Rocky asked me to place this here for Capt Todd and others:

http://www.brigadeamerica.com/Australian.html

From an Australian whose son is in Iraq

Gentlemen

I am an Australian and my son is an Australian - as far as we are concerned there is not place on

God's earth better than Australia, and there are no people better than Australians.

That was until the past week or so.

My son is in the Australian Army and he is currently on deployment in Iraq. I can not go into his

duties in great depth, but shall we say that he and his fellow army buddies are on a glorified

guard duty looking after the Australian Embassy. They don't go out looking for "action", though it

is a different story in Afghanista n, there the Aussie troops chase the baddies over the hills

and into the valleys..

My son and I just ended a long 'phone conversation and here are some of his comments, believe me this

is what he said. We have all seen the bullshit emails written by some clown in his lounge room

pretending to be at the coal face, but this is what was said.:

"Before I came over here I thought we (the Australian Army ) were pretty shit hot..... was I ever wrong!

....The Yanks (I hope you don't mind me using that word) are so professional from the top to the bottom

that it is almost embarrassing to be in their company, and to call yourself a soldier....don't get me

wrong, we are good at what we do but the Yanks are so much better.....they are complete at what they do,

how they do it and their attitude is awesome....they don't complain they just get on with the job and

they do it right.....I carry a Minimi (SAW) so I am not real worried about a confrontation but I tell you

I feel safer just knowing that the US Army is close by....If we got into trouble I know that our boys

would come running and we could deal with it but they would probably be passed by a load of Hummers. No

questions asked, no glory sought, the Americans would just fight with us and for us because that is their

nature, to protect those in need of protection.....We use the American Mess so you could say that we are

fed by the Americans.....they have every right to be pissed at that but they don't bitch about that they

just make us feel as welcome as possible....what gets to me is that the Yanks don't walk around with a "we

are better than you attitude" and they could because they are, they treat us as equals and as brothers in

arms. If nothing else, coming here has taught me that the Americans are a truly great Nation and a truly

great bunch of people.....Let's face it they don't HAVE to be here, they could stay in America and beat

the shit out of anyone who threatened them, BUT THEY ARE HERE because they believe they should be here, and

the Iraqis would be screwed if they weren't here.....When I come home, you and I we are going to the US, we

will buy some bikes and we are going riding...."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The reason why I am sharing this with you is because I realize that you (as a nation) must get pretty pissed

with all the criticism you receive by the so-called "know it alls" who are sitting at home - safe. The reality

is that they are safe, just as I am, because of America. If the world went arse up tomorrow there is f**k all

we (Australia) could do about it, but I know that the Americans would be there putting themselves on the line

for others. That to me is the sign of greatness.

The most precious thing in my life is my son, I look at him and I thank God that I am fortunate enough to be able

to spend time in his company. We laugh, we discuss, we argue, we dummy spit, we have the same blood. I am not

happy that he i s where he is but that is his duty. He joined the Army to protect and to defend, not to play games.

I mightn't like it but I accept it. My reasons for not liking it are selfish and self centered. I felt assured that

he would be safe because he is in a well trained army with an excellent record, BUT NOW, I feel a whole lot better

knowing that he is with your sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.

Whilst he was growing up. I was always there to look after him, I would not let harm befall him and I would always

put myself before him to protect him. I can't do that now. When it comes to looking after him now he and his mates

will do the job, but also THANK GOD FOR AMERICA.

Gentlemen, I have rambled on for too long. but as I finish I say to you, as a foreigner and outsider, a nation is

only a collection of its people and its attitude is the attitude of its people, collectively and as individuals. I am

really glad you are here on this Earth and I respect you as a nation and as people.

Stand up and feel proud because you deserve it, there is no one else who will do what America does without question.

The next time someone howls you down, take some comfort in the fact that America is defending their right to act like

an idiot.

Finally, thank you for looking after my son.

Peter Turner

' Hey Don', Is ALL the British beer that warm...?'

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There are 3 programs about Hitler and the Holocaust on the National Geographic Channel right now (Sunday April 27, 2008). They will be repeated later tonight if you miss the first broadcast.

Jim

Inducted into the Army at Columbus Ave Boston March 15, 1941, my father was in one of the 1st groups of "draftees" sent to Camp Edwards. The following accounts drawn from mostly from the YD Historians (101st, 104th, 181st, and 182nd regiments), were of that same time period and match many of Dad's letters.

You can see how some of these experiences would eventually turn a group of civilians/strangers from all walks of life into comrades.

"During the trip from Cape Cod, smoke and cinders from the locomotive had seeped into the passenger cars and covered the men's skin and clothing. Before retiring, the recruits assembled in the washroom for a required 90 second shower en masse - 30 seconds under the taps to get wet, 30 seconds outside to soap up while another group went in, and 30 seconds back in to rinse off. Non-coms stood by with watches to time each shift and then blew their whistles when the allotted time was up. The measure was necessary to ensure there was enough water for everyone."

(Anyone who has ever been to Cape Cod in March knows that 30 seconds OUTSIDE

naked must've felt like an ETERNITY!)

"After breakfast, the group was off to the station hospital for medical tests, chest x-rays, and a series of inoculations. Standing by were a group of medics, mostly inexperienced, ready to try out their recently acquired 'needle techniques.' The men received shots to prevent every disease imaginable - typhoid, diptheria, smallpox - and several others they never knew existed. The Company M 104th historian wrote: 'We were inoculated against everything except slipping on the soap in the shower room and breaking our necks. ' That night , the barracks resounded with a chorus of moans & groans as men rolled over on their sore arms. Some of the men suffered from acute reactions to the shots. In a few cases, those with very high temperatures returned to the hospital for treatment. For days afterwards, the men suffered from stiff arms and had to help one another putting on their field jackets and packs. One witty young man

from the 104th quipped "that he had to give up drinking beer because he leaked from all the places he was jabbed."

(My father wrote home at that time: "Everyone's sick down here. Lots of guys taken to the hospital with high fevers." My father continued to receive these "injections" throughout 1941 and 1942 - almost every week. What were they all for? I often wonder about that because both he & his brother Joe died "young" (at 70 & 56) from cancer (and neither of them were ever really sick a day in their lives). It just makes you wonder if all those shots had any adverse effect.)

m1

Received this from Art Cook. He will be well represented in the documentary.

Dear M.

Here's a small bit of wit.

Because the 36th engineers were so often committed to fight as infantry these engineer soldiers would refer to themselves as the

36th I N G I N T R Y,

HaHA!

Yours A