You should have written this letter to George Bush. The comic strip didn’t get your friend attacked or put your friend in harm’s way.

I’m the author of In Poor Taste. I’m currently a live caricature artist at Universal Studios in Orlando and I’ve worked at other parks. I’ve drawn a lot of veterans talked to a lot of veterans, and just last week I did a drawing of a guy and his girlfriend. I found that he couldn’t see my drawing because he’d been in an IED attack and part of his brain had been damaged. Apperantly a 1/4 of his skull had been replaced with a titanium plates. He then brought up the fact he was disappointed that his plate wasn’t setting off metal detectors. Naturally after that we both started cracking jokes about it.

I also went to high school in Beaver Dam, WI home of two of Wisconsin’s combat casualities. My sister had a tendancy of wrecking cars so my parents were frequent customers at the body shop at which Ryan Cantafio worked. My dad, a veteran himself, still breaks into tears every time the subject comes up. Ryan didn’t have any great ambitions in life. It seemed all he wanted from life was to live in piddly little Beaver Dam WI get married and have a family. Instead he’s now dead and for no good reason. He didn’t die for freedom, he didn’t die for democracy, he didn’t die to protect the country. I could go on about how Iraq has nothing to do with the war on terror but I’ll stop there. I sure as hell hoped he believed he was doing one of those things, because I’d hate to think that the people who are dying and getting wounded believe it is all in vain.

If you think I’m ignorant of what is really happening you are dead wrong. My dad made it a point to educate me on the nature of the military and war. Service to your country sounds like a noble thing until you begin to consider how the government has historically treated such a commitment. Whenever people tell me I should feel thankful towards the soldiers I don’t feel any gratitude. Rather all that comes to mind is “I’m sorry”. It is disgusting how noble idealism of the common citizen soldier is cheaply exploited.

The humor of that particular strip is of a colder nature. Throwing sarge and beetle bailey into the savage reality of war. Something they never come close to. I don’t know what army they’re in, but it clearly isn’t one that fights in wars.

Perhaps you should consider how pathetic it is that a gag comic strip has struck closer to reality than the newspapers you read or the evening news. For some weird reason our media shies away from showing the real carnage of combat. Controlling what we see to avoid offending our sensabilities. Aside from a combat medic sending pictures to an independent publication I worked for a few years ago, I’ve had to dig around on the internet to find what IED attacks really looks like. It ain’t pretty.

You may find what I’ve drawn and the things I’ve said as insensative. You are entitled to your own point of view. Personally I think ignorance and denial reality make legitimate problems even worse. I confess to knowing little about war, but I wonder how most people would feel about it if they had the same marginal understanding.

War is violence. War is death. Young men have been dying and getting wounded in similarly horrible and disfiguring ways since World War I, when explosives began to come into common usage. It’s nothing new and its never going to stop. That’s the nature of war.

Well said, that should be published. Only when we stop complaining about comics like this one, and start confronting the politicians that send our friends and family off to die, will they stop using the troops as playthings. If you really love and support our boys and girls in Iraq, do your hardest to bring them home.

I’m 21. I shouldn’t have to go to funerals for grade school friends. Maybe in 40 years. But not now. When I think of them holding guns, being shot at, we’re all 9 and on the playground again. Playing with squirt guns and G.I. Joes, not sniper rifles and IEDs.

“Whenever people tell me I should feel thankful towards the soldiers I don’t feel any gratitude.”

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. — George Orwell

Sleep on, you pitiful slug.

Interesting that you quoted Orwell. Have you happened to read his blueprint for the Patriot Act?

Sleep on in blissful ignorance, someone’s watching you and keeping you “safe.” Ahhh ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! -Dick Cheney

I can’t say anything he ever wrote would support the Patriot Act. No true Conservative would support it either.

“He is best known for two novels critical of totalitarianism in general, and Stalinism in particular: Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Both were written and published towards the end of his life.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell

Pitful slug? Thanks that’s a good one. I’ll write that down. Please explain how the war in Iraq is one that keeps us safe I’ve been wondering about that for years.

You didn’t bother reading everything else I’ve said or it didn’t take. Use that little stump in that vaccumm between your ears and made you might say something a little more intellectually stimulating.

1984

“Please explain how the war in Iraq is one that keeps us safe I’ve been wondering about that for years.”

Ask the Spanish how appeasement worked out for them.

You do any wondering how there haven’t been any attacks on US soil since 9-11? Just lucky you suppose?

Hi, I’m Ashley, I wrote this letter to the editor.

The point of the letter was not to either criticize or support the Iraq war. The point is much simpler than that—I was offend and upset by the fact that people who are actually dying were represented as Saturday morning cartoon characters in a comic satire. Especially when someone I care so dearly about was in the exact situation featured just a week earlier.

To Monty Rohde: I appreciate your response as the comic’s author, and I can certainly agree to disagree. I think you made some good points, but you also made some I disagree with. As I said, the letter was not intended to either support or oppose the Iraqi war, and I have no desire to debate the topic further.

You did, however, mention that you Dad still cries every time Ryan Cantafio is mentioned. I wonder how your Dad would react to your comic. Regardless of how tragic Ryan’s death is (and it is very tragic) or if his death had any reason (and I’m sure there are many people who would disagree with you when you say it doesn’t) I simply wonder if your Dad would feel that the comic honors Ryan’s memory? I don’t feel it honors anyone, and that is where I take offense.

Hello, my name is PFC Kyle Kumbier. The letter that was published in the Badger Herald in response to the comic is about me. I am “Joe.” Or as many refer to the collective Army infantry troops as GI Joe. Ashley, the person who wrote the letter is my best friend. Her and I do not agree on much when it comes to the Army and even when i joined she tried to talk me out of it. I was a student at UW-Madison before i joined the army. I was one of you. A college student, full of ideas on how to change the world and make it a better place. A college student full of idealism.

I come from a long line of military service and have realitives who have been in every major american engagement since the War of 1812.  And service of country to me, is the most noble thing anyone can do.  But im not talking about running for congress, or some government position, im talking of serving as a soldier.  Now sure i was full of idealisms and thoughts on how heroic it would be to serve in combat.  Mainly I wanted to be able to kill the bad guy.  Hence why i joined the infantry, so i could go and kill the bad guy because for those of you who know the military, infantry is the foot soldier.  The man who is where, "the metal meets the meat."  I do a job that not many can, and very few want.  But i do it with pride.  I do it knowing im doing my country service.  Sure the life isn't easy, but when someone ever asks that great John F. Kennedy question... i can say i served unlike the creator of this comic strip who all he can say is he drew a comic and never did anything great with his life.  He draws comics, thats great, im glad he has found something he likes to do.  You know what i like to do?  Its not eating very little and not getting to shower everyday.  Its not being away from home for 15 months.  I like to teach.  I would give anything when my service is over to be a High School teacher.  But I am serving my country

The events that transpired on September 4th, 2007 will live in my memory for the duration of my life here on earth.  I've seen friends die I've held one of my best friends and told him to hang on.  I've pulled a man into a vehicle seeing the rest of his leg trail in chunks behind him.  I've cut off his pants to find nothing but a bloody stump at the groin, and trying to do my best to stem the flow of the bleeding by trying to find the femoral artery to cut the flow of bleeding.  And I question myself every day about the "what ifs."  I watched my friend die that day.  Someone like me, who had the guts to stand up and serve instead of hiding behind a comic.  I've seen an IED before, and let me tell you that you have no idea what the hell an IED is or an EFP for that matter which was the specific type of IED that hit vehicle 21 on that fateful day.

You may not believe in whats going on in Iraq and that we should be here, hell a lot of us dont believe in the cause either.  You may say you don't support the troops, thats fine, we will support you.  Not because we have too, but because we choose to.  So next time you decide to exercise your rights and vote, maybe stay home, because you haven't earned those rights like I have.  I paid for them with blood, sweat and tears.  Your freedom of speach means nothing to me, because i still have the freedom to knock you the hell out.  And to tell you the truth if i ever heard you talk bad about the armed services in my presence, or ever said that one of these boys died in vain.  Thats what i would do.  These boys died so others may live.  Randy Shelton, Joel Murray, and David Lane died so that i might make it home in May.  Duncan Crookston, and Joe Mixson gave their limbs so that i may have mine.  In the end its not about the idealisms and events that put us in this place because there isn't a single person that wants to be here.  Your voting put us here.  We are fathers and brothers, husbands and sons.  We left what we have behind in the states to come here so you wouldn't have to.  You ever hear of something called "the draft?"  We don't want to be here, we were told to go.  And saying you don't support the troops is like saying you don't support the "founding fathers."

To the the guy who drew the comic i have a quote for you;

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling, which thinks that nothing is worth war, is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” - John Stuart Mill ~ (1868)

The men who died are far better men than you or i could ever hope to be. I wouldn’t hesitate to trade 10 of you so i could have 1 of them back on this earth.

So remember when you go to sleep tonight, war is what won you those rights. Every man who died payed for your rights to speak in his blood. Do not dishonor that man. Just because you don’t believe what we are doing in Iraq doesn’t mean you need to share with the public pictures of war. I see those pictures so the ones i love back home can sleep well at night. You will never understand anything about war until you have lived it, until you have seen combat and seen your friends die. Until you yourself have been attacked will you know war. Until then you are a spectator. And i expect you will be one your entire life. Because it takes real men to do what we do.

Feel free to contact me:

kyle.kumbier@us.army.mil

PFC Kumbier, Kyle C. co 2-16 INF Unit# 41560 FOB Rustamiyah APOAE 09390-1560

I’m all ears…just remember, ive earned the right to say what i say. Yours was earned by the blood on my hands and from my own veins.

