GI SPECIAL 7A1:
You’ve Know The Power Of The Poems By Dennis Serdel From The Front Pages Of GI Special:
Now They’re In Book Form
[Book Cover Above]
[Ordering Information Follows Some Personal Favorites. T.]
By Dennis Serdel, Vietnam 1967-68 (one tour) Light Infantry, Americal Div. 11th Brigade, purple heart, Veterans For Peace 50 Michigan, Vietnam Veterans Against The War, United Auto Workers GM Retiree, in Perry, Michigan
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Bridging The Gap
There is a broken bridge that they call America
between the people and their government.
Stressed out cracked TV’s, broken fractured newspapers
with jagged concrete facts that they call Iraq.
There’s a broken bridge between our Soldiers
and what they were told they were fighting for.
There is a broken bridge across the Euphrates river
like a broken bridge across the Mississippi too.
Rivers of darkness and light that flow
a lightning bolt currents dark and dangerous,
pieces of humans lay at the bottom and who is responsible,
who does not care at all as the rain and sand
fall like teardrops trying to see through the murky waters,
trying to find a way out, trying to stop the bleeding,
trying to kill the cause and Americans
stand and watch the horror of civilization
pounded by combat boots, they want to stop it
but they doubt it like by voting the war away.
Captain Amerika still acting like superman,
the Statue of Liberty is cracking like the economy,
who cares about a war debt, put it on a Chinese credit card,
green back dollars going down and down drowning
another bridge falling into the water.
To the energy poor depression crashed civilians
of a war wreck they once called America,
the Answer is within our Soldiers
when they come back from another tour.
The Answer is within Americans
when they stand behind the Soldiers
when they refuse to deploy on a no way next tour.
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Insanity And Sanity
The Roman Emperor sits upon a make-shift throne
nearby a cliff to watch.
The Roman General salutes him and then
makes an About Face.
Before him in rows are Soldiers, then Chariots
then Soldiers then Chariots
on and on as far as the Emperor can see.
The General calls them to Attention
and then orders Forward March.
The Emperor is very pleased to watch the Soldiers
march over the cliff and fall to their deaths.
The Soldier’s swords become M-16’s
their Shields turn into Flak Jackets
the Chariots become Humvees and Tanks
the Emperor is now, President Bush
and the cliff they now, call Iraq.
General Betrayus turns to Bush and smiles
“See, how well they are trained.”
But when the General turns his back
to the Soldiers, they turn and march
straight toward him.
Bush is frantic now when a desert fatigued
Soldier shoots off the General’s head.
They then pull Bush
from atop his throne, punch him,
kick, stomp while the coward cries
“Please spare me, I don’t want to die.”
By the cliff, he is kicked in his mouth
his white teeth blood body falls
over the edge where the dead Soldiers are.
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The Devil
the 4 star death generals drip blood
from their eye teeth like little children
with their halloween masks
as they shout trick or treat ba-a-a-by
many ugly americans with w
jump up and down with stars and stripes
in their bully mouths
crying kill kill kill like laughing hyenas
awol-ing this war with sulfur yellow
support the war stickers plastered
on the backs of their cars trucks
suv’s on backs of the soldiers
overseas fighting for other people’s land
the rabble wearing their death t-shirts
that bark america bless god
huge statues of jesus on the cross
are being used as hammers
to slam the muslims flat
killing mohammed everybody
loving dripping blood
and the devil in the white house
gurgling lies every time he speaks
kills 24 hours a day
horns hoofs and tail dragging hell
on earth torturing missing arms
legs children women old men
young men putrid air sand gunpowder
oil exhaustion sweat
i don’t care bombs guns landmines
the devil is at his ranch making money
killing anyway he can
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Prisoners And Slaves
"Hell" said Harry to Jack,
"when I joined the National Guard
I never thought, never dreamed
I would be here in Iraq.
I was making 60 + grand at General Motors
now I can’t even make 30 grand.
All I see is my money waving away
like the star spangled banner
in a sand storm."
Jack replies, "I know what you mean
my old lady had to quit a good job
that she liked, to work at a bad job
that she hates, because it pays more
so we can scrape by."
"What we should do," Harry says
"is go out on Strike."
"Yeah," Jack says, this is just another job
Why can’t we just say we quit
like if we were working at GM ?
I mean what are we, Slaves?"
"Yeah," Harry says, "Bush has us chained
to the flag as slaves and if we don’t sing
God Bless America, he calls us traitors
in his fight for the oil war."
"The parades when we come home
just don’t get it anymore," Jack added.
"Yeah, soon we won’t have that anymore
they will just keep us here forever."
Harry says, "I’m not a slave
I’m just going to tell them I quit
or they can fire me."
"Me too, Harry.
Do you think they will put us in prison?"
"We are prisoners in uniforms now.
We are Slaves."
"They will say that they are Fascists
and we are their slaves
like GM tries to do, you know?"
"But they made one big mistake
they gave us guns and ammo to fight
back with."
"Amen to that brother."
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Get Some:
Books are $12 plus $4 for postage and mailer = $16 due.
Make Money Orders or Checks payable to:
Dennis Serdel
339 Oakwood Lane
Perry,
Michigan 48872
Money Orders sent next day, Personal Checks after 3 days.
Over Seas Orders, please write first and I will send the Postal costs. Let me know if you want USA Postal costs, Western Union Perry Michigan, Money Gram, Fed Ex, Pink Japanese International Money Order.
Or payment can be made by well hidden American dollars in a Registered Mailing.
Let me know.
Dennis Serdel
***************************************************
Walt Whitman
Carl Sandburg
Allan Ginsberg
Now: Dennis Serdel
T
GI Special Will Resume Publication January 9
In order to help build support for members of the armed forces resisting the Imperial wars, it is necessary to spend the next week in organizing activity. T
Publication will resume on or before January 9.
It will not be possible to respond to emails until then.
Thank you for your patience.
T
IRAQ WAR REPORTS
U.S. Soldier Killed By Indirect Fire In Baghdad
Dec. 31, 2008 Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory RELEASE No. 20081231-06
BAGHDAD – A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died from wounds sustained during a mortar attack in Baghdad Dec. 31.
MORE:
U.S. Soldier Dies From Wounds In Ballad
Dec. 31, 2008 Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory RELEASE No. 20081231-04
TIKRIT, Iraq – A U.S. Soldier died, Dec. 31, in Balad, Iraq from injuries sustained during combat operations, Dec. 30.
MORE:
Iraqi PM Says Country Is Now Safe
[That Will Really Cheer Up The Families Of The Two Dead U.S. Soldiers]
Dec 31 (KUNA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on Wednesday that his country is now safe and able to control the security situation.
29 More U.S. Iraq Combat Casualties Reported
December 26, 2008 By Michael Munk, Michaelmunk.com
US military occupation forces in Iraq suffered 29 combat casualties in the eight days ending Dec. 24 as the official casualty total rose to at least 70,262.
The total includes 34,305 dead and wounded from what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and more than 35,957 dead and medically evacuated (as of Dec. 6) from "non-hostile" causes.
The actual total is over 90,000 because the Pentagon chooses not to count as "Iraq casualties" the more than 20,000 veterans whose injuries-mainly brain trauma from explosions--were diagnosed only after they had left Iraq..
US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by occasionally reporting only the total killed (4,214 as of Dec. 24) but rarely mentioning the 30,904 wounded in combat.
To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 35,141 (as of Dec 6) military victims of accidents and illness serious enough to require medical air evacuation, although the 4,214 reported deaths include 816 (up two) who died from those same causes, including at least 18 from faulty electrical work by KBR and 145 suicides (suicides last updated March 1).
FUTILE EXERCISE:
ALL HOME NOW!
