Marine 2nd Lt. Donald R. McGlothlin

Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer
March 27, 2005

hey dad, how's it goin? we just got back from 2 week mission, needless to say, we smell horrible- got all your moto mails, that works so spread tha word 2 every1- i'll be able to get out an email every now and again- good news about the 11 grand bb+t from millie, tell her i said thanks- i can't say much about our mission, but i can tell you i got a combat action ribbon for my birthday, can't wait to tell you that story- it's not TOO bad liv'n @ the dam- all we do is watch movies and work out- SEND COPENHAGEN LONG CUTT- pissed off marines= many dead iraqis= not good, so send some- gotta go
peace out man- ONE

May 15, 2005

not everyone came back from our last op- i didn't take any injuries, but my best friend in the company PFC Chris Dixon won't be coming home- i saw it happen, sorry to be brief, but i just want you to know that i'm fine but stressed like never before right now- if you could email some words of wisdom or comfort- it'd be much appreciated
i love you so much dad,
chris

May 29, 2005

… not everyone came back from our last op in haditha- once again, and everyone is getting very pissed off at higher for sending us on such bull missions- 3/25 kilo has absolutely no clue what they're doing- i'm not boasting by any means- but 3/25 lima is the hardest working, most strung out, most veteran company in iraq at this point in time- i'll never complain about a thing for the rest of my life, and i can only pray for restraint when i have to hear other people complain

… dad- i'm glad we got to talk on the phone also- it was definitely a lift for me as well. we've been doing alot of retarded day long ops of late, mostly a 3-6 click hump out from the dam, some clearing and rounding up, then humping back- oh yea, in the middle of the day. it's been getting up into the 130's lately- but no worries, we stay well hydrated and tough, so it's all good, our humps out and in are usually in the early morning and late night anyways- so at least the toughest parts aren't during the day. what you couldn't roger up to on the phone was i was hoping you might be able to get a couple of indice composites from the last year or two of the dow, s&p and nasdaq- from what i've heard, things have been looking pretty bearish for a while, and around the time i get back the market might turn bull again- but who knows- i'm almost done with that 24 essential lessons book- and i like it alot more than the other hardback one, it seems to read a lot quicker- but yea! - i'm just interested in getting a look at where the market might be heading for the between when i get home and get out of school (4yrs), and even after i get out of the corps- (7yrs)- …  if you could, try and get mom to set up some dental appointments for me in early october, as close together as she can get them- i REALLY need to get my teeth in the word on coming home is this- the deadline for us to be back in the states is the 24th of sept, and back home in the last few days of the month- before this we were getting word that i'd be home before your birthday.....sorry
chris

Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati, was killed Aug. 3, 2005, in Haditha.

Marine 1st Lt. Andrew K. Stern
September 2004 (letter read aloud at his mother's surprise 50th birthday party)

Mom, friends of mom, citizens of our great country, Toonses the cat, and anyone else who might want to listen to some ramblings from a half dehydrated, profusely sweating, bug bitten, smelling like old cheese Marine in Iraq.

When my dad told me that he was having a surprise birthday party for my mom, I sat and thought for days about what to write. I thought about telling all of the funny things she has done, like the time she almost killed me by opening my bedroom door, or the time she got really scared when I flung a snake at her. I thought about writing about all the happy times, like our family get togethers or vacations. And I thought about writing about the sad times, like when I left for Iraq.  But, my mother is brought to tears easily, and I never like to be the one to do it (I bet I am too late). With that said I resigned to simply write thank you for some of the things that she never gets enough appreciation for. My mother is fantastic, and many times goes out of her way to do stuff for my brothers and me.

In 2002, shortly after I became a Marine Officer, I thought it would be a good idea to go skiing before I went on active duty. Man was I mistaken. I ended up breaking, no destroying my leg, leaving me with an extremely broken leg, and a nine day extension in Vail. My mother, even though she had work and three other kids to take care of, and a husband whose only kitchen talents involve a phone call to a local pizza place, flew to Vail to sit by my bedside until I was mobile enough to go home. She sat there and read and attempted to talk to me. I was heavily medicated at the time, so there was very little talking. One time she brought me a milk-shake and I guess I took it and then asked her what the hell she was doing there. Obviously I was a little ungrateful, which I blame on the Morphine. When I had recovered enough to get on an airplane, my mother made the entire trip with me, helping me stand, waiting for me while I crutched my way around, and retrieving just about anything (I wasn't too talented on crutches and couldn't crutch and carry stuff at the same time). Upon my return home, she helped me in more ways than I could write here. Mom, thank you. Your support those 6 months was one of the reasons I recovered so quickly. And thanks for sitting in the hospital with me and bringing me a milkshake; you being there made me feel better.

Spaghetti!  My mom, for those of you who haven't experienced it, makes the meanest spaghetti around. I mean it.  It's not just Ragu and noodles. I have lived away from home for the last 10 years. Every time I come home, every time, the night I get home, my mom has spaghetti waiting for me. She has the table set, everything waiting. She lets me sit down and then proceeds to serve me my favorite dish. Most people would say, oh that's not a big deal; but it is to me. It is totally unnecessary, but every time, it makes me feel like I am home (which I am). Thank you mom. You go out of your way to make me feel comfortable and welcome, and I always look forward to those nights that I pull into the driveway, and I know that a heaping plate, a plate the size of my head, of spaghetti is waiting for me.