Thank you Kyle - people need to hear that. I needed to hear that someone else believes my son Duncan’s sacrifice was not in vain. They tell me he is a hero, but I think you deserve the title as well for having the courage to speak your mind. I pray for Duncan’s unit every day tp come home safe, as I would not wish this experience on another family. Know that he loves hearing from you guys, and is fighting the good fight still. Stay Strong, Lee Crookston

dear Crookston family,

There isn’t a day that goes by that i don’t think about Duncan and everything he must be going through now because of that day back in september. He is always in my thoughts and prayers and everything we do here in is because of him, Mixson, Shelton, Lane, and Murray. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t remember them in some way shape or form or that we don’t tell some story about them. There are times you turn around and out of the corner of your eye you see someone walking away. They kinda look like one of the guys and right away i think its them. I can’t tell you how many times I thought i saw shelton walking around the FOB or to the chow hall. All the guys are still here, in our hearts. And we miss them so much.

PFC Kyle Kumbier

Dear PFC Kumbier, I am also in the Army, not the Infantry, but an LVN or 68WM6. I work in the Burn ICU at BAMC and have cared for your Battle Buddy and his family since his arrival. They are an amazing family! Please don’t let the what-ifs cloud your vision or your focus. I applaud you for what you do and what you did! Take care and God Bless

Hello, PFC Kyle Kumbier,

Someday i hope you become one of us again… “A college student, full of ideas on how to change the world and make it a better place. A college student full of idealism.”

“I come from a long line of military service and have realitives who have been in every major american engagement since the War of 1812.” A fine tradition. One to be utterly proud of… but if as you say “…You may not believe in what’s going on in Iraq and that we should be here, hell a lot of us dont believe in the cause either.” well… then you yourself admit that blood is flowing freely for a “cause” and not necessarily “freedom” to believe in a cause. I just don’t understand… I am not even expressing this properly… I am sorry…

“service of country to me, is the most noble thing anyone can do.” So do it. Keep your head down. Come home. Teach our children to honor life… to think for themselves.

“… Now sure i was full of idealisms and thoughts on how heroic it would be to serve in combat. Mainly I wanted to be able to kill the bad guy. Hence why i joined the infantry, so i could go and kill the bad guy because for those of you who know the military, infantry is the foot soldier. The man who is where, “the metal meets the meat.”…” Profound words. Stirring to be sure… I wish i could believe them. I wish i could believe my cousin died for something beautiful and moving… and truthful and right… but he didn’t. He was an idealist in the worst way. He was slightly racist (against Whites and Non-Christians- but most especially- both). He was also severely stupid and beautiful and brave and perfect. 9/11 gave him what he was waiting for: a “cause”. And he found one. Someone else’s cause.

I just don’t understand…

Sir,I cannot see how you have paid for one single person’s rights with your “blood sweat and tears.”… certainly not mine or the rights of this artist that has become the object of you frustrations. The fool won the geographic\logistical lottery and just like you and I - was born an American. This was before you signed up and we owe you no respects… no matter how many “bad guys” you kill.

“…Your freedom of speach means nothing to me, because i still have the freedom to knock you the hell out…” That is a beautiful and noble stance as i am 17, female and all of 5 feet… Not that i’m worried - I can totally take you. ;)jk… continuing:

“And to tell you the truth if i ever heard you talk bad about the armed services in my presence, or ever said that one of these boys died in vain. Thats what i would do….” How sad that the awesome structure of the United Stated Armed Forces cannot (in your opinion) withstand any verbal sleights real - or imagined by this comic- or me. Have you ever thought your words might be used\needed in some greater capacity? I have. And I have only just now “met” you.

“…These boys died so others may live.” I want to believe this… I really do. I want to believe that this world is fair and has a perfect balance… and we are the white hats… and none of the colors of the flag blur to black and blue… Maybe I am just lost in the Math- can you explain it? If my cuz died for me then somewhere the world has a zero balance type of game- and well that makes about as much sense to me as aborted babies “over there” somehow equating to healthy babies over here.;(?

“Duncan Crookston, and Joe Mixson gave their limbs so that i may have mine.” how so? Some man… or maybe God says: “YOUR arm or David’s!?!” and David says “ME ME ME!”?? Although i don’t doubt for a second that my cousin would have certainly died for you had the situation called for it- i seriously doubt a limb-swapping deal could have been arranged… so again i am back to not understanding the logic behind the statement.

“I do a job that not many can, and very few want.” I bet i could do a vast number of your duties. Among many honorable things (not being sarcastic there) you probably camp, kill, and you do what bigger people tell you to do. Last night I hit a man in the face with a pipe for feeling up my sister on the bus. I hit him so hard my bones shook. I think I would do it again if i had to. I think i could kill if i had to… I think it would be frighteningly easy. Easier than camping… no real trees here. I went back to see if the guy was dead. Someone drug him away. There’s still blood on the sidewalk.

