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A People Have Been Set Free
By John
Why. We. Fight.
Dr Alwash,My name is David Nixon a resident of Gallatin, TN , USA. I read an article in the Oct issue of the Smithsonian about the Marshlands.
Frankly what got my attention was the mention of An Nasiriyah. On March 23, 2003 the 2nd Marine Div, 1st Btln, C co had the mission to take and hold the Sadam Canal in Nasiriyah. On that fateful day 18 Marines and 11 Soldiers were killed in action. One of those killed was my son Cpl Patrick R Nixon, USMC. As time went on after that day I began to hear of UR, the biblical home of the Garden Of Eden and was struck by the historical and biblical aspect of this area.
During the past 31/2 years I have wondered what it was that Pat and his fellow Marines were fighting for. I know that removing Sadam was an important thing for Iraq and, frankly, the world. But beyond that what did he and all of the others accomplish. When I read this Smithsonian article I was struck with the thought that part of this was to bring back the life of those Iraqis who had suffered so under the regime. I suddenly had a kernel of a thought, " the Charlie 1/2 project ". So before I contact other family members of Charlie Co who also lost loved ones there af An Nasiriyah, I wanted to contact someone there for some guidance.
David Nixon
Father of a fallen Marine
Dr. Alwash's reply:
Sir,I am honored to receive your letter and certainly there are no words that I can think of that can express my thoughts as I read your letter. I can tell you that my eyes became teary. Sir, I can tell you that your son's life was not lost in vain, no matter how gloomy the news from Iraq may get. A people have been set free as a result of your family's and three thousand other families sacrifices. History will judge, but if you want to hear the voice of gratitude, I invite you on a personal tour of the restored gardens of eden , and you will be an honored guest of the marsh arabs. I am attaching a picture of the before and after of one small corner of this garden to keep next to the pictures of your son.
There are many thousands of stories of peoples who have come back to resume their way of life, as a direct result of the sacrifices of the Americans and the coalition forces. Disregarding all the propaganda and the political noise, sir, make no mistake about it, it is a noble cause to liberate a land and its peoples from the shackles of a tyranny that exceeds that of Stalin and Hitler. And I do not exaggerate.
If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask.
May god give you and your family the patience to endure the loss. I leave you with an Islamic prayer, Ina lillah, w ina Ilahe Rajeoon (we are from God, and to him we return)…
Please accept my deepest of gratitude.
Azzam Alwash
Before Iraqi Freedom....
After Iraqi Freedom...
A very special thank you to the friend of OPFOR who provided me with the email and photos.
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Comments
Those with more interest in how the marshes used to be, read Wilfred Thesiger's The Marsh Arabs.
Screen... is... blurry...
Hooah...thats all i got to say
Thank you for posting this John.
Funny, my screen is blurry too.
Tissue box is now empty
What an awesome post! It really had good timing.
Thanks Military Men and Woman!!!
I sit here weeping for the dead and their families but feeling such a sense of pride too. The pride I felt when I saw grown men dance with joy at having voted and smiling women hold up their purple fingers.
I am not what you would call an avid environmentalist but I have heard what had happend under Saddam to the Marsh Arabs. Now I see what was done to the Marsh Arabs, and see too what we have restored. Where I ask have all the real environmentalist been in the face of this horror done by Saddam? The same place, I guess that they were when Hallabjah was struck with WMD!
I have no doubt that every precious life given has been for a purpose very real and incredibly profound and worthwhile, in the short and the long term, both for Iraq and for our nation. We cannot fix all the world's ills but we can fix some and we have, all the while defending our own nation against great threat. Families, I pray you, please be comforted.
Thank-you so much for all aspects of this deeply moving account.
I am surprised to find the email that I recieved from Dr Alwash on this website but I'm pleased that it's had such a poitive effect. I've had other emails to and from Dr Alwash that have been very enlighnting. The last concerned being present at a meeting of a gathering of some Marsh Arabs discussing how to continue to rebuild the marsh lands. Dr Alwash said that suddrnly he realized that many of the people who were present had never taken place in a democratic function like this at all. But here were many different people with different points of view arguing about the future. Something that never would have happened if Sadam was still in power.
Just thought you all would like to hear that our military is doing great things there.
Freedom Is Not Free 3/23/03
0ce2ffd21f hi, i`m from india, and i has been very hart by you site)))
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Thanks for this. I sometimes get myopic in how the separation affects me but when I read things like this, I'm proud of my Marine and his battery for being a part of the liberation.