I am not style-inclined, or fashion aware; definitely not metrosexual. I can't decorate myself, let alone my bedroom. When I moved out to California I needed all sorts of home appliances, and linens and stuff like that. My mother, in an attempt to house train me, brought me to one of these big stores where everything smells good and everything is way overpriced. She threw out words like duvet, comforter, throw pillow, and dust ruffle. I thought she had gotten mad cow disease from a recent family dinner. Her advice and ability to decorate my bedroom has made my home in California look like a home and not some porn studio. It has also contributed to my ongoing attempt to impress women with my decorating ability. "Andy, that's a really nice duvet!" "Thanks I picked it out myself." So thanks mom for your help, not just in picking out linens, but anytime you helped me do things, learn to read, walk, not pick my nose and eat it. Your and dad's teachings and guidance are why I am who I am.

The last thing I will tell my mother thanks for will probably go against the trying to keep her from crying thing, but I guess that comes with the psuedo-speech writing territory. When I got the word that I was rapidly deploying to Iraq, my mom and dad flew out to see me. We only had about 4 hours together. We went to an Italian restaurant near my house in Joshua Tree. We ate and talked. When we left we went back to my house to say goodbye. I was doing fine and, although sad, I was excited to begin my deployment and get to where the action is. Upon arriving back at my house after dinner, we began to say our goodbyes, I haven't cried in 6 years (I know I have some problems expressing emotions), but when my mother started crying, I just couldn't help it. I was leaving my family to go to the worst place a human can imagine. And it didn't really hit me until that point that I really was leaving and that my life forever would be different. My mother's tears made me realize how much I loved my family and how much their support means to me.

Throughout my deployment here, I have received many packages and letters. This isn't meant to discount any of them, as I know people who will hear this have sent me stuff, and I appreciate the support at a level I will never be able to explain. When I get a package from home though, it just does something; it just makes me happy (which is kind of hard here in Fallujah). I look forward to opening the packages and letters. My mom baked for me in the last one. She has sent me books, and food, and Gatorade mix which in the heat has melted to itself creating a Gatorade blob. She has gone way out of her way to send me things I need. She has written letters every week. And although my dad unsuccessfully attempts to be funny and make me laugh, my mother's notes are often informative and fill me in on events at home. The letters remind me of home, and how much she wants me to be there (with all of my body parts). My family's support and especially her support has lifted me up when I am down, and made me remember why I am here fighting.

So now that she is crying (hopefully not), I guess I have completed my mission successfully, and without any wounded. I hope everyone there is well. And like I have already said, all of your support has been great. Your mail gives me something to look forward to other than drinking hot water and eating stale food.

Mom, good, now old, night blind, sun tanned, espanol speaking, mom. I wish I could be there with you celebrating your birthday, but I can't. I miss you, and think about you and everyone else often. I hope you have a great birthday, and I will be home soon to buy you that dinner I promised.
Love
Andy

Stern, 24, of Germantown, Tenn., was killed Sept. 16, 2004, in Anbar province.

Army 1st Lt. Jacob N. Fritz
January 2007

To Friends and Family,
I deployed to Iraq back in October of 2006. I made the trip from Alaska to Kuwait where I waited and trained in 110-degree weather for two weeks before finally flying into Baghdad International Airport. It has been quite the experience so far, as I'm definitely not doing the job that I thought I would be doing.

I was trained to be a Field Artillery officer, but I have found myself acting as a liaison officer between the Iraqi Police in Karbala to the US Forces on my Forward Operating Base. It has been quite the rewarding experience so far, as I am getting to experience first hand the inner workings of the Iraqi Security Forces.

I am in charge of 38 soldiers over here, and I must say that we have become quite the close-knit group over here thus far. Not all of us get to do the same missions together, but there is a corps that I get to work with fairly often. Of that group, I have my Gunnery Sergeant (Gunny), approximately 15 soldiers that vary each trip, and myself each time out on a mission. We have gotten to know a lot more about each other than I think that we ever would have hoped to learn or ever thought that we would learn. Everyone wants to say that they have the best group of soldiers or work with the best, so I guess that I'll follow the pack and say the same thing. I just want to put a little more emphasis on mine though!

My guys have gotten to know a lot of the Iraqi Police that we work side-by-side with here in Karbala. We have made some really good friends, and are getting to know more and more about each other everyday. Even though we can't speak Arabic, and they can't speak English, we can sure communicate through body language, hand and arm signals, as well as facial expressions. Even if you don't know what they're saying, you can figure it out by how they're saying it. Then you start to pick-up on words or phrases. Then you're able to start having conversations. It's just amazing how much we've been able to accomplish in the past months.

