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October 03, 2007
From a Marine Hero: The 5 Things I Saw that Make Me Support the War
Marine Hero: The 5 Things I Saw that Make Me Support the War
Townhall
Marco Martinez, a recipient of the Navy Cross, is author of the new book Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero (Crown Forum).
Liberals often like to say that "violence is senseless."That’s wrong.
Violence isn't senseless. Senseless violence is senseless. And I should know. Before being awarded the Navy Cross and having the privilege of becoming a Marine, I was a gang member. Sometimes it takes having used violence for both evil as well as good to know that there's a profound moral difference between the two.
People often ask me whether I still support the war. I never hesitate when answering: "Absolutely I support completing the mission," I tell them, "Now more than ever."
I was honored to have been given the opportunity to fight in Iraq on our country’s behalf. And it was that experience—and five things I saw firsthand—that illustrate the foolishness of those who would equate American military power to that used by thugs and tyrants.
1. Mass Graves
I was part of a group that was tasked with guarding Saddam’s mass graves. And let me tell you something: anyone who could look straight down into those huge holes at the skeletons and remains and see what that monster did to 300,000 of his own people would have no doubt that we did the right thing in removing him from power. Saddam’s henchmen would tie two people together, some with babies in their arms, stand them at the crater’s edge, and then shoot one of the people in the head, relying on the weight of the dead body to drag them both into the hole. This would save on rounds and also ensure that both people died, one from a gunshot, the other by being buried alive.
2. Tongue-less Man
You never know how precious freedom of speech is until you meet somehow who has had it taken from them—literally taken from them. During a patrol we came upon two hungry Iraqi men scavenging for food. When our translator began speaking with the men I noticed that one of them had a stub for a tongue. Through the translator we learned that the tongue-less man had spoken against the regime and that Saddam’s henchmen had severed his tongue. Saddam had quite literally removed the man’s freedom of speech.
3. Adrenaline-Fueled Fedayeen Saddam
I couldn't for the life of me understand why the ninja costume-wearing terrorists we encountered in a series of hellish firefights just wouldn’t go down—even after being shot. Once my fire team and I cleared a terrorist-filled house in a close quarters shootout, I saw dead bodies all around the kitchen. I looked up at the countertops. Scattered everywhere were vials of adrenaline, syringes, and khat (pronounced "cot"), a drug similar to PCP that gives users a surge of energy and strength. That’s when we realized that our zombie-like attackers were zealots who came to fight and die.
4. Human Experiment Pictures
I still can’t shake the pictures out of my head. We discovered them inside a strange laboratory we found inside a Special Republican Guard barracks that had been plunked down inside an amusement park. When I cracked open the photo album, my jaw dropped. There in front of me were the most horrifying images of experiments being performed on newborn and infant children. Picture after picture, page after page, the binder was filled with the most extreme deformities and experimental mutations one could imagine. One baby had an eye that was shifted toward the middle of its head. We turned the books over to our lieutenant as valuable pieces of intelligence.
5. Bomb-Making Materials In a Mosque
Well after the invasion we were tasked to conduct city patrols and build rapport with local sheiks and mosque members. On one occasion we revisited a mosque where the sheik had previously been warm and friendly. Yet this time something seemed a little off. As we made our way through the mosque compound, we were told there were certain "praying houses" we weren’t allowed to enter. But when a Marine walked through a side hallway and passed by a door that had been left ajar, he spotted a huge bottle of nitroglycerin and assorted bomb-making materials.
When I think about my gang member past I shudder in shame. But if there was one lesson I learned from my past it is that there is a profound moral difference between using violence to destroy lives and using violence to save lives. Terrorists do the former; soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines do the latter.Antimilitary liberals need to learn the difference between the two.
Marco Martinez became the first Hispanic American since Vietnam to be awarded the Navy Cross and the first Marine to receive that honor in the War on Terror. Raised in New Mexico, he now attends a community college in Southern California while working full-time in nuclear security.
Here is Sgt. Martinez’s Navy Cross citation:
The President of the United States
Takes Pleasure in Presenting
The Navy Cross
To
Marco A. Martinez
Corporal, United States Marine Corps
For Services as Set Forth in the Following
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism while serving as 1st Fire Team Leader, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 12 April 2003.
Responding to a call to reinforce his Platoon that was ambushed, Corporal Martinez effectively deployed his team under fire in supporting positions for a squad assault. After his squad leader was wounded, he took control and led the assault through a tree line where the ambush originated. As his squad advanced to secure successive enemy positions, it received sustained small arms fire from a nearby building.
Enduring intense enemy fire and without regard for his own personal safety, Corporal Martinez launched a captured enemy rocket propelled grenade into the building temporarily silencing the enemy and allowing a wounded Marine to be evacuated and receive medical treatment. After receiving additional fire, he single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle.
