Whether or not you support the war in Iraq, there should be little debate as to the yeoman's work being doing by our sons and daughters and husbands and wives in uniform. Roughly 1000 Americans have died in combat in Iraq, and many have also died in Afghanistan serving their country.
Whether or not these soldiers believed in the war they were fighting, they have by and large done their duty professionally and competently. The nature of war, though, is that people die- regardless of how professional, well-trained, and competent they may be.
This is the story of Echo Company. It's a story of death and pain and suffering, both for the soldiers and those they left behind.
On all sides of the intersection that marked the Ramadi marketplace, Iraqi fighters with AK-47's and rocket-propelled grenade launchers had taken positions on the roofs of the one-story buildings. A heavy .50-caliber Russian-made machine gun was on one corner rooftop, where the gunner could sweep the street. Other fighters were hidden behind trees just beyond the market stalls.
About 50 well-armed insurgents were waiting for Wroblewski and his Marines.
This is not a story with a happy ending, but it is a story about sacrifice and duty and honor. Those are not Progressive or Conservative values. They're American values. When you read this story, remember that all of these people volunteered to be soldiers. Then reach for the Kleenex.
