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On Memorial Day, I published an email from Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Mellinger describing the memorial in Afghanistan for Spc David L. Leimbach.
When I published that tribute, I didn't know just how
dedicated this Great American was. I've
been in communication with a member of David's family who told me that David
had done a tour in Afghanistan
with the South Carolina National Guard, yet when their tour ended, 120 members
of the Guard unit volunteered to stay behind in Afghanistan
or go to Iraq. David was one of those soldiers. Please see this article for more: http://www.militarycity.com
America
has lost David in body, but his spirit and the spirit of the other 119 soldiers
resonates deeply with me. These are the kind
of soldiers I'm thinking of when people ask me how morale is, and I say, I
can't explain it, but despite the extreme pressures of multiple deployments,
our combat soldiers' morale remains high. David and his comrades had done their duty. They knew the risks. And they still volunteered to return to
combat. These are the kind of men and
women I most like to be around and write about. I did not know David personally, but reading about him, I feel as if I
know him well. The South Carolina
National Guard must be some unit to have soldiers like David Leimbach, and 119 others who keep on keeping on.
David will be laid to rest in South Carolina on Monday. Please click here for more information. www.EngleFoundation.org
My condolences to the family of this Great American, and to his
fellow soldiers in the South Carolina National Guard. David was lost facing down those who would do
us harm. His courage and loyalty are an
inspiration to us all.
The War in Afghanistan has truly begun. This will be a long, difficult fight that is set to eclipse anything we’ve seen in Iraq. As 2010 unfolds, my 6th year of war coverage will unfold with it. There is relatively little interest in Afghanistan by comparison to previous interest in Iraq, and so reader interest is low. Afghanistan is serious, very deadly business. Like Iraq, however, it gets pushed around as a political brawling pit while the people fighting the war are mostly forgotten. The arguments at home seem more likely to revolve around a few words from the President than the ground realities of combat here. I can bring the ground realities, but can sustain the coverage only by the graciousness of readers. Please keep that in mind. Please click…
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