A U.S. soldier inspects an abandoned house during a patrol in Samarra, 100 km (62 miles) north of Baghdad November 24, 2008. REUTERS/Sabah al-Bazee
U.S. OCCUPATION RECRUITING DRIVE IN HIGH GEAR;
RECRUITING FOR THE ARMED RESISTANCE THAT IS
A foreign occupation soldier from the U.S. searches an Iraqi citizens’ house during an armed home invasion in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, on a Christmas day, Dec. 25 2008. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)
[There’s nothing quite like invading somebody else’s country and busting into their houses by force to arouse an intense desire to kill you in the patriotic, self-respecting civilians who live there.
[But your commanders know that, don’t they? Don’t they?]
Iraqi citizens have no right to resist home invasions by occupation soldiers from the USA. If they do, they may be arrested, wounded, or killed.
“In the States, if police burst into your house, kicking down doors and swearing at you, you would call your lawyer and file a lawsuit,” said Wood, 42, from Iowa, who did not accompany Halladay’s Charlie Company, from his battalion, on Thursday’s raid. “Here, there are no lawyers. Their resources are limited, so they plant IEDs (improvised explosive devices) instead.”
AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS
Royal Marine From 45 CDO Killed In Sangin On 31 December
31 Dec 08 Ministry of Defence
It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that a Royal Marine from 45 Commando Royal Marines was killed by an explosion on the afternoon of 31 December 2008 in the Sangin district, Helmand province, Afghanistan.
He was taking part in a routine patrol.
U.S. Troops’ Deadliest Year In Afghanistan:
Military Officials Say Bloody War Will Only Get Worse In 2009;
U.S. Military Deaths Up 35% In 2008
[Thanks to SSG N (ret’d) who sent this in. She writes: “This is the time of year when deployee units get written up in the papers.”]
Dec. 31, 2008 & Jan. 1, 2009 The Associated Press
A record 151 U.S. forces died in Afghanistan in 2008, the deadliest year yet in a seven-year war that military officials say is likely to get even bloodier in 2009, as thousands more American troops pour into the country.
The number of roadside bombs doubled from the year before to roughly 2,000, with many of the devices more powerful than in previous years.
Unlike in 2007, when militants carried out ambushes only in small numbers, insurgents over the last year massed in groups of hundreds on multiple occasions. Some 200 militants nearly overran a small U.S. outpost in eastern Afghanistan in July, launching an early morning attack that killed nine U.S. troops.
The war in Afghanistan saw American military deaths rise by 35 percent in 2008
U.S. forces suffered an average of 21 deaths in Afghanistan each month this year from May to October - by far the deadliest six-month period in Afghanistan for American soldiers since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban.
In Afghanistan, 151 U.S. soldiers died in 2008, compared with 111 in the previous year, according to an AP tally.
At least 625 U.S. soldiers have died because of the war in Afghanistan since the fighting began in 2001.
But militants gained new ground in the south - even on the doorsteps of Kabul - and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced on a recent trip to Kabul that Afghanistan could see up to 30,000 new forces in 2009.
In addition to the 151 U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan this year, British troops suffered 50 deaths, and Canadian troops 28. Other countries in the 41-nation coalition lost 56 troops combined.
Afghan police again suffered gravely in the fight against Taliban and other insurgents. At least 850 Afghan police were killed over the last year, according to data compiled by The Associated Press. More than 925 Afghan policemen died in Taliban ambushes in 2007.
Resistance Action:
Taliban Kill 20 Bodyguards
01 January 2009 By VOA News & Quqnoos
Afghan officials said Taliban militants have attacked and killed 20 bodyguards outside the home of a senior district chief in the southern province of Helmand.
Authorities Thursday said Mullah Abdul Salaam, the chief of Musa Qala district and a former Taliban member, was not home at the time of the attack.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s ambush in Helmand’s Kajaki district, saying at least one of the guards was a Taliban sympathizer who helped assist the gunmen. A Taliban spokesman said two militant fighters died and four others were wounded in the attack.
In an attack in Adraskan district in Herat province, one police officer and three soldiers were injured and one police was killed. Head of the province’s police department, Ismatullah Alizai, said the attack occurred at five o’clock in the evening when a unit of ISAF and Afghan police forces was passing from the area. Also a police vehicle is destroyed in the incident.
TROOP NEWS