“But i do it with pride.” Pride is no proof of nobility. And poor solace to young women left behind…. Even the ones desperate to see your cause and feel it inside. I’m not proud of what i did. A gangbanger has pride. Pipe-Face was leaving, walking away. But i couldn’t- no. I Wouldn’t let that go! My sister is so little and so innocent- well… honestly, not “So” innocent- but more importantly - I had failed at protecting her… so I jumped off the bus- grabbed a weapon- ran- yelled- jumped and swung.

“I am doing my country service.” I was doing my sister a service? Or Was I? No- i wasn’t. But at least i had the ability to punish the right monster. You have become our country’s greatest export. My cousin was a gangbanger-proud bloody pipe wielded by remote control… continuing:

“When someone ever asks that great John F. Kennedy question…” I don’t remember it being :”Ask not who your country can kill for you- but who you can kill…” I didn’t interpret it that way but people in my (all Black-and-Proud by the way) neighborhood still use the Bible to justify beating their wives or gay children.

And what is this :”Your voting put us here.”? Actually our all-too-trusting, hurting, fearful and FOX-News addicted parents and older siblings voted for your wondrous leader and his disciples- back when WMD’s were real.

“We are fathers and brothers, husbands and sons. We left what we have behind in the states to come here so you wouldn’t have to. You ever hear of something called “the draft?” We don’t want to be here, we were told to go.” So… now you are representing all military throughout history… well, at least as far back as a “draft”? Wow. The human ego - mine included- never ceases to astound me. I think i should follow suit and go back even farther in time than you did. Following your logic, If you get to take part ownership in the “good” deeds of your forefathers and all drafted military men- then you should also take part ownership in their sins as well and since I am Southern and Black… you should begin to think of some proper restitution for “our” enslavement…

“don’t support the troops is like saying you don’t support the “founding fathers.”? The founding fathers are dead. So is my cousin. They need no support from you or me or anyone else. There the similarities end.

Sir, i know to you i am just an ignorant child… but please, do not think because I own the tragic flaw of having a complete inability to take orders from a lying white man that is rumored to have said “What’s the big deal- it’s just a piece of paper?!” about The Constitution…. that i know nothing of war. I have seen the women in my family age 1 year for every minute spent in front of a tragically beautiful American flag draped over my oh so idealistic honor-hungry cousin’s coffin… finish your speeches and gang war soon, Sir… we have so few moments left.

“i can say i served unlike the creator of this comic strip who all he can say is he drew a comic and never did anything great with his life.” I think we will agree to disagree on this statement as well, Sir. This comic-strip maker is an artist making art- opinion not fact - to be sure - but he is using his gifts and doing what he was meant to… That is truly great. We should all be so lucky. You’re just a teacher- killing. And trying to feel better about it. Good luck with that. Don’t die like my stupid cousin.Don’t think your work makes me sleep well at night, either. That would truly mean your fight is in vain.

-Sincerely,

L.A.Vogel 17.2 years of age No Unit number Jacksonville, FL Human female Planet Earth

I welcome all comments as well. PS… My sister’s terrified of me now :(forgive the grammar it’s as bad as everyone else’s spelling.

Dear L.A. Vogel,

I am Specialist Kumbier of C. co 2-16 Infantry.  The person you directed your letter to.  I’d just like to set you straight since you really didn’t do your research on this one.  No offence, you are 17 years old, still in High School…maybe.  I’d just like to set the record straight and inform you on how things really are.  If I offend you, really I’m not sorry, nothing against you at all its just that you really didn’t do your research on this one.  Its probably due to the fact that you are under educated; one because you are young and two because you still haven’t finished your basic installment of knowledge that we call “High School.”

You said that, “ blood is flowing freely for a “cause” and not necessarily “freedom” to believe in the cause….”  Well I’ll tell you something.  Post 9/11, just days after it happened we had sent all our task forces out into the world to; one stop any secondary attacks, and two collect retribution.  By “task force” I mean task force 11 aka Delta force and our Special Forces units.  5th group was sent immediately to Afghanistan and by October of 2001 had successfully engaged the enemy beating them back and killing many members of al-Qaida (AQ).  This was what we call a conventional war though.  If you don’t know what conventional war is I suggest you open that history book that im sure you haven’t finished yet in US history and read up on WWI, WWII, and Korea.  This will give you an idea of what im talking about.  Anyway…this lead into 2003 when yet again we decided to go into another country.  Weapons of mass destruction or not there was good reason to enter Iraq in search for AQ that has been using the country as a hide out as well as Sadam himself who has been known to fund terrorist events.  Now this is something you should already know.  The ground war in Iraq lasted a couple of months in a conventional style.  We found Sadam he’s dead, and we are all the better for it.  But to round on what you were saying, we are fighting for something.  Some say its not to free the Iraqi people…which it partly is…we are making the government strong enough to support itself, like the US has done after every war…we don’t destroy and leave, we rebuild too.  But the real reason that we are here is to keep a presence in the Middle East.  That presence is so that you can stay safe at home without threat of Terrorist attacks…or at least a reduced threat.

