A Soldier's Letter

"Shift news to successes in Iraq, soldier urges

JOHN CARLSON'S IOWA
May 23, 2007

Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk, an Iowa National Guard
Black Hawk helicopter pilot from Ames, has been serving
in Iraq since October. He wrote a letter to friends and family
blasting American media coverage of the war.

A tired and disgusted Iowa soldier fired off an e-mail a few days ago, telling family and friends how things are going in Iraq.

A Blackhawk helicopter pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk has flown more than 80 combat missions since he arrived there in October.

He described his Boone-based unit's successes after 5,000 hours of flying out of LSA Anaconda, a huge American base north of Baghdad. He talked about the tragedies he and his fellow Iowans have witnessed and his worries of becoming complacent as he goes on mission after mission.

Morale?

'We're treading water,' the Ames man told the people closest to him. 'We continue to kick butt on missions and take care of each other, even though we know the American public and government DOES NOT stand behind us.

Ohhhh, they all say they support us, but how can you support me (the soldier) if you don't support my mission or my objectives. We watch the news over here. Every time we turn it on we see the American public and Hollywood conducting protests and rallies against our 'illegal occupation' of Iraq.'

His greatest frustration? The performance of the people who deliver the news to the American people.

I'll let him say it, in his own words, in the letter, which found its way to me:"
Read More... DesMoinesRegister.com: