Iraq-Pgh PG reveals scary snippets-some troops getting 1 meal again

[RamboLiberal]

Story is toll Iraq war has taken on local Pittsburgh area families.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04123/309899.stm

<snip>

(From a soldier who has just gotten home) He must have said "Mom don't worry" as often as he dove into sandbagged bunkers. One of his sergeants counted 40 mortar attacks in one day.

"I remember talking to him on the phone and you could hear them whistling," says Marlene.

<snip>

Pam Stewart's son and daughter-in-law are with the 84th engineering division camped in a tent city near Balad. They were sent to repair roads but conflict is keeping their backhoes and road graders idle. He's doing guard duty and she's working in the office, and they wash their clothes in buckets.

For a time, their supply deliveries were so infrequent that they were only eating once a day. Stewart said she has worried about Michelle, who has lost weight and struggled with her morale. Whether Brian calls at 3 a.m. or whether he doesn't, she said, "I don't sleep well."

Strongly opposed to the president's war policy, Stewart says she reveres the men and women in uniform: "I believe it was a mistake but that the mistake is not theirs. They are doing this because they believe in their country. My son is laying his life on the line for the American people, for our principles, not for one man."

<snip>

Piazza is asked if he thinks there will be a draft as the Iraq war endures and his father interjects, "Where's the next army going to come from?"

[NMDemDist2]

1. we need every paper in the nation to run this type story. n/t

[RamboLiberal]

2. Yes they should

I just changed the title - hope more DU'ers read it. BTW, read today that in the Green Zone that ketchup has gone AWOL and they are rationed to 1 scoop of ice cream a day - Awwwww.

[jimshoes]

3. They've had a tough couple of weeks

over there according to chimpy.