[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 98 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1505]]
 A DISPATCH FROM THE IRAQ WAR BATTLE GROUND: AIR FORCE CAPTAIN F. JOHN 
            DURESKY REMINDS US: AMERICANS ARE DYING IN IRAQ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 24, 2006

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter into the Record a column by 
Air Force Captain F. John Duresky, ``Forgotten Sacrifice,'' which 
appeared in the July 5, 2006 edition of The Washington Post.
  I have spoken out and written for more than three years about the 
unshared burden of the Iraq war but never as eloquently and with such 
forceful imagery as Air Force Captain Duresky. One of the ``boots on 
the ground'' in Iraq, Captain Duresky is among the troops President 
Bush likes to thank. He is one of the troops who, according to the 
Hawks willing to feed other people's children into the killing field of 
Iraq, smile bravely from a hospital bed at Walter Reid and promises 
that although he has lost both legs, he is happy he served his country 
and wants nothing more than to go back and join his ``buddies'' still 
``in country.''
  But Captain Duresky presents a problem for the President. Unlike most 
of the hawks who have not ventured beyond the safety of the ``green 
zone'' in Iraq or seen the carnage of the battlefield, Captain Duresky 
can describe the horror of war with the credibility of one who has been 
there.
  I share Captain Duresky's concern that, to most Americans, the war in 
Iraq is a fight for other people's children. Disproportionately, these 
are the children of the poor and minorities who proudly serve but also 
risk their lives for their chance at a college education, technical 
training and financial benefits the military affords. For most 
Americans the Iraq war is little more than another story on the evening 
news.
  I wish to offer some hope to Captain Duresky. To many Americans the 
war is not only real, but a great moral failure. Many of them are 
protesting and ``taking to the streets.'' They are lobbying Members of 
Congress and meeting in their communities to arrange marches and 
protests. The polls clearly show the American people are unhappy with 
President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. They want a change of 
course and they want the troops withdrawn.
  The Republican attempt to label any plan to set a date for withdrawal 
as ``cut and run'' is not working. The Republican attempt to label 
anyone who questions the President as not supporting the troops is not 
working. Millions of Americans believe the best way to support the 
troops is to question the President's failed policies in Iraq and to 
force him and Secretary Rumsfeld to protect the troops instead of 
leaving them in as targets in a war where there is no exit plan and no 
working strategy.
  I thank Captain Duresky for his service and his courage in writing 
``Forgotten Sacrifice.'' Millions of us have not forgotten his 
sacrifice and that of the more than 2,500 Americans killed and 18,000 
wounded. Nor have we forgotten the daily pain of their families. I will 
keep Captain Duresky in my prayers and long for his return home.
  Air Force Captain Duresky's words have painted an indelible picture 
for me. I hope my colleagues will benefit as I have from reading 
``Forgotten Sacrifice.''

                [From The Washington Post, July 5, 2006]

                          Forgotten Sacrifice

                          (By F. John Duresky)

       A few days ago, as I do every day in Iraq, I listened to 
     the commander's battle update. The briefer calmly and 
     professionally described the day's events. Somewhere in Iraq, 
     on some forgotten, dusty road, an insurgent fighting an 
     occupying army detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) 
     under a Humvee, killing an American soldier. The briefer 
     fielded a question from the general and moved to the next 
     item in the update.
       The day before that, in America, a 15-year-old's incredibly 
     rich parents planned the biggest sweet 16 party ever. They 
     will spend more than $200,000 on an opulent event marking a 
     single year in an otherwise unremarkable life. The soon to-
     be-16 girl doesn't know where Iraq is and doesn't care. That 
     same day an American soldier died in Iraq.
       Two days earlier, a 35-year-old man went shopping for home 
     entertainment equipment. He had the toughest time selecting 
     the correct plasma screen; he could afford the biggest and 
     best of everything. In the end, he had it installed by a 
     specialty store. He spent about $50,000 on the whole system. 
     He has never met anybody serving in the military nor served 
     himself, but thinks we should ``turn the whole place into a 
     parking lot.'' That day, another American soldier died in 
     Iraq.
       Three days earlier, some college students had a great 
     kegger. There were tons of babes at the party, the music was 
     awesome. Everybody got totally blitzed, and many missed class 
     the next day. The young men all registered for the draft when 
     they were 18, but even though our nation is at war, they 
     aren't the least bit worried about the draft. It is 
     politically impossible to conscript young people today, we 
     are told. That day, another American ``volunteer'' died in 
     Iraq.
       Four days earlier, a harried housewife looked all over town 
     for the perfect accessory for her daughter's upcoming 
     recital. Her numerous chores wore her out, but she still 
     found herself preoccupied. Her oldest son is having trouble 
     in his first year of college, and he has been talking of 
     enlisting in the Army. She is terrified that her child will 
     go off to that horrible war she sees on TV. She and her 
     husband decide to give their son more money so he doesn't 
     have to work part-time; maybe that will help with his 
     studies. That day, another soldier died.
       Yesterday millions of Americans celebrated Independence 
     Day. They attended parties and barbecues. Families came 
     together from all across the country to celebrate the big 
     day. Millions of dollars were spent on fireworks. At public 
     events, there were speeches honoring the people who served 
     and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. These words mostly 
     fell on bored ears. While the country celebrated its own 
     greatness, other Americans were still fighting in Iraq.
       Today Americans go back to their normal business. The 
     politicians in Washington have made sure the sacrifices of 
     the war are borne by the very smallest percentage of 
     Americans. They won't even change the tax rates to prevent 
     deficits from running out of control. Future generations will 
     pay the cost of this war.
       Many Americans feel strongly about the war one way or 
     another, but they aren't signing up their children for 
     service or taking the protest to the streets. What can they 
     do? It is they whom we in the military trust to influence our 
     leaders in Washington.
       Today, as on every other day in Iraq, American servicemen 
     are in very real danger. Our country is at war. Mothers, 
     fathers, wives, husbands and children are worrying about 
     their loved ones in a faraway land. They all hope he or she 
     isn't the one whose luck runs out today.
       The writer is an Air Force captain stationed in Iraq.

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