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The Weblog at The View from the Core - Tuesday, April 01, 2003
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"Text of Slain Soldier's Last Letter Home" By Diego Fernando Rincon, 19, who was killed Saturday, March 29, 2003. The letter, dated Feb. 22, was published in an AP article today at Yahoo! News: Hola Mother, How are you doing? Good I hope. I'm doing OK I guess. I won't be able to write anymore starting the 28th of this month. We are moving out. We are already packed and ready to move to a tactical Alpha-Alpha (in Iraq). Once that happens, there will not be any mail sent out. We will only receive mail that is less than 12 ounces. At least that's what they said. I'm not sure where exactly we're going be at yet, but it is said to be a 20-hour drive in the Bradleys. So I guess the time has finally come for us to see what we are made of, who will crack when the stress level rises and who will be calm all the way through it. Only time will tell. We are at the peak of our training and it's time to put it to the test. I just want to tell everybody how much you all mean to me and how much I love you all. Mother, I love you so much! I'm not going to give up! I'm living my life one day at a time, sitting here picturing home with a small tear in my eyes, spending time with my brothers who will hold my life in their hands. I try not to think of what may happen in the future, but I can't stand seeing it in my eyes. There's going to be murders, funerals and tears rolling down everybody's eyes. But the only thing I can say is, keep my head up and try to keep the faith and pray for better days. All this will pass. I believe God has a path for me. Whether I make it or not, it's all part of the plan. It can't be changed, only completed. Mother will be the last word I'll say. Your face will be the last picture that goes through my eyes. I'm not trying to scare you, but it's reality. The time is here to see the plan laid out. And hopefully, I'll be at home in it. I don't know what I'm talking about or why I'm writing it down. Maybe I just want someone to know what goes through my head. It's probably good not keeping it all inside. I just hope that you're proud of what I'm doing and have faith in my decisions. I will try hard and not give up. I just want to say sorry for anything I have ever done wrong. And I'm doing it all for you mom. I love you. P.S. Very Important Document. Your son, Diego Rincon God bless the family of Diego Fernando Rincon and have mercy on his soul. (Thanks, Phillip.) Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 08:54:45 PM |
Hurrah! Jessica Lynch Rescued! This news just made my day. :) Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 08:00:02 PM |
Pop Quiz If anybody can explain this of which I have had no knowledge until this very hour please let me know. (Unless, of course, you think it might be better if I didn't understand.) Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 07:53:02 PM |
"The PR War" A good column by Debra Saunders in today's San Francisco Chronicle: When mainstream journalists report both sides of racism -- pro and con, with equal weight -- or both sides of having a free press in America, then I'll believe that American media don't take sides on issues, and that there is at least a rationale for American media not rooting for U.S. troops to win in Iraq. But that day will never come.... Yes, San Francisco Chronicle. :) (Thanks, MM.) Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 06:05:20 PM |
Finally, a Crown Vide. Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 04:25:29 PM |
A Level of Sanity From a reader: I appreciate the work you are doing to keep a level of sanity available & accessible. Also enjoyed the "protestwarriors" link; have a few pictures printed in my office! Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 03:28:23 PM |
"I'll Take It From Here" A drawing ascribed to a GI. Margaret sent me this today, which had been forwarded to her as the work of a GI. There seems to be an inscription in the bottom right corner, but I cannot make it out. P.S. I see now that there is some controversy concerning the identity of the artist. The image is also here. Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 02:59:47 PM |
More on the Pope and the War A reader forwarded the following e-mail message:
It goes on to quote two Vatican Information Services articles, which I omit, and the following CWN article, Mar. 24: .... The Pope said: "When war, like the one underway in Iraq, threatens the future of humanity, it is even more important to proclaim, in a strong and decisive voice, that peace is the only way to build a more just and unified society." He added that "violence and arms can never resolve men's problems." The Pope's words -- his first public statement on the issue since the war began -- left no doubt that he hoped for an early end to military action. But the Pontiff stopped short of any moral condemnation of the war.... Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 02:49:04 PM |
"War in the Gulf: What the Pope Really Said" A valuable compilation by Sandro Magister at L'Espresso Online: There’s war in Iraq. A war strongly opposed up to the last minute by the Catholic Church. Opposed but never condemned, judging by what was said by its supreme authority, the pope. The media have not been clear about this lack of condemnation. They have almost always reported John Paul II’s words as if they declared an absolute anathema on this war, if not indeed on all wars. But there isn’t a trace of this condemnation in any of the frequent, relentless speeches in which the pope has called for peace in Iraq. To verify this, see John Paul II’s original texts on the theme, carried at the bottom of the page. Ending with the March 19 general audience, the texts stretch back to Jan. 1, the day the Church traditionally dedicates to world peace. In all of his speeches, the pope preaches peace, presenting it as an absolute imperative and the inescapable horizon of every decision that governments and individuals make. Yet he never goes so far as to define war in Iraq as “a crime against peace,” as have, for example, two of his aides, Archbishops Jean-Louis Tauran and Renato Martino.... (Thanks, Zoe.) Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 12:28:40 PM |
"Don't Ask the Media Who's Winning the War" A good article by Bobby Eberle at FrontPage Magazine today: The United States military is truly one of the marvels of the modern world. With sophisticated weaponry, exceptional training, and superior leadership, the men and women of our armed forces represent the absolute best combat force on the planet. Couple this force with the seasoned military planners and strategists back in Washington, and America has the team and the plan to win a decisive victory against Iraq. That is, unless you ask the media. According to America's media, not only is the war plan ill conceived, but worse yet, America is losing the war. A review of the transcripts from recent press briefings at the White House, Pentagon, and Central Command reveal an array of questions designed not to solicit information, but rather to solicit a denial. In fact, in many instances, the government and military briefers are not asked questions in which a simple statement of the facts will suffice. Time and time again, the briefers are presented with theoretical situations which they must deny and rebut. In other words, the media are often not working to report the news. Instead, they are looking to make news by throwing out a wild statement and seeing how the briefer responds. This is irresponsible at best, and a disservice to the American people who want to know what's going on with the war.... Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 08:20:49 AM |
Blog Stuff I have made a few more changes to the Links column on the main page: added Remember September 11; and, added Columnists. I am thinking now about switching from monthly archives to weekly. Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 08:08:16 AM |
"This is Not Vietnam - the Allies Are Well on the Way to Victory" In today's London Telegraph by military historian John Keegan: Somewhere in my collection of First World War ephemera I have a picture postcard of Blackpool, sent on August 6, 1914, two days after the outbreak, which reads: "Dear Dot, All the trains have stopped, so we are staying until it is over." The inability to read how military events are unfolding is not a new phenomenon. The writer of the postcard might be excused, however. In 1914 Britain had not been involved in a serious war for nearly 100 years. The headless chickens whose cluckings and splutterings currently fill the media are more blameworthy. War has been their staple diet for much of their professional lives, but they seem to have made precious little effort to understand what they are paid to report. And in the age of rolling news, even the fair-minded are hampered by the scramble to react to the last reported event. Yet, by disregarding the stimulus of television on the hour, it is perfectly possible to take a long-term view of events in Iraq. The secret is to rule a sheet of paper into double columns and put favourable factors into one, unfavourable factors into the other and strike a balance. The favourable factors outweigh the unfavourable by a considerable margin.... (Thanks, Bill.) Lane Core Jr. CIW P Tue. 04/01/03 07:22:44 AM |
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