all times to defend our freedom and the freedom of anyone who can't defend themselves against tyranny and oppression.
You can have no worse enemy or better friend than the United States Military. When duty calls they will be there.

Well I guess that is enough for now. In closing, I pray our soldiers will all come home safely knowing that many will not. I pray also for you. That you would honor their sacrifice by being the best you can be at whatever you choose to do.

God bless you all,

Evan's Dad

Dale Hamilton
1-63 CAB HHC LEP
FOB Mahmudiyah
APO AE 09322