Mail from Kandahar

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

The Letter I am posting below is a reprint. It is a great example of the mission in Afghanistan and it respresents the mindset of our troops overseas.

To the politicians who are crying from the pulpet to bring the troops home I would challenge them to get their calloused butts out of their House Common Seats and take a trip to Afghanistan where they will at the very least make educated proposals in regard to the mission.

Editor's note: The following letter, from a Canadian soldier stationed in Kandahar, was sent to us by his mother, Sandra Doak of Whitby, who asked that we share it with readers:
We have heard news that more Canadians would rather see us come home because too many soldiers have been killed. They believe we are not needed here.

These people obviously haven't got a clue about what is really going on here and if they are going to make a decision as to what is right or wrong in this situation, they had better do some research.

I could not sleep at all after hearing some of the recent news and I can not explain to you the anger and shame I feel at what our fellow Canadians are thinking.

We are more than willing to die in order to give the people of Afghanistan peace. Are Canadians so greedy that they want us pulled out of Afghanistan so that we cannot accomplish this great and necessary task?

I believe Canada has lost what it really means to be a Canadian. Our military is not just for our own protection but for the protection and well-being of everyone in this world that may need our help.

What kind of people are we who would back down from this obligation?

We have lived in peace for a long time. Every good person in this world deserves what we have and I will not, as a Canadian, stand idly by and not at least make an attempt to give these poor people what we have.

If we were to pull out now, then our soldiers who have died will have died in vain and I cannot accept this.

If you know of anyone who does not think we should be here please do your best to explain to them why.

Cpl. Brad Kauffeldt

We have indeed bred a new generation of great Canadians

 

[Sassylassie]

Thank you for sharing that letter RCS.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Funny I thought there would be more of a response to this.

M

 

[Jersay]

Good letter.

 

[Sassylassie]

I'm sure when the moon bats see your post they will be all over it.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

Its an excellent letter..thanks for sharing. The holidays remind me to be grateful to the soldiers for the freedoms we have.

But it is the holidays, & hardly anyone is around to comment..hence why the low response

 

[FiveParadox]

It's not that I don't want to respond, Retired_Can_Soldier, it's just that this issue has been discussed at such length recently, that I don't know if there's anything else to be said. Thank you for presenting us with this wonderful latter; as I have mentioned elsewhere, I support the mission to which the Canadian Forces are committed in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and I hope to see this mission continue, in the interests of both the Afghani and the Canadian people.

 

[Canadian with a hyphen]

It is the reality there, Thank u RCS for sharing it ...
To all NDP- read this .. read it again ... read it to urself as many times as u need to to understand, read it to the nation ...
the soldier said it so perfectly " we have lived in peace for so long, the rest of the world deserve to..."
From Calgary to Ontario .. a ton of thanx RCS...

Rachelle

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

FiveParadox. The letter was posted not really to raise debate, but to give perspective. There is another vein of discussion I would like to open but I will run it on it's own thread.

All the best
M

 

[Mogz]

Amazing how the masses often overlook the information those serving on the frontlines pass along. Then again our society has a tendancy to assume they know everything without ever having set foot in a war zone. I'm often ashamed of my generation.

 

[Curiosity]

RCS

I was all over the forums yesterday with only a few breaks...and I did not see the letter you shared.

I would have automatically acknowledged it, thanked you (which I am now doing) and tell you how much it means to read of families who have people doing the work the military do. I make it a point never to miss reading a military discussion and to offer my thanks and comments if appropriate.

It is my only problem with the forums here (because I am still not familiar with cruising for news easily)....I often miss great posts and don't see them until a few days later they are resurrected by a curious member who has a response.

Again thank you - apologies for the delay - it would have been sooner had I known it was there waiting. WC

 

[Curiosity]

RCS

I think it too bad your military people don't have milblog service for the people back home.

The military who are able to correspond regularly with friends and family and supportive strangers gives them a sense of purpose and courage.

Being away in a strange land always on alert is bad enough and then rarely hearing any encouraging words is hard on the people there.

No matter one's personal feelings - they should "tuck it in" as I said before...and wait till the men and women are returned home safely.