By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Corporal Martinez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Wild Thing's comment........
Saying you support the troops but not their mission is like saying you support firefighters... but not putting out fires.
God bless our our troops, all of them and all their families as well.
Posted by Wild Thing at October 3, 2007 12:45 AM
Comments
He's right.
The liberals want us to forget all the horrors that
Saddam did when he was in charge.
One thing the liberals forget is that this tour in Iraq is just a continuation of the first Desert Storm. Saddam was told, very clearly, that if he did not follow every rule we laid out for him that we would be back. Well, like every other corrupt dictator, he broke the rules, so we took care of the problem.
Posted by: Lynn at October 3, 2007 05:25 AM
I am glad Marco Martinez was able to use the military to turn his life around. Hopefully he will continue on his path as an honest productive citizen.
Posted by: TomR at October 3, 2007 05:50 AM
I agree with Tom, I hope Marco Martinez continues to succeed and influence all those around him by his example.
Posted by: Jack at October 3, 2007 11:52 AM
Corporal Martinez is quite an extraordinary man. His five illustrations are very enlightening. Too bad Harry Reid will never read them.
How many of us during out time in the military met men who at one time in their lives were of a criminal element? One of my closest friends was offered by a judge back in 1973, jail or military. Both of us enlisted in the Air Force together and went on to 20+ year careers.
Posted by: BobF at October 3, 2007 12:48 PM
Bob Your spot on and those are the ones who usually go on to do extraordinary things. It must be in there make up or something. Those or the quiet ones who seem to excel when the odds are totally out of whack.
This Marine, is right on track with his observations and insight to what is really going on over there.
This has been the whole problem with this war and with Vietnam too. There was nobody to tell what was really going on. I mean the truth, then we had Kerry with all his lies to the Senate Committee and now there is the main stream media and the rest of the commie rats to distort and subborn the truth.
And this I fault Bush for, he is in charge and instead of waiting for an election to fill in the American people he should have been out there every week, or a viable source. But he let the lies pile up and eventually it got believed.
Posted by: Mark at October 3, 2007 03:06 PM
Kinda makes you wonder why Reagan send Saddam so many weapons....including anthrax!!!! Doesn't it?
Posted by: Jerome at October 3, 2007 03:42 PM
Lynn, your so right, I loved his passion. He has taken the wrong road in life and turned his life around in such a wonderful way.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 3, 2007 11:44 PM
Tom yes, I have a feeling he will stay on the right track. He knows what Freedom cost now in our country.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 3, 2007 11:47 PM
Jack me too, it is a great story of a changed life.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 3, 2007 11:50 PM
Bob wow see that is like one of the Vietnam Vets I met. A Judge told him, jail or enlist. He enlisted in the Army and his life changed completely. And another Vet I met, the same thing and he enlisted in the Marines and he made a career of it.He tells everyone how it changed his life and not only that but it saved his life.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 3, 2007 11:52 PM
Mark, I agree so much, he did, he let the lies pile up and then no matter what he (Bush) said those believing the lies would not listen and mocked him.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 3, 2007 11:56 PM
I am a Marine from san antonio texas, I do no support the war and do not support this fellow marine. I cannot beleive his argument, violence is a good thing, if its used for a good purpose? Like the other posting said, that's the rational that reagan had when he sent massive ammounts of weapons to saddam in the 80's, wake up people! The ends do not justify the means. Violence is never the answer, and comming from a hick like me, you should listen. Everyone who supports this war, should go fight in it. Period. Go, and I pray to god that you do come back, intact atleast.
Posted by: Timmy from Texas at October 4, 2007 03:40 PM
Strange, You don't sound like a Marine. Did you sleep through 'History and Tradition' class ? Thats where you learn about Guadalcanal, Tarawa and the Betio Bastards and the Chosin Resvoir, and Khe Sanh and 1/9, aka, the walking dead... And what it takes to be a Marine. Or maybe you were in Sick-bay alot, with the rest of the sick-bay commandos. Or maybe they sent you home early like Dan Rather.
As far as your admonishment goes,'go and fight that war', most every poster here, can say, 'been there done that. So don't try to bullshit anyone here, it just doesn't work.'
You obviously enjoy your freedom of speech, you come in here and diss this sight. If you are so interested in freedom try defending it, for a change, instead of whining about what the cost is.
Posted by: Mark at October 4, 2007 07:44 PM
Mark is so right.
Timmy from Texas, I have met thousands of Marines in my life and am still in contact with hundreds of them. You do not sound like a Marine to me at all.
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 5, 2007 01:17 AM
