A Tribute to Our Soldiers in Iraq

I am not a political person. I am a registered voter, and I make every attempt to listen to candidates and go to the polls on each election day. I am registered to a political party, and I think my views follow the basic views of my party. However, I am not a die-hard follower. I am probably the type of voter that the candidates love; I can possibly be swayed if they promise just the right thing or make a stand on an issue that I feel is relevant. I also do not have a strong opinion of the war in Iraq. Call me what you will for my stand, or lack thereof, but sometimes I feel that it was a necessary evil, and other times I feel that we should just pack up and get out of Dodge. One thing I do believe, though, is that everyone in America should thank a soldier for doing his or her job. Since I don't know any soldiers who are serving in Iraq personally, here is an open letter, a thank you of sorts, to all of our protectors serving overseas. I am glad that I have Associated Content so that I may be able to present this to some of them.

Dear Soldier,
Thank you. Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for volunteering to step up and protect those of us who get to sleep comfortably in our beds at night. We tuck our own children into their beds while you are lucky to talk to yours on the phone now and then. Some of you have children you have never met. Your sacrifice is more than we civilians have a right to ask for.

I don't know anyone who is serving in Iraq. The only facts I know are the ones I hear on television. I have been sobered by the death, injuries, and pain exposed on HBO's Baghdad ER. I cannot bear to watch the reality show for long periods of time, though you don't have the option of turning it off. I work in a dental office, and a couple of times I have donated as much toothpaste and toothbrushes as I could get my hands on, hoping that these little gifts would make a small difference in the life of a few soldiers. I would love to send a care package on my own, but tight security seems to prevent packages from being sent unless the sender knows the soldier.

Your reality is a different one than mine. The desert is brutal. Maybe you carry your weapon everywhere you go, even to the bathroom. You worry about driving down the street. Your enemy hides in plain sight. You may worry that even a small child's betrayal could cost you your life.

We hear the war stories. The one that tells us how Silly String, a children's toy we can purchase at any local Wal-Mart, saves the lives of soldiers by exposing tiny, hidden trip wires that were set up to kill. And the one about how soccer balls can entice the local children to show you where hidden explosives are located. We have also heard the one about the soldier whose life was saved even when he had a rocket-propelled grenade embedded into his torso (ABC's 20/20 featured this miraculous story about Private Channing Moss on last week's episode.)

Though we try to understand where you are, both your physical position and your emotional one, only those closest to you come close to comprehending your true state of being. Each weekday morning, at around 8:30 a.m., one of Tampa Bay's local radio stations (http://www.tampabaysq105.com) airs a tribute to the soldiers. Radio DJ Mason Dixon, a huge proponent of the soldiers in Iraq, begins the tribute with a moment of silence and then plays a moving rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. This is just one small way we have of remembering where you are and what you are doing for us. The vast majority of Americans support you, even those who do not necessarily support why you are there. You are in our prayers, even if we do not know your name.

Thank you.