The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Speechless and Stunned

5.29.07 @ 12:01AM

FAITHFUL AND BRAVE
Re: Jeff Emanuel's The Lost Heroes of the War on Terror:

Thank you, Jeff Emanuel, for your article "The Lost Heroes of the War on Terror." Left me speechless; we in the free world have a lot to thank the U.S. and our own servicemen and women for.
-- G. Constable
Sydney, Australia

I wish to thank the Editors of The American Spectator, and Mr. Emanuel in particular for this fine article honoring America's finest. God Bless them and their loved ones. All will be in my prayers.
-- Jim Karr
U.S. Army, 1966-70

To Mr. Emanuel, I say thank you for your fine article. To the heroes mentioned and to all the others unmentioned I also say thank you.

I have printed the article and will take it home this evening and make it clear to my sons, 13 and 9, that they must read the article and discuss it briefly with Dad before setting about Memorial Day fun. School is dismissed today, but they have one more assignment awaiting them this evening.

Thanks again. I am left speechless and stunned after reading about these brave and faithful warriors.
-- Dave Mills
Rolla, Missouri

Thank you for the outstanding reminder that America still does have incredible heroes. To so willingly sacrifice their own lives for their friends is extraordinarily moving and raises my pride in our military to new levels. I was personally reminded of that pride when I attended a military retirement ceremony for one of my friends yesterday. He worked in the personnel office and never had the opportunity to deploy or face the dangers of a battlefield. But his high moral courage, personal integrity, and his love for the people he worked with not only set a standard of excellence in his unit but his presence brought out the best in everyone around him. He simply pulled the goodness out of them. The heart-felt comments made by his fellow workers and his family at the ceremony made me realize that he is one of those heroes that will also not be soon forgotten. Master Sergeant Andre Mickens is owed a debt of gratitude for his enduring 25 years of service to this nation. There will be no glory this side of heaven, but I for one am so thankful for Andre and others of his kind who dedicate their lives to strengthen our nation.
-- Lt. Col. Rick Hensley, USAF (retired)
Colorado Springs, Colorado

I'm sure you're going to get a LOT of mail on this powerful story. I won't belabor the point that many writers better than me will make. I will simply quote a verse from a Coldplay song:

Tears stream
Down your face
When you loose something
You cannot replace.

These irreplaceable men and women serving the country in Iraq and Afghanistan are incredible. I need to go bawl...
-- Karl F. Auerbach
Crying in Eden, Utah

I would like to thank Jeff Emanuel for doing the job the American Mainstream Media won't do. Early on in this war I dedicated some of my decreasing memory cells to always remember the names of the men awarded the Medal of Honor in this conflict. Why? I knew the MSM media would almost ignore the actions of these brave men. I would like to add two names to Mr. Emanuel's list that I'm sure he only left off due to space constraints: Sgt 1st Class Paul Smith, USA, awarded the Medal of Honor for actions very similar to those of Lt. Audie Murphy in the ETO. And Sgt Raphael Peralta, USMC, under consideration for the Medal of Honor for smothering a grenade with his body. The MSM should be profiling the courage of men like these this Memorial Day, but they won't. I'll raise a glass to these men this weekend, and also to Jeff Emanuel for profiling some of them.

Does the Spectator have Bev Gunn and Diane Smith on salary? If not, Why not?
-- J.R. Horning, MSgt, Retired
Klamath Falls, Oregon

Thank you for Jeff Emanuel's "The Lost Heroes of the War on Terror." These amazing young men demonstrate more clearly than anything possible the great gulf between their culture and that of the enemy. Those heroes sacrificed their lives that other may live; the enemy kills himself for the sole purpose of murdering others.
-- Roger D. McKinney
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Thanks to Mr. Emanuel for bringing together in one place the stories of these brave men and their incredible sacrifice -- and for reminding at least one old man what selfless love in practice can accomplish.

God bless the memories of these four heroes and those of every other man or woman in the armed services who've laid down their lives. And God bless all those who serve and who have served.

Letter to the Editor

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