As for the weather, you wouldn't believe how cold it gets over here. It is starting to warm up a little bit now, but back in mid-December it was getting down right cold over here. We would get a high temperature of maybe 45 and then a low of 27 some nights. That's right, freezing temperatures in Iraq. Almost made me wish I was back home a few times after calling and finding out that Nebraska was having some nonstandard Nebraska weather back in Falls City. But, give it a couple months, and I'll be wishing that I was as cold as I was in December.

Speaking of December, one always thinks of Christmas. I know that this was my first one away from home, as it also was for most of my guys. A few of us were even "lucky" enough to be able to spend it away from our FOB, and got to spend Christmas together in Karbala. We had a great Christmas MRE and just had a great time spending it together as best we could. It was an experience that we won't soon forget.

What I meant to write in this letter was a thank you. I know that my address was published in the FC Journal in one of the issues. I have received so many packages and letters of support that I can't possibly find the time to thank each and every one of you that have sent me something.

I asked my mom how to best do this, and she was the one that suggested writing to the Journal and asking them to publish this letter. Words just can't begin to describe how much the letters and packages mean to me. I spend anywhere from five to nine days at a time out on a mission, and don't receive any mail. When I return, I get all my mail at once, and it just does so much to raise my spirits when I finally find time to sit down and open them all. What was really touching were the Christmas letters that people would normally send out to their families. I felt very special and in a small way a part of their family at least for that Christmas. I just don't know what else to say, other than I can't begin to write how much your words of support mean for me. I also share them with my soldiers, and you can take comfort in knowing that they also appreciate the support. Regardless of when we come home, my soldiers and I want you all to know that we couldn't have made it this far through the deployment without your support from back home.

We all thank you very much, and wish that you all have a safe rest of the year.
Very Respectfully,
1LT Jacob Fritz
2/A/2-377th PFAR
Platoon Leader, FA

Fritz, 25, of Verdon, Neb., was killed Jan. 20, 2007, in Karbala.

Army Capt. Kevin C. Landek
Dec. 31, 2006

Dad,
It was good talking with you the other day. I am doing fine but as I keep telling you I am frustrated. The military wants us to be policemen and not soldiers. I don't feel like we are fighting terrorists or terrorism here. If we fire our weapons we have to be accountable for those shots. It does not make sense to me to be here and not be able to do what we are trained to do. It sometimes seems as though some commanding officers are more concerned about what is in their own personnel file then they are about us on the ground. I guess they feel like we are replaceable.

But I just keep on keeping on and ignore their attitudes. My guys are my first concern. I want to bring them all back without any injuries. Keep mom busy because I know she is worried about me but I am fine and as long as I stay focused things should be okay. Say hi to Jenny and I will call you in a couple of days. Happy new year and hoist a glass for me.
Love, Kevin

Jan. 19, 2007

Mom,
I got my package today with the lantern, batteries, pixies, etc. Thank you, the lantern works and pixies made it ok and are excellent. No ipod speakers yet … I think we should wait another week before you go to the post office for insurance …

Dad, you asked what I thought about Bush's plan to send more troops to Baghdad. … well he can send as many as he wants but it won't make a difference until the Iraqis step up to the plate. It also means more of us guys are going to get cut to shreds by the bad guys. I don't understand the thinking of Bush and Cheney and the other geniuses running this war … it is senseless. I'll send some new pictures of my adventures here for you since my computer wants to work again, yeah. Take care and thanks for everything.
Love,  Kevin

Landek, 26, of Wheaton, Ill., was killed Feb. 2, 2007, in Baghdad.

Air Force Capt. Derek Argel
March 17, 2005

Hey ma
Thanks for the box of goodies on the b-day mom. I really do appreciate the goodies from both you and Todd. Well things here are starting to get a little busy and that's a good thing because it makes the time go by faster. Tell John I wish he was here with me as well. He said that in his letter and dispite all that has gone on, I miss the s--- out of him to. I hope really do hope things work out for the best. Tell momo thank you for her card and the 5 cents for the soda. I don't know when the last time momo drank a soda was, but inflation sucks. Well ma, I really look forward to seeing both you and Todd in the near future. We'll all have our hands full with little man. He should be around one when you guys come out so he should be fun. I love you guys and will talk to you soon.
Love, Me

Argel. 28, of Lompoc, Calif., was killed April 30, 2005, in Eastern Diyala province.

Marine Lance Cpl. William B. Wightman
(undated letter)

Dear Dad,
How are things? I just got back from running a 2 week mission in the villages around where I'm staying at. I am proud to say I'm no a combat vet! We got our first bit of action. We just set up in a school for the night before and I only had about 2 hours of sleep because my team and I were on security when all of the sudden we heard mortars flying towards us when they hit. They fell into the water if not for the water my team and I would have all been in Germany getting worked on. … The water softened the impact. Thank God for the Euphrates River.

… I have to look out for my Marines. Say hi to Kim and K. Tell her thanks for the letters. They were nice. Love, Brett

Wightman, 22, of Sabina, Ohio, was killed Aug. 3, 2005, in Haditha.

Army Pfc. Brandon Robert Sapp