Here is the tricky part.  Our Army is a conventional one.  Our Special Forces deals with unconventional warfare.  But Iraq is a big place and Special Forces (STU) can only do so much.  As you have seen the war has turned into a counter insurgency, much like a Vietnam, or have you not covered that in your history book yet?  So getting on, America really hasn’t ever fought a counter insurgency like this before.  Yes Vietnam was somewhat like this.  But in Vietnam there was uniformed troops as well as insurgents…or people posing as civilians.  Thus concludes our history lesson…if you need to know more about Guerilla war tactics I suggest you research it online.  But this is why its not like WWI, WWII or Korea…because the army is a broad sword and not a surgical tool.  We are still trying to become a duel purpose instrument,  able to multiple styles of warfare.

You can believe your cousin died for nothing. And that’s fine.  You can believe your cousin died for you and that’s fine too.  But you haven’t been in the military.  You don’t know about the brotherhood.  You don’t know what its like at all.  He might have been “severely stupid” in your opinion but then you are calling some of the most distinguished people in history stupid as well.  He joined the Army and for whatever reason it was he was there.  He may have been racist, and all human beings are to a certain extent, if you say different you need a reality check, but in the end race doesn’t matter on the battlefield.  Because as it was best put in the movie Jarhead, we are not white, we are not black or yellow….we are green, we are light green and dark green.  You don’t really understand that race no longer is an issue with the people who have your “six.”  Just like you had your sisters “six” when that guy was groping on her, your cousin had was being covered and covering his “brothers.”   He served with white people too, white people whom I’m sure he cared about too.  But, Ill say it again, your young, and naive.  You haven’t been to war or in the military or even in the real world for that matter no matter what you think because you’re not an adult.  You don’t yet understand the real world and how it works.  

Again you don’t understand the service.  Its because of people like us that you have the right to go to school and say what you want, People that are willing to fight for you.  Again you are young and for lack of a better term stupid.  And that’s fine that you think you don’t owe me anything, because really I never asked for anything from you.  I don’t want anything from you and you probably don’t have anything I need either.  Just remember that America is what it is because of the men of the Army…the men who were tyrants to throne of Great Britain were Patriots to us.  Its all a matter of perception.

Your right the armed forces don’t need me to stand up for its name.  That’s the Public Relations officers’ job, not mine.  But frankly when you pass negative judgment on the Army that passes on to my brothers and I.  So I’m not defending the Army, but I’m defending my friends.  You can bad mouth all you want.  It doesn’t matter.  You’re 17 and ungrateful for the things you do have.  You don’t know what it really is to be an American.  And if you feel like you have to badmouth the people or the government…the only one with the freedoms you so enjoy, or that they don’t make sense let me remind you that you are free to leave.  And don’t tell me that you didn’t want to be here in the first place or blame it on the white man like you most likely would.  Honestly I shouldn’t have to straighten out your facts yet again.  First off the white man didn’t just show up to Africa and say “get on my boat.”  Your family like most slave families was sold into slavery by warring tribes.  Hmmmm…a common misconception.  Also after slavery was abolished in 1865 with the end of the civil war the United States government set up a colony and paid for the former slaves to return there. The colony was along the gold coast; around the area of today know as Guinea-Bissau.  Don’t quote me on that, for I’m not sure if that’s the exact place but it was on the northwestern part of the continent.  I’m sorry there was slavery…but if you really must know slavery still goes on in the world today.  In other parts of the world, like I said research it.  You’ll find that white people were also made slaves too.  Sorry if I get too off topic in these paragraphs but I’m sure you can sort them out.  (P.S. I’m from the North, Wisconsin and my Great, Great, Great….Grandpa fought in the 8th Wisconsin Army…which was the Union.  So, really if you want to go there and say that I owe you something, I believe you are mistaken.  If it weren’t for men like those of my late family your family would still be enslaved.)

I’m am now going to get sexist.  No you couldn’t do my job.  You are a girl still.  Not even a woman yet.  And women aren’t even allowed into combat arms MOS’s.  Its hard not to laugh at you.  Wow you got scared and hit someone in the face.   Amazing…good job.  Let me ask you these questions…how many hours do you sleep a night? how long can you go without a shower?  How much security can you pull in a day?  How much do you need to eat?  Could you pass the male version of a PT test?  Can you “hump” over 65 lbs of body armor and gear all day long in the 130 degree heat?  Probably not.  Camping…yeah good one.  You don’t know anything about the army let alone the infantry so please don’t try and believe that you could do this job.  I’m sure you could make it into the army without a problem, but, and this is a big but, never in your life could you even dream of being infantry…sorry GI Jane, we still don’t allow women into combat arms MOS’s.  On top of that…the hardest part is knowing when not to fire more so then when to fire.  And its not about taking orders, its about taking initiative.  And yes taking pride in ones job.  P.S. the answers to those questions in sequence… 3 hours or even less depending on the situation was how much sleep we were getting a night for about the first 4 months we were here.  We were averageing 6 days or more without showering, the longest ive gone on a field problem is 25 days and there were showers there BUT they were only for the females, unless you love old MRE’s don’t expect to eat much if you live off base, like when we first started our combat outpost.  The male PT standard is higher than the womens since the male body has more testosterone and more muscle mass therefore can perform better than women.  I’d like to see you carry a combat load for a SAW…it would be funny, especially in that heat.

