What You Are Saying, About the War, Is Very Accurate

To Glen Beck…Who Understands the War

By Tim Maxwell

LtCol USMC

What you are saying, about the war, is very accurate. I wish it was not, but it is. War is not pleasant. It is ugly. People die. And wars like those fought in Vietnam and Korea, can be difficult to understand. United States drafted citizens and forced them to fight a war...A war that was about another countries' freedom...that is arguable.

Personally, I believe in it. I have been deep into many countries that do not have freedom, and I would fight for them. There are families that have no water. No school. No doctors. I would fight for their rights. Many of my peers would do the same. But many people disagree with that, and that’s what freedom is all about.

But that is not the situation this time. When I got whacked, I was not fighting for the rights of another country. I was not fighting for Iraq. I was fighting inIraq. I was fighting forAMERICA. Many of my peers are still fighting for America. In Africa. In Afghanistan. In Iraq. That is the war.

The Operation Iraqi Freedom mission is just that…an operation. It is not the war. It is part of it, for sure. It is not a war on its own. Its focus is not freedom in Iraq. Its focus is freedom in America!

That is like talking about the Okinawa war. Okinawa was not a war, it was anoperation. The war was WWII. People might think that the decision to take Okinawa from the Japanese was a bad one. But opposed to the war? When we were attacked and many Americans were killed?

Is that argument common? Do or did people let you know that they were anti-war? I don't think so. Do many people make that statement today? A lot of people? People who are against the war? Again, I don’t think so. And those who do say so may have forgotten that there is a war. A real war.

So why are so many news stations constantly talking about the "anti-war" people? Is that left over from theVietnam era? When it was “cool” to be “anti-war”and“anti-warriors”. Only today, they are “anti-war” but “pro-warrior”? I wish I knew why, but they are on the news all the times. And the impact that that is having is that more and more people are becoming “anti-war”. Because that is what you hear the most of.

I am writing to tell you, Glen Beck (if you actually get to read this one), that I am with you. I do not have the same style as you do. I may have a greater understanding of the confusion that you have on my end. You certainly have more experience on news issues. But we agree on this..

We do not have a choice. Not in this war. Osama bin Laden, and many others, do not believe in freedom. They believe they must destroy it.

And they do not mind fighting in a war. As a matter of fact, many of them want to die in the war. That is easy to prove, so I will not bother.

But many Americans simply do not understand that.

Many Americans do not seem to understand that they are coming. And they will keep coming. And killing. They want us gone. They want Freedom eliminated, and they are willing to do whatever it takes.

And they will use anyone they can get their hands on.

And you said that tonight. (Aug 7). Keep it up. And I will keep doing what I have been doing.

You see, I believe most Americans actually do get it. They remember 9/11, and they do not want that to happen again.

But most of what they read in the papers; most of what they see on TV News..

The very thing that Osama bin Laden despises, Freedom; where news papers and stations do not give all of the news, just the “exciting” ones; is his best chance of victory.

If anyone wants to read or see more stories, they are welcome at

Good luck with this new job. And keep at it.