"I need you all to understand why I do what I do" (Wizbang)

A soldier speaks to his young daughter, to his son, to his wife... and to you and me:

Grace, I need you. And I need your Mom. And I need your baby brother Nick too. I need you all.
And I need you all to understand why I do what I do. I need you to understand that I believe in something bigger than myself. I need you to understand that I believe in an America where you are able to walk down streets or go to the mall with your friends without fear of suicide bombers.
And I need you to understand that I believe in what I'm doing in Afghanistan.
I believe with all my heart that little girls like you should be able to go to school over there and get an education. I believe they should be able to do so without fear of being poisoned by bad men driven by bad ideas. I believe those little girls in Afghanistan deserve the same kind of opportunities you will have as you grow up.
I need you to understand that I believe that my job in Afghanistan is crucial to an American future where 9/11 plots cannot be planned in the rugged mountains of that country. I need you to understand that I don't want you to be afraid every time you board an airplane, and that I'm willing to do something about it to make sure it doesn't happen again.
And as I will be gone for the next 12 months, I need you to understand, in your own little way, that Daddy is doing what he thinks is best. And honorable. And noble. And just. And brave.
For us. For them. For you.

God bless and keep Gabe Haugland and his family. God protect him and those like him.

And might we all understand better the sacrifices made by our military.

H/T Blackfive.

Credits

Section Editor: Maggie Whitton

Editors: Jay Tea, Lorie Byrd, Kim Priestap, DJ Drummond, Michael Laprarie, Baron Von Ottomatic, Shawn Mallow, Rick, Dan Karipides, Michael Avitablile, Charlie Quidnunc, Steve Schippert

Emeritus: Paul, Mary Katherine Ham, Jim Addison, Alexander K. McClure, Cassy Fiano, Bill Jempty, John Stansbury, Rob Port

In Memorium: HughS

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Comments (8)

Just in case any... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by irongrampa | July 29, 2010 12:33 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)

irongrampa:

Just in case anybody needed an example of what makes this country great.

Safe Home, trooper.

Posted on July 29, 2010 12:33

Yes, God bless.... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by 914 | July 29, 2010 12:33 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)

914:

Yes, God bless.

I want to know this guys ad... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Gladius | July 29, 2010 3:32 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)

Gladius:

I want to know this guys address over there...I'll send him stuff. Help me out Rick. I have sent packages to Iraq before to my son's friends and they really like it. Peanuts,jerkey,plastic ties(no kidding), soap, tooth paste and Duct Tape. Any thing you can get in the box from the POST Office will be used.

Posted on July 29, 2010 15:32

Thanks to he and the others... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Roy | July 29, 2010 3:54 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Roy:

Thanks to he and the others who do what they do, so we're free to do what we do.

Posted on July 29, 2010 15:54

Gabe's the kind of man Geor... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by DJ Drummond | July 29, 2010 5:20 PM | Score: 10 (12 votes cast)

DJ Drummond:

Gabe's the kind of man George Washington and Ike Eisenhower hoped would follow in their boot-steps.

...

... and he represents the kind of honor and valor men like Barack Obama will never understand.

Posted on July 29, 2010 17:20

"We sleep safe in our beds ... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Gmac | July 29, 2010 5:26 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

Gmac:

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."

George Orwell

I for one am very glad that there are men and women who put it all on the line for us. It is a task not easily shouldered and at times seems very unappreciated.

Posted on July 29, 2010 17:26

Thank to him we are free.</... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by hcddbz | July 29, 2010 5:43 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

hcddbz:

Thank to him we are free.

Duty Honor Country
by General Douglas MacArthur

And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory?
Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.

His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.

But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements.

Posted on July 29, 2010 17:43

Gabe, Thank you so... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Jennifer | July 30, 2010 1:21 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Jennifer:

Gabe,

Thank you so much for your letter. I wish I could say more...your letter crosses time and speaks to more than your children, but to all those children who had dad's head off to war(and some who did not return).

My prayers for you and yours.

Posted on July 30, 2010 01:21

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