And your right your vote didn’t put us here, but I was writing that  to a 17 year old who is not afforded the right to vote.  I am curious to why you read a northern college newspaper too…very strange.

I’m sorry for your family’s loss of your cousin.  I know the feeling on what its like to lose someone.  But you still have no idea what war is, what we do here, and why we do it.  You probably didn’t know your cousin too well if he joined the army, since the Army is full of “white people” and is a place where you have to work with them and rely on them.  On top of that, your cousin sacrificed his life for the men he was with.  Just like my friends sacrificed for me.  And trust me when I say that they would do it again if it meant saving these guys.  One of the guys even came out and said it.  So before you go on talking about what you think you know research.  You write well.  But you are basing most of what you write on opinion.  And while we can agree to disagree just remember that the opinion you hold still doesn’t count for anything because in this great country you can’t vote until your 18.

A little light reading for you so you get your facts straight. Task Force Dagger by Robert Moore, On Killing by Lt. Col. David Grossman, and an in depth American history book wouldn’t help either. I think they might skew some facts down in Flordia…maybe chat with your history teacher. If you have any questions my friend Joe Mixson, the one in the truck that day back in September that started this conversation can clear them up for you…he lost his legs in the attack and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind correcting your misconceptions. He is a resident of Williston, Florida.

Oh and just a information update. Duncan Crookston passed away due to wounds received in combat on January 25th, 2008. On the 26th he would have turned 20 years old. He did not die in vain and he will always be remembered as the hero he really is. Just remember this one thing.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” –Sir Edmund Burke

SPC Kumbier, Kyle C. co 2-16 INF Unit #41560 FOB Rustamiyah APOAE 09390-1560

Kyle.Kumbier@us.army.mil

Good luck getting your facts straight

hey you guys at the hearld, your website seems to be messing up and replacing quotation marks with some wierd boxes or something.

Wow. PFC Kid: You need some serious therapy. Crookston will be remembered b/c of the way he lived- not died. I trained with him. I loved him. You are are not worthy to speak his name. No. Not even the uniform gives you the right to use his name as a verbal weapon. You’ll be remembered as a bully. You are a disgrace to the uniform to even attempt to shame a young, female civilian for being just what she is. I think she nailed you just right. Your remarks center around: she’s stupid, you’re not, you’re strong, she’s not…etc… You act as if she’s not living in reality, yet you’re the one quoting movies- that is how little you think of another’s viewpoint in this world? True, the differences the female body hold do not amount to survival in your environment, but I have been to the parts of Jacksonville, Florida without trees… and i assure you, the differences held in Your body, do not amount to survival in her environment. Your remarks do not stem solely from pride in us and our service, but also in insecurities within yourself. For God’s sake man, learn to spell you make us all look ignorant. If you refuse to show any form of compassion you might want to consider getting off the InterWeb, lifting heavy things and running around. It’s obviously where you excel.

L.A.Vogel, marry me? Kidding! I would like to meet for coffee, or tea in a few months. Bring friends, please. PFC was right about you being a good writer. Am I wrong to assume you’re in Douglas Anderson? I have friends there. Could I leave a note for you at the office-or at a coffee house (Fuel) in 5-points? I want to hear more about David. I want to prove to you a soldier’s life is a good one, and more importantly, that not a one of us lives, or dies in vain.
I wish you all peace,

-Gabe

To Gabe… and PFC Kyle. With gratitude, ~LA

Maya Angelou 20 January 1993

A Rock, A River, A Tree Hosts to species long since departed, Marked the mastodon.

The dinosaur, who left dry tokens Of their sojourn here On our planet floor, Any broad alarm of their hastening doom Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.

But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully, Come, you may stand upon my Back and face your distant destiny, But seek no haven in my shadow.

I will give you no more hiding place down here.

You, created only a little lower than The angels, have crouched too long in The bruising darkness, Have lain too long Face down in ignorance.

Your mouths spilling words Armed for slaughter.

The Rock cries out today, you may stand on me, But do not hide your face.

Across the wall of the world, A River sings a beautiful song, Come rest here by my side.

Each of you a bordered country, Delicate and strangely made proud, Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.

Your armed struggles for profit Have left collars of waste upon My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.

Yet, today I call you to my riverside, If you will study war no more. Come,

Clad in peace and I will sing the songs The Creator gave to me when I and the Tree and the stone were one.

Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your Brow and when you yet knew you still Knew nothing.

The River sings and sings on.

There is a true yearning to respond to The singing River and the wise Rock.

So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew The African and Native American, the Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh, The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher. They hear. They all hear The speaking of the Tree.

Today, the first and last of every Tree Speaks to humankind. Come to me, here beside the River.

Plant yourself beside me, here beside the River.

Each of you, descendant of some passed On traveller, has been paid for.

You, who gave me my first name, you Pawnee, Apache and Seneca, you Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then Forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of Other seekers—desperate for gain, Starving for gold.

You, the Turk, the Swede, the German, the Scot … You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare Praying for a dream.

Here, root yourselves beside me.

I am the Tree planted by the River, Which will not be moved.

I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree I am yours—your Passages have been paid.

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need For this bright morning dawning for you.

History, despite its wrenching pain, Cannot be unlived, and if faced With courage, need not be lived again.

Lift up your eyes upon The day breaking for you.

Give birth again To the dream.

Women, children, men, Take it into the palms of your hands.

Mold it into the shape of your most Private need. Sculpt it into The image of your most public self. Lift up your hearts Each new hour holds new chances For new beginnings.

Do not be wedded forever To fear, yoked eternally To brutishness.

The horizon leans forward, Offering you space to place new steps of change. Here, on the pulse of this fine day You may have the courage To look up and out upon me, the Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.

No less to Midas than the mendicant.

No less to you now than the mastodon then.

Here on the pulse of this new day You may have the grace to look up and out And into your sister’s eyes, into Your brother’s face, your country And say simply Very simply With hope Good morning.

To Gabe,

first off its kind of appalling to be hitting on a 17 year old girl. especially if your over the age of 18 which in what you say you would have to be.

Secondly, the thoughts expressed are not only that of my own but those of the platoon Crookston was serving with.

Third, the death of an American fighting man is never a weapon, but its a weight, one in which to carry on for the rest of your life.

Forth, I really don’t fell i have to defend myself against a sexual predator such as yourself. I hope her parents use netnanny.

Fifth, We can obiviously agree to disagree on all subjects, it is the right of man to form his own opinion and convey it in a manner he so chooses.

Sixth, This isn’t a classified add, run your wants to meet a chick in some local paper but let me remind you that they won’t print things that could lead to criminal acts…such as statutory rape.

Seventh, I don’t know where you trained with Crookston. But hey thats cool you got to know him…he is a great guy. And really in the end it is the memories which he will be remembered by, but that day in september will always be remembered, it is etched in my and every other member of this platoons mind.

Eighth, you may think im ignorant and thats fine ill take that. Sorry for copying and pasting out of microsoft word, i guess that doesn’t work. But if i am ignorant i can be educated because ignorance is temporary but stupid, as you appear to us here, is forever. Its also good to know that you think im a disgrace to the uniform…well that makes….well that makes one person who thinks that…hmmm…maybe you should take a look at yourself there Gabe…I mean you are the soldier trying to pick up a 17 year old chick…I mean I’m just doing my job the right way….

Finally, I don’t know who you are or where your from but i guess you don’t even have the courage to let me know who you are…because honestly I kinda think your a fraud which wouldn’t suprise me one bit…ps if you went to basic with crookston you would know that a wise man once told the company the quote out of Jarhead…and it was Capt. Lamb when he handed out a couple article 15s for fighting.

But hey if you really are Army, good luck in where ever you end up. And its your job to to lift heavy things and run around a lot too…we like to call it PT. Hope you stay safe and out of harms way.

To L.A, I’ll give you the same advice I gave my sister the other night about meeting guys online….don’t. You seem like a bright kid. Good luck in the future. Don’t take anything personal that I’ve said. Yes I understand that some of it is bias but every opinion is. But if you are intrested in learning more about the subject there are some great reading lists out there put out by the army depending on what you want to read about. It might broaden your scope on the Army some. Really though never stop learning and stay in school. You seem like you’ll excel at it immensely.

I leave you with one last great quote from Sgt Joel Murray, “Don’t get all butt hurt about this shit.”

Specialist Kumbier, Kyle

I spent 8 years in the Army, and the only thing that offended me about this comic was how often it had been done before. The first time you see a “Beetle Bailey in Combat (Or preferably dead, as the comic itself hasn’t been funny in years)” spoof, it’s amusing. The 8th time, not so much. Anyhoo, the whole point about “fighting for your fellow countrymens’ liberty” is you don’t get to complain about how they use it. Otherwise, you really didn’t mean it, IMO.

