Last night I saw an amazing, moving report on CBS News. You may have seen it too, or you may soon. Just in case you don’t, I wanted to share it with the DKos community and hopefully help spread the word.
This is one of those "good" stories about our soldiers' efforts in Iraq. The members of the 82nd Airborne, Bravo Company in Baghdad did something truly noble and heroic. And I felt moved to let those soldiers know that we say "thank you"!
CBS reporter Lara Logan describes the story in her 'Reporter's Notebook':
U.S. troops found an orphanage full of starving, neglected children in Baghdad, where it appears the orphanage director may have selling the facility's supplies to local markets.
It's really worth reading the article and watching the video. Words don't do justice to it. The video of these suffering children is horrible. These were special needs children. They were cruelly neglected.
But our soldiers stepped in and did the right thing.
The story is also covered here.
Soldiers found 24 severely malnourished boys, some tied to their beds, in the orphanage, yet there was a room full of food and clothing nearby.
While what they found was appalling, the reaction of the troops was immediate and heartfelt. They immediately did the right thing. They showed their humanity, honor and caring.
Decent everyday Iraqis were equally appalled and heartbroken over what they found. The initiative and decency shown by the 82nd Airborne is the sort of thing that helps win "hearts and minds."
Now, I am far from a cheerleader for the war. But I do think we should recognize and praise the good efforts of our forces who are trying to help. And this case just stood out as so heart-felt and humane.
There's a sad footnote to the story in this comment from Logan:
What I discovered when I visited the unit involved was that the soldiers thought the media was ignoring the story because we're only interested in explosions and firefights and "bad news"
I was so moved I wanted to let these soldiers know that their efforts are appreciated. I wanted to write a letter, but sending mail to soldiers you don't know is