Tony Blair, Father of 4, Killer of many more.
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Kirkby Times salutes Sergeant Ryan M. Campbell
Honour the young man
Who always knows better
But sometimes does worse
Than the thoughts in his head
Too young for surprises
Too eager for prizes
Honour the young man
The young man lies dead
Alexis Korner - Song: Honour the Young man.
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to
you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it
from our Children." American Indian Proverb.
Kirkby Times has been sent an article or letter, written by the sister of one of
the American lads killed over in Iraq. Though this website from Day 1 of the War was
in opposition to the war and has strongly criticised the Americans, this does not
mean that the Americans are all monsters. Many of those who shot up innocent
civilians were once people like you or me. War brutalises men and turning men
into killers is not too difficult a task. If you want to see the most dangerous
creature to ever walk this planet - simply go to a mirror and take a look.
All of us reading this are capable of great kindness or cruelty, or maybe indifference.
The men who planned this war are old men, they always are. The ones who fight are
mostly young men. Most USA soldiers are just men who were told they were fighting to rid
Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. Many feel utterly let down, but still see the fight
as a job. It's what they've been trained or conditioned to do. Soldiers don't pick who
they fight or where or why. It's a bad job to be in when the Worlds at War or gearing up
for it. In peacetime, it's not a bad career and is an interesting life. This is the
worse time a young man could choose the Armed Forces as a career.
Like many American men before them, some of these young soldiers were foolish enough to
believe the lies of politicians. Some applauded bush and believed in the 'American Dream'
as they sailed or flew to Iraq. We can forgive the naivety of youth but can we forgive
the cold calculated lies which sent them to their deaths? Below is just one story of
one of the 1200 plus Americans who have been killed in action in this War. One more
young man, who at first believed in what he was fighting for, then later learnt that
all was not what it seemed. Just like Vietnam, the troops have been tricked into
fighting the war, but a soldiers job as we all hear is not to question why. Yet,
they obviously do question things as we will read from the sister of this trooper
killed by an IED explosion. For many of the young Americans, they, like most of
the participants of war, are caught up in an almost impossible situation once
they are out there.
"One does not sell the land people walk on." ... Crazy Horse, A True Native
American and victim of the USA holocaust of native Indians. Sept. 23, 1875.
US Army Victim No 832
For Sergeant Ryan M Campbell, the price he paid was the highest paid by any soldier.
He was victim No 832, a statistic to some, but to his family and loved ones, and his
comrades in arms still stuck in the hell of Iraq, he was someone they loved, a man they
respected. No occupation in the World brings with it the camaraderie of soldiers or men
in combat. He was a man with a sense of humour, a decent bloke by all accounts and not
an enthusiastic killer like some. His character could not be made any clearer than by
his request that in the event of his death the photo displayed above was requested to
be placed on his coffin. This act in itself says more about the man than a million
words could articulate. Out of the cruelty of war come acts of kindness. How many
American soldiers out there might have looked at the Iraqi children playing and known
in there heart that this war is a shameful act? America knew that the children would
suffer the worse. They knew the children would die and be orphaned and displaced.
This was never planned by Sgt Ryan and his comrades - but every generation seems
to fall in line and do the bidding of the old men who selfishly choose to be the
planners of wars - and not the participants.
The working class are the IED fodder. We are the disposable heroes who are called upon
to sacrifice our lives so that the rich and powerful may benefit. We fight for land we'll
never own, we fight for resources we'll never see shared, we fight for democracy which turns
into a police state and takes away the rights our fathers and grandfathers fought so bitterly
for. Tony Blair and the pack of war mongering businessmen, who backed this War, may well
have driven the station wagon packed with 500 pounds of explosives which killed Ryan
Campbell and his comrades as they cleared improvised explosive devices. Our politicians
played there role in this death, more so than the suicide bomber who has reacted to
the politicians plans being put into effect. Other soldiers killed in the attack
were Staff Sergeant Esau G. Patterson Jr., 25, of Ridgeland, South Carolina; Staff
Sergeant Jeffrey F. Dayton, 27, of Caledonia, Mississippi; Specialist James L.
Beckstrand, 27, of Escondido, California; Specialist Justin B. Schmidt, 23,
of Bradenton, Florida; Private First Class Ryan E. Reed, 20, of Colorado Springs,
Colorado; Private First Class Norman Darling, 29, of Middleboro, Massachusetts;
and Private First Class Jeremy Ricardo Ewing, 22, of Miami, Florida.
The suicide bomber was not named. He too will be mourned.
Had Tony Blair simply stood up to Bush, all the people named above might well be alive,
sitting with there families celebrating New Years Eve and reading in the newspapers about
UN inspectors in Iraq finding no weapons of mass destruction.
