Friday, January 30, 2004

Happy birthday this month to my sister and my wife.

Thanks goes out to some great people. I can’t mention all the thousands of people who have contributed but here are just a few;

To all the children from Cornerspring Montessori School in Belfast. I really appreciated your efforts to share some toys with the kids in Iraq.

Thanks to Sherry Stigge for your nice letter, you kind words and your toy donation.

Melissa Wynne in Congers, New York, thanks so much for your donation.

Angela Cross in Athens Ohio, thanks for the great bottle of Kim Chi

Elizabeth thanks for the wonderful Snowman card

Thanks to Charlotte Facella for the check you sent me, Fred Ferguson, and  Marie Henderson, thanks for your checks too.

Thanks for a very nice letter from Tami Fletcher, Charles Siczek, and Terry someone.

A warm thanks goes out to the Shenango Presbyterian Church in New Castle, PA, for their two big boxes of stuff.

And I love you too, Jennie and Hannah Wade, in North Carolina

Thanks to who ever sent the huge Snoopy Stuffed Animal, it was fantastic and made one little kid really happy.

Thanks so much for the eleven bikes, which will be special gifts to just the right kids.

Hey you kids in North Quincy High, period ONE, you are totally awesome. Love you guys.

And of course Cecelia Wright, Janas Jackson, David latham, Terry Simpson, Mike Kolasinski, and Jean Ann, at Corporate Communications at FedEx, who were just so incredible this past holiday season with all that you donated. I love all of you!!!!!!!.

Another huge load was delivered yesterday FedEx, some 43 boxes, over 800 pounds, that is just so cool. Fedex you really do deliver. By the way I need your pictures from the deliveries if you are reading this.

It was worth it

While the democrats jockey for position during this election year, each perhaps posing questions for the president perpetuating the debate over the reasons for the decisions made that brought us here in the first place, there are many signs and many wonderful things, even historical changes taking place, which testify that it was the right thing to do. 

In a recent article in the Stars and Stripes Mideast Edition, which is our military paper, many of these changes in our world were identified, and we were asked to consider the ramifications of these changes. Tom Neumann wrote this article and I quote.

• â€œFollowing the capture of Saddam Hussein just four weeks ago, Libya’s dictator and longtime sponsor of terrorism Moammar Gadhafi quickly caved, renouncing weapons of mass destruction and declaring a new fealty to the west.
• Iranian leaders opened their nuclear plants to international inspection and are now talking openly about rapprochement with the United States
• Syria, longtime ally of Saddam and headquarters of Hamas and other terrorist groups, is now effectively isolated. Weak and divided, it has no friends or allies among the Arab states. Syria is rushing to patch up relations with neighboring Turkey and hoping to improve relations with the United States. The price will be ending their countries support of terrorism
• Palestinian leaders, meanwhile, publicly acknowledge that they are more confused and divided then ever. As the whole Arab world seeks better relations with the US, Yasser Arafat appears increasingly irrelevant, his authority diminished and his days as dictator and terrorist leader finally numbered. Call it the domino affect.
• In Iraq, the first domino to fall, the planned insurrection has collapsed. Though violence by a few regrettably continues, overall violence is decreasing. Moves toward establishing a free and democratic society, recognizing human rights and the rule of law are inexorably moving forward.
• Even Osama bin Laden is admitting that things have not gone his way, as Muslims states choose to strengthen their ties with America rather than join his benighted anti-American crusade.

Further in the article he concludes by stating that Middle East experts of every persuasion are expressing their amazement in the success we are experiencing. The latest developments suggest American policy has been consistent and events now prove it was the right policy.

It is America’s critics who failed to understand the subtleties of American culture, and American resolve. They also underestimated this nation’s political and military courage. They understood our power, but did not think we had the courage to use it.

As a nation, we should probably remind ourselves that we are fortunate to have such bright and principled people in government as we have. We are fortunate to have the clear-sighted political and military leadership of those who recognized the soundness of the plan and put it into effect�. END

I enjoyed the article and its positive tone about the course of events that have brought us to where we are. While not perfect, the plan has worked and the proof of that is evident each and every day as we continue to make strides towards improving life for 25 million Iraqis. I am a witness and a testament to the success of our efforts to win the hearts and minds of these people. But, as would be expected, in this land of extreme diversity, we still have a long ways to go.

As expected our enemies will continue to make every effort to thwart our course and rattle our resolve, but we are determined to complete the task at hand. Our enemies have gathered their forces in an effort to use every possible means to demonstrate the failure of our misguided plan, as they define it.

But I am here to say that I have met the people, I see the difference, and I am convinced that this was the right thing to do for the Iraqi people and for the Middle East as a whole. Through our efforts we have an opportunity to introduce a new awareness of freedom, of equality, of tolerance, and of human rights, never before experienced by most of this people.

Yes there might be political and personal agendas and reasons that go way beyond my scope of understanding, but the bottom line to the Iraqi people is that they are free. We, the only nation with the courage and the resolve to carry forth, we came, we kicked butt, and now we are rebuilding, to the end that Iraq can proudly take its place in the world as a free nation.

Only those who have fought the fight and have made the sacrifices to obtain freedom understand its value and then in turn desire that all share in this God given right. Such individuals, who understood that freedom is not free, made our history.

There are many forces in the world that would want us to believe otherwise or that would paint good bad and bad good. There is opposition in all things, which we witness even amongst ourselves. I have seen and experienced opposition in everything I have attempted to do and it is real. The forces of evil will not accept change with out a fight, so we must be determined to fight also. This is an eternal struggle, which began in the beginning of time.

There was no other way, as history proves, for freedom comes at a price not all are willing to pay. For what is the price of a nation’s freedom?

This isn’t about being a Democrat or a Republican. This is about America, the bastion and keeper of the ring of freedom, using its ability to insure that freedom is available for all mankind. This is about the humanity of us as a people desiring for all to wear the ring and enjoy in its blessings.

One great year

The 7th of February marks my one-year anniversary, of being gone from home, mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom. So many fantastic things have happened this last year that it seems to have spanned much more than one years time. What can I say; it has been an eventful year, full of life experiences, which I will treasure forever. I have learned more than you can imagine about life and about myself. The windows of heaven opened and enlightened every step of my path.

I have sucked in a big breath of life, recharging every cell of my body, giving me a new exuberance for living, and a new resilience for difficulties. It was all so good, but I am ready to begin the journey home. But, I have many projects to work on when I get there, for this journey is not over yet, hopefully just the start of so many more magical things to come. Stay tuned to this same channel for more exciting adventures.

Rain at last

Well it is here the long awaited rainy season; the only time perhaps you will see puddles of rainwater. I am sure you can imagine what a huge amount of rain will do to a sand box like this one. Mud everywhere, the kind that sticks to your boots, making them twice as heavy when you walk around. We even had a thunderstorm, with huge bolts of lightening and horrendous thunder booms.

Our tent leaks too, but fortunately not over my cot,(I am one of the lucky ones).
I love the smell of rain, its coolness and invigorating noise. No complaints from my department.

The Chief Wiggles Comic Book is done, yippee!, off to the publishing company now. You are going to love it. 

One last comment for this entry, I have to admit I was really sad to leave the CPA Palace area, with all the people I had grown so close to. I definitely miss that place already.

Good night

Chief Wiggles,
And Have a great Day.