Guest Author - Gary King

THINGS SOLDIERS ARE THANKFUL FOR IN IRAQ

(From a soldier in Iraq, we receive responses from soldiers when asked to write down 5 things they are thankful for this Christmas)

I have been on more than 200 convoys in the last 6 months and I am thankful that I still have my arms and legs.

I have have been in the Army for 14 years and I am thankful that this is only the 4th Thanksgiving and 5th Christmas that I will spend without my family; because I know that others have spent much more time away from their families.
I am thankful that I only sustained hearing damage during a convoy that was hit by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). One of my soldiers lost both of his legs.

I am thankful that I have a beautiful wife and kids at home waiting for me when this is all over. I know several soldiers that have gotten Dear John letters, and their wives will not be there when they get home.

I am thankful to wake up in the morning, after getting 4 solid hours of sleep. Most of the time I can only sleep for an hour or so before I wake up in a panic!

I am thankful to be an American. I know that one day I will leave this place. These people here cannot say the same thing and they have to live here.

I am thankful that we serve a mighty God that gives us strength and courage to face the unknown everyday.

I am thankful that I was able to serve my country, and I would do it again if given the chance, because America is worth fighting for. (This soldier lost an arm during an IED explosion).

I am thankful that we have the opportunity and the ability to help these people. Most countries can't even help themselves, let alone another nation.
I am thankful for having such great friends, comrades and soldiers around me. There is nothing in the world like being a soldier, fighting next to someone you know would give his life in defense of yours, whether you deserve it or not is not even the point--it's called DUTY!

I am thankful that I have had this time away from my family. As hard as it has been on us, it reminds us how good we have it back home.

I'm proud to wear the uniform of an American soldier because there are not other soldiers in the world who do what we do, and I am thankful not to be fighting a bunch of motivated, dedicated, highly trained warriors like us. IF we were, the death toll would be staggering!

I am thankful to walk on the same ground that Jesus Christ and his disciples once walked on; this is the chance of a lifetime!

I am thankful that I was not killed when that mortar exploded 10 feet away from me. Unfortunately, my buddy was! (This soldier just transferred in from another camp).

I am thankful to be stationed in this camp, where the leaders care about the soldier's well being and safety enough to be up at 2 AM, walking around the perimeter and making sure the guards are awake and alert.

I am thankful to be in Mosul and not in Baghdad or Tikrit. Those soldiers really have it bad (those are the worst areas for attacks in all of Iraq).
Before I came over here, I didn't realize how blessed I was to have clothes on my back, food on my table, a place to sleep and friends and family that love me. Most people over here will never understand those blessings.

I am thankful for living in a country that stands behind it's soldiers, supports them in their efforts and tells them so, even if they are not so sure of it themselves. There is nothing worse than the feeling of coming home to a nation that is thankless for your sacrifices.

I am thankful that we are fighting this war under President Bush and not someone like Clinton or Gord. At least I know what President Bush stands for and I can support someone who stands for something. It is difficult to support a president that you don't respect or even know what he stands for.

I am thankful that we trained so hard and that we learned so much from our history, to fight this war in a way that causes the least amount of casualties as possible. I don't know how many nights I've spent thanking God for not being a soldier during some of the battles of WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam. Those soldiers have given more than we can ever hope to give.

I am thankful that even though I have limited use of my right arm (from a grenade attack), that I still have a right arm to be thankful for!

I am thankful that I am able to sit here, among comrades, friends and co- workers, share hard times, good times, sad times, and some laughs, and then eat some turkey, and drink some juice, because there are many in this world that face famine, death, war, fear, had times, and lack the ability to do anything about it.

Those are just some of the things that your soldiers (Americas Army still with an average age of 19) are saying that they are thankful for today! What are you thankful for? In my mind, one of the greatest things that we have to be thankful for, is being given away by those who have no concept of its true meaning, or even why it is such an integral part of our culture. Hundreds of thousands of our countrymen and women have lost their lives in order to give y ou what you have today. If you cannot appreciate what that means, maybe you should spend more time at your local VA Hospital and talk to some veterans so they can explain to you their meaning of FREEDOM!!

May God's richest blessing be upon you this holiday season, and when you forget to be thankful for what you have, just remember that there are more than 250,000 soldiers who can find a reason to be thankful in the middle of a combat zone. IF THEY CAN BE THANKFUL, WHY CAN'T YOU?