Words from the front-lines

“The reality right now is that the most dangerous opinion in the world is the opinion of a U.S. serviceman.” – Lance Corporal Devin Kelly, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Iskandariyah, Iraq.

“We’re basically proving out that the government is wrong. We’re catching them in a lie.” – Lance Corporal Alexander Jones, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Iskandariyah, Iraq.

“We don’t give a crap. What are they going to do, send us to Iraq?” - Corporal Brandon Autin, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Iskandariyah, Iraq, commenting on the possibility that he might be punished for telling reporters how he felt about the war.

“If we did half the shit back home we’ve done here, we’d be in prison … Where the fuck did Jesus say it’s OK to kill people for your government? Any priest who tells me that has got no credibility.” – Anonymous Marine Sergeant, after a conversation with his chaplain, Baquba, Iraq.

“What does the American public think happens when they tell us to assault a city? Marines don’t shoot rainbows out of our asses. We fucking kill people.” – Anonymous Marine, commenting on the shooting of a wounded man in a Fallujah mosque.

“When I went [to Iraq] to begin with, there was a mission. …I don’t trust the people sending me over there. I have to stay focused, give it 100 percent. I just don’t agree with it. The war cannot be won. It won’t be won, not now, not ever. We’re getting maimed for bullshit.” – Army Sgt. Fred Bemis

“Given the choice, I would never have wanted to fire a gun. But it didn’t work out that way. I’d like a thousand boring missions rather than one interesting one.” – Corporal Chris Merrell, Fallujah, Iraq.

“We think Bush is an asshole for starting a war over nothing, trying to get money and oil. That’s what Paul thought. I think they should just get the boys out of there now. If not we’re going to lose a lot more than this.” – Craig Lowe, commenting on the death of his friend. Both served in the Scottish Black Watch regiment.

“If Tony Blair is so keen to be here, he should send his son over. To be honest I can’t understand what it is we are supposed to be doing here. Iraqis don’t want to kill each other, they only want to kill us.” – Trooper Tim Clews, Queen’s Dragoon Guards, Camp Dogwood, Iraq.

“Every day you read articles in the states when it’s like ‘Oh, it’s getting better and better.’ But when you’re here, you know it’s worse every day.” – Lance Corporal Jonathan Snyder, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Iskandariyah, Iraq.

“How do I put this? First of all, this is a whole different thing. We’re supposed to be looking for al Qaeda. They’re the ones who are supposedly responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. This has no connection at all to Sept. 11 because this war started just by telling us about all the nuclear warheads over here.” – Lance Corporal Carlos Perez, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Iskandariyah, Iraq.

“This is Vietnam. I don’t even know why we’re over here fighting. We’re fighting for survival. The Iraqis don’t want us here. If they wanted us here, they’d help us. They’re certainly not helping us in this city.” – Corporal Daniel Planalp, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Ramadi, Iraq.

“The funny thing that we laugh at sometimes is that the terrorists and us want the same thing. We don’t want to be here and they don’t want us here.” – Lance Corporal Jamie Sutton, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Ramadi, Iraq.

“The only question for us is how many of us have gotta die before we get to go home.” – Anonymous GI, 4th Infantry Division, Baquba, Iraq.

Sources:
Steve Fainaru, "Frustrating Fight Some in Iraq Question How and Why War Is Being Waged," Washington Post, October 10, 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20794-2004Oct9.html
Evan Wright, "Dead-check in Falluja," Village Voice, November 24, 2004, http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0447/wright.php
Toby Harnden, "'I got my kills ... I just love my job,'" Telegraph, September 11, 2004, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/11/09/wir q109.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/11/09/ixnewstop.html 30, 2004
Richard Smith And Jane Kerr, "Black Watch Brother's Fury," the Daily Mirror, November 6, 2004 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14840699&method=fu ll&siteid=50143&headline=black-watch-brother-s-fury-name_page.html
Padraic Flanagan and Richard Lloyd Parry, "Under fire in Camp Dogwood," BBC News, November 3, 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3979669.stm
Mike Argento, "Marine in Iraq: 'It's worse every day,'" York Daily Record, October 14, 2004, http://ydr.com/story/mike/45557/
Edward Wong, "Leathernecks Guard the Streets of Ramadi, Itching for a Fight With an Invisible Foe," New York Times, October 24, 2004, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20711FF3D590C778ED DA90994DC404482
Borzou Daragahi, "Hatred, fear reign after 'liberation' Violence, anarchy cutting too close to home for some," San Francisco Chronicle, October 15, 2004, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/10/15/MNGOV9 AHEO1.DTL