His name is Mike Smith. He is a happy, contented man. He resides with his remarkable wife Jill and their precious twins Connor and Kate. I am not sure if he knows this, but I treasure his friendship because of his kindness, his loyalty, and his deep commitment to his family, his university, and his country.
Mike also saved my life in Iraq. Twice.
Mike recently submitted a book manuscript for publication. It is titled RedCon-1, and I believe it to be a first rate effort.
Those who have experienced battle firsthand will immediately recognize Mike’s authenticity. I can report, and official records confirm, that he is a brave, committed, and resolute Marine noncommissioned officer. He is also a vicious fighter seemingly undeterred by fear or self-doubt. These are the qualities that make him the fine man he is, and these are also the qualities that enabled him to gain the trust and assurance of the men so ably described in this book.
Those who have studied battle will no doubt applaud Mike’s ability to describe Fallujah’s essential lessons. The Iraq War, particularly activities in the Anbar province, is quite confusing due to the complex religious, tribal, and commercial alliances that are found there. As Americans we like absolutes; we want to easily define good and evil, right and wrong, just and unjust. Unfortunately the Iraq War does not fit neatly into these categories. Human beings are simply not always ‘good’ or always ‘bad.’ We all have the capacity to be both, sometimes at the same time. If one takes the time to study the war – really study it – telling its story becomes very difficult. Yet Mike does so with aplomb.
RedCon-1 identifies many great themes that all Americans should consider fully. The book illuminates Marine Reservists in extreme circumstances and gives readers a better understanding of the citizen-soldiers who answered their nation’s call in 2004. Mike shows how they prepared for war, how they were employed, and, ultimately, how they executed the missions to which they were assigned. Americans need to know such things. Wars are costly in blood and treasure. We need to know that our forces are capable both of winning battles and building a lasting peace. Service members serving abroad represent those of us at home and carry the burden of representing the values upon which our nation was founded. This burden is what makes us unique in the world. No matter how ugly the enemy becomes, no matter the methods they employ, our forces are responsible for conducting missions consistent with the 1st Marine Division’s motto of “No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy.”
I once remarked to my wife that I wished I had a web camera on my truck in Fallujah so that Americans could see what Scout Platoon accomplished in Iraq. I am so proud of our efforts there. We fought hard and with honor.
No such video recording of Scout Platoon in Fallujah exists.
But now we have RedCon-1. Thank God we do.
Read the book when it comes out, hopefully this year. Consider it. Think on it deeply. It is an important piece of a gigantic, complex puzzle that is the Iraq War.
Fantastic write up about a fantastic man and my best friend.
ReplyDelete