Mike Crichton

touche i think the point thats trying to be made is the flagrant disrespect towards the soldiers and the job they do. Sure you have the right to speak but there are times when its best to shut your mouth about things. I mean honestly would you want someone disrespecting your family members for the service they provided. Its like saying a firefighter is wrong for running into a burning building to try and rescuse a child trapped inside and then doesn’t make it out. I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but from what i see hes trying to say sometimes, out of respect, people need to keep their opinions to themselves. And in all honesty some people need to leave this country and go to Canada because they’ve forgotten that it was the American fighting man that won the freedom of this country. They don’t have to agree with war or people dying, but at the very least they should respect the fact that there are men and even women who have the courage and stand ready to defend them.

“Home of the free because of the brave”

As an army vet myself i still find offense in comics like this and disrespect towards the fighting man as a whole. Because without us the rest of the country wouldn’t exist as you see it today. People say that the freedom of this nation was won back in 1782 with the end of the revolutionary war when really that same freedom is won everyday by the men and women of the armed services. If they weren’t there ready to protect us then who knows, we could be saying i pledge alligence to “der fuhrer.”

So next time you want to say something bad about a soldier think about what they do for you. Even if you don’t believe in what they do you can respectfully abstain from making demeaning comments.

I don’t personally know the soldiers who have been commenting on this but when a fellow soldier cuts another down like that its discusting. As a former soldier the only real discrace to the uniform is the men and women like “Gabe” who cut down the man watching their “six.” Obiviously he hasn’t been to war if he cannot relate to the other guy.

-Randy Thorton

obiviously everyone has the right to their opinion but i think everyone here should chalk this one up to agreeing to disagree. Soldiers fight for freedom everyday, and people dont believe in the cause everyday. Even in the revolutionary war there were the patriots and the Tories. The people who wanted freedom and the others who remained loyal to the throne. No one was wrong, they just had their own opinions about things…if everyone on earth could just agree to respectfully disagree there would be peace on earth.

“US Ranger”

I’m WAY to late on this but noticed it as I was reading about some of our valiant warriors. I had to laugh about the cartoonist talking about how daddy told you about the military and how you could go on about how the war in Iraq isn’t against terrorism but you’ll “stop there.”

Yeah, you’ll stop there because you don’t know diddly squat about the war on terror, the military, or the brotherhood and sisterhood of those who serve.

I told my boy about the military also, the good , the bad and the ugly. Knowing full well the good the bad and the ugly, he’s proudly serving so ungrateful jerks like you can be free!

Sleep well while the brave serve.

I’m WAY to late on this but noticed it as I was reading about some of our valiant warriors. I had to laugh about the cartoonist talking about how daddy told you about the military and how you could go on about how the war in Iraq isn’t against terrorism but you’ll “stop there.”

Yeah, you’ll stop there because you don’t know diddly squat about the war on terror, the military, or the brotherhood and sisterhood of those who serve.

I told my boy about the military also, the good , the bad and the ugly. Knowing full well the good the bad and the ugly, he’s proudly serving so ungrateful jerks like you can be free!

Sleep well while the brave serve.

This is PV2 Daniel Crookston. After reviewing most of these comments, 1 Gabe your an idiot. 2 Kyle, thank you for helping to keep my brother well as much as possible. I joined the Army not 6 months after Duncan died, and joined up as 11B. Infantry for those who dont know what 11B is. I trained in Ft. Benning where all infantry train, and i served in A co 1/19 IN, just like my brother. I am joining the fight in Afghanistan in less than six months now, and i couldnt be more excited. To 17 year old girl who has a skewed view on life, good job with the pipe, but do you think you can really kill? I dont know if you can take the wind out of a man and then do it again, but thats exactly what infantry are trained to do. And i pretty much follow Kyle on what he said about “camping”. Fact is you dont know what its like, and your cousin did. I guarantee you if he could talk to you know he would tell you not to post things on the internet about dead soldiers you didnt know, and that white people arent all that bad. I’m sure he got over serving with whitey, because i dont care the color of the man watching my back, so long as he can do his job. And to anyone else who reads this, i dont care about comic strips. I dont care about civilians expressing their opinions. Great, i got it, you can draw or whatever. I care about bringing as many of my buddies home alive, even if I dont come home. Anyone who serves knows what i’m talking about. Its not about what your fighting for, in our case i agree with it. Its necessary for us to fight so that others dont have to, i get it. If you lived one day like the Iraqis do, or the Afghanis, whatever the people may be, i would think you would want us to fight. If you hit pipe face in Iraq, you would be stoned to death. Think about the rights you have and why you have them. I dont want to waste too much of my breath explaining the Army and combat to people, and i cant speak much for combat because i havent been there yet, but i do know why i fight.

To Daniel,

I’m glad you got a chance to read all of that. To this day I still recieve e-mails from people commending me on speaking out against idiots everywhere. But the person who should really be commended is you. You are one of the true brave souls. You know exactly the cost of war and you still signed on the dotted line. For that I salute you. America salutes you.

Duncan will never be forgotten. He was a good friend and a great infantryman. I know you will make the cut that your brother would have expected from you. Take care buddy.

Spc Kyle Kumbier.