A Letter From A Bereaved American
To Whom It May Concern,
I found out that my brother, Sergeant Ryan M. Campbell, was dead during a graduate
seminar at Emory University on April 29, 2004. Immediately after a uniformed officer
knocked at my mother's door to deliver the message that broke her heart, she called me
on my cell phone. She could say nothing but "He's gone." I could say nothing but "No."
Over and over again we chanted this refrain to each other over the phone as I made my
way across the country to hold her as she wept.
I had made the very same trip in February, cutting classes to spend my brother's two weeks'
leave from Baghdad with him. Little did I know then that the next time I saw him would be
at Arlington National Cemetery. During those days in February, my brother shared with me
his fear, his disillusionment, and his anger. "We had all been led to believe that Iraq
posed a serious threat to America as well as its surrounding nations," he said. "We
invaded expecting to find weapons of mass destruction and a much more prepared
and well-trained Republican Guard waiting for us. It is now a year later, and
alas, no weapons of mass destruction or any other real threat, for that matter."
Ryan was scheduled to complete his one-year assignment to Iraq on April 25. But on April 11,
he emailed me to let me know not to expect him in Atlanta for a May visit, because his
tour of duty had been involuntarily extended. "Just do me one big favour, ok?" he
wrote. "Don't vote for Bush. No. Just don't do it. I would not be happy with you."
Last night, I listened to George W. Bush's live, televised speech at the Republican
National Convention. He spoke to me and my family when he announced, "I have met with
parents and wives and husbands who have received a folded flag, and said a final
goodbye to a soldier they loved. I am awed that so many have used those meetings
to say that I am in their prayers and to offer encouragement to me. Where does
strength like that come from? How can people so burdened with sorrow also feel
such pride? It is because they know their loved one was last seen doing good.
Because they know that liberty was precious to the one they lost. And in those
military families, I have seen the character of a great nation: decent, and
idealistic, and strong."
This is my reply: Mr. President, I know that you probably still "don't do body counts," so
you may not know that almost one thousand U.S. troops have died doing what you told them
they had to do to protect America. Ryan was Number 832. Liberty was, indeed, precious to
the one I lost-- so precious that he would rather have gone to prison than back to Iraq
in February. Like you, I don't know where the strength for "such pride" on the part of
people "so burdened with sorrow" comes from; maybe I spent it all holding my
mother as she wept. I last saw my loved one at the Kansas City airport, staring after
me as I walked away. I could see April 29 written on his sad, sand-chapped and sunburned
face. I could see that he desperately wanted to believe that if he died, it would be
while "doing good," as you put it. He wanted us to be able to be proud of him.
Mr. President, you gave me and my mother a folded flag instead of the beautiful boy
who called us "Moms" and "Brookster." But worse than that, you sold my little
brother a bill of goods. Not only did you cheat him of a long meaningful life,
but you cheated him of a meaningful death. You are in my prayers, Mr. President,
because I think that you need them more than anyone on the face of the planet.
But you will never get my vote.
So to whom it may concern: Don't vote for Bush. No. Just don't do it. I would
not be happy with you.
Sincerely,
Brooke M. Campbell
Atlanta, GA
Thanks to the person who forwarded the article, full acknowledgment for the letter
is given to truthout.com who were the first to publish it and of course to Sergeant Ryan M.
Campbell's sister who took a brave step in speaking out and airing her feelings and her
brothers thoughts
Thanks to some of our American readers, and of course all the ex and serving soldiers out
there who read the website. One day you might well be fighting the people who now order
you around.
Sadly, Bush was elected. He has even won the Time Magazine award of the year 2004.
It's ironic that a stupid draft dodging spoilt son of the privileged can be seen as a hero
to many Americans. The Bush family is another ruling elite in America, similar to the old
upper class landowners and Royal scroungers here. The Iraq war fills the bank accounts of
the Bush clan and those of there privileged friends. The people who profit off this war,
the arms makers and the government officials who sanction the sales -are the enemies of
all working class people.
America at its worse is an evil Empire.
At its best, America gave us Charlie Chaplin, Blues music and Jazz and some great
art and literature. When they are creative - Americans can be great people. This is true
for all of us.
At its saddest, the USA is a soldier who makes a last request that a photo of
an Iraqi child and himself is put on his coffin. Of all the horror he saw in Iraq,
it is fitting that this young lad would hold this image dear to his heart. We only
hope this young girl is also alive and well.
We can only hope that one day soon, perhaps the Iraqis will once again invite us
to enjoy the hospitality of a people who wish only to be left to live in peace.
Good luck to all Working Class people out there.
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