Pre-departure Entry #2
Sept. 22, 2006

Since I’ve started this walking project, many people have asked how the troops in Iraq feel about the war. Usually I respond that I’m just one soldier and I can’t speak for other servicemembers. While it’s true that I am just one soldier and I only speak for myself, it would be wrong to assume that my feelings are abnormal.
According to Zogby, a well respected and usually republican-minded pollster, 72 percent of recently returned Iraqi veterans think the U.S. should pull out by 2006. I can back up this quantitative data with my personal qualitative experiences in Iraq. I was able to travel all over and speak with literally thousands of soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors. To me, 72 percent sounds about right.
So why does it appear that soldiers are in support of the war? There are a few reasons I can think of. First, soldiers will always obey lawful orders and there is a sense of pride in that. Since the orders we received as soldiers to go to Iraq were perfectly lawful, most soldiers will never publicly criticize the war, even though privately they loath it. Included in this, is the fear that they might be court-martialed or somehow persecuted for their opinions. I have rigorously checked the regulations and sharing a political opinion is absolutely acceptable in our democratic nation. Even soldiers have free speech.
Many people counter that a friend or a loved one they know in Iraq said the war was a “good cause.” This is most easily explained when you understand that most people signed up for the armed forces because they wanted to protect their loved ones. Most people see some terrible things in Iraq, but they don’t want their mothers and wives to worry. So they report stoically that things are hard, but that it is a worthy cause.
The last reason why it may appear that soldiers support the war is the cold reception that civilians give when a soldier speaks out. Since I’ve started, I’ve been called liar, lazy, traitor, unpatriotic, and a “mother’s worst nightmare.” In contrast, the worst thing a fellow soldier has said to me so far is that he doesn’t agree with me. Furthermore, I’ve received several e-mails from veterans and even from soldiers currently in Iraq who have thanked me for speaking out.
It is true, however, that there are some soldiers who truly feel Iraq is a worthy cause. Their experiences must have been different from mine and from the majority of servicemembers in Iraq. Still, they have every right to their opinion.
I know it might be painful for some people when they start to realize that the soldiers in Iraq are normal people. They read the newspapers and are well informed. They have opinions and hopes. They are scared and confused as well as happy and brave. I wish I could say that we were all heroes who are joyful in every order we receive. The truth is, we will follow every lawful order we receive, but just because something’s lawful doesn’t mean we think it’s right.