Though this young man says he tries not to talk about war or politics, the world and our politicians need to hear him, and others like him.
Excerpts from article:
After Army's 'prank,' GI finally married; remains bitter
Newsmaker 2007
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Thursday, January 17, 2008
By Beata Mostafavi
bmostafavi@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6210
FLINT - It was a countdown that kept Cpl. Nicholas Popovits going as he fought a war in which he was quickly losing faith. After nearly a year in Bermal, Afghanistan, his bags were sent to the U.S. and he was about to board a plane that would bring him to his fiance and family 24 hours later. So what came next seemed like a cruel prank by the U.S. Army.
"The sergeant said, 'Look ladies, you got extended. We're going back to Bermal,'" said Popovits, 23, a Flushing native who missed his May wedding because of the four-month extension in January 2007. * * *
"When you're over there, you pace yourself, thinking 'in 30 days, I'll be home.' You're expecting the end to come and then 24 hours before the end, they tell you, you could be here six more months."
"After that, I didn't believe (the Army) anymore. It probably made me the angry person I am now."
Last month, Popovits sat near a Christmas tree by his wife, Jennifer, 22, in their Flint apartment. The couple spoke openly about how war has changed him and knocked newlywed bliss.
* * *
Then on May 26, her birthday, he came home. It was a sweet reunion for the couple who hadn't seen each other in nearly a year and just weeks after he got home, they had their long-awaited wedding.
But the couple was frank about hard adjustments.
Nicholas Popovits said
he is a different man from the 19-year-old who didn't have many political opinions, supported President Bush and followed his grandfather's footsteps by signing up for the military in 2003.
The first blow was watching his best friend, Cpl. Jeremiah S. Cole, 26, get killed in a humvee explosion.
* * *
He said that while there, the troops did good things, such as feed people and "kill a lot of bad guys."
But he was also watched the Taliban repeatedly undermine progress.
When his unit's tour was extended while new troops were brought in, he said, there were days he didn't work because
there weren't enough resources for the extra personnel.
"It's turned me into a liberal," he said. "I was over there, and I don't think it's right to enforce democracy on other people. "You're trying to make their lives better in a way they don't want. They don't want to be the way we are."
Nicholas Popovits said there might be a backlash because of his openness. "I'm sure people will say I'm unpatriotic, but that's my opinion," he said, adding of the Iraq war,
"I don't think we should invade a country, put in a government of our choosing and stay there only for security."
But, he added
"I'm doing my job, and it's made me learn a lot about myself."
Earlier this year there was a town hall meeting on the Iraq war, sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), with the participation of such antiwar organizations as CodePink and MoveOn.org. The event also featured Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a former Marine who had become an outspoken critic of the war. To this Iraq war veteran, it was a good example of something that's become all too common: People from politics, the media and elsewhere purporting to represent "our" views. With all due respect, most often they don't.
The tenor of the town meeting was mostly what one might expect, but during the question-and-answer period, a veteran injured in Afghanistan stood up to offer his view. "If I didn't have a herniated disc, I would volunteer to go to Iraq in a second with my troops," said Mark Seavey, a former Army sergeant who had recently returned from Afghanistan. "I know you keep saying how you have talked to the troops and the troops are demoralized, and I really resent that characterization. The morale of the troops I talk to is phenomenal, which is why my troops are volunteering to go back despite the hardships. . . ."
"And, Congressman Moran, 200 of your constituents just arrived back from Afghanistan -- we never got a letter, we never got a visit from you, you didn't come to our homecoming. The only thing we got was a letter from the governor of this state thanking us for our service in Iraq, when we were in Afghanistan. That's reprehensible. I don't know who you two are talking to, but the morale of the troops is very high."
What was the response? Murtha said nothing, while Moran attempted to move on, no pun intended, stating: "That wasn't in the form of a question, it was a statement."
It was indeed a statement; a statement from both a constituent and a veteran that should have elicited something more than silence or a dismissive comment highlighting a supposed breach of protocol. This exchange, captured on video (it was on C-SPAN), has since been forwarded from base to base in military circles. It has not been well received there, and it only raises the already high level of frustration among military personnel that their opinions are not being heard.
In view of his distinguished military career, John Murtha has been the subject of much attention from the media and is a sought-after spokesman for opponents of the Iraq war. He has earned the right to speak. But his comments supposedly expressing the negative views of those who have and are now serving in the Middle East run counter to what I and others know and hear from our own colleagues -- from junior officers to the enlisted backbone of our fighting force.
Murtha undoubtedly knows full well that the greatest single thing that drags on morale in war is the loss of a buddy. But second to that is politicians questioning, in amplified tones, the validity of that loss to our families, colleagues, the nation and the world.
While we don't question his motives, we do question his assumptions. When he called for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, there was a sense of respectful disagreement among most military personnel. But when he subsequently stated that he would not join today's military, he made clear to the majority of us that he is out of touch with the troops. Quite frankly, it was received as a slap in the face.
Like so many others past and present, I proudly volunteered to serve in the military. I served one tour in Iraq and then volunteered to go back. Veterans continue to make clear that they are determined to succeed in Iraq. They are making this clear the best way they can: by volunteering to go back for third and sometimes fourth deployments. This fact is backed up by official Pentagon recruitment reports released as recently as Monday.
The morale of the trigger-pulling class of today's fighting force is strong. Unfortunately, we have not had a microphone or media audience willing to report our comments. Despite this frustration, our military continues to proudly dedicate itself to the mission at hand: a free, democratic and stable Iraq and a more secure America. All citizens have a right to express their views on this important national challenge, and all should be heard. Veterans ask no more, and they deserve no less.
The writer is executive director of Vets for Freedom. He served two tours in Iraq with the Marines before being wounded in action.
Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:12 am
FlintConservative F L I N T O I D
Nice of the Congressman to reply one of his constituents...let alone a member of our military.
my son's 15 and unless america is being attacked, i
don't want him to go. if america is attacked, i'll take
my old ass to the recruiter and beg to go.
_________________ Guest post
Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:03 pm
twotap F L I N T O I D
LT I believe we were attacked. How easy we forget.
Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:13 pm
FlintConservative F L I N T O I D
quote:last time here schreef:
so, some are for, some are against........
I say again...nice of the Congressman to reply to one of his constituents. Some would think that would be the least he could do. I guess he thought he could do less.
Reminds me of Lee Gonzales. I guess because we disagree, he (and his staff) doesn't feel obligated to acknowledge my existence. I've emailed his office three times...haven't received the courtesy of a reply yet.
Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:55 pm
last time here Guest
your right 2tap!!!!
lets attack saudi arabia!!!!!!!
damn.....i voted for lee. why will he not acknowledge you FC?
_________________ Guest post
Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:04 pm
FlintConservative F L I N T O I D
quote:last time here schreef:
damn.....i voted for lee. why will he not acknowledge you FC?
I don't know...maybe I'll ask him? Do you think he'll reply to that question?
Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:22 am
last time here Guest
why sure....i'm sure it's just a mis-communication.
_________________ Guest post
Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:26 pm
FlintConservative F L I N T O I D
quote:last time here schreef:
why sure....i'm sure it's just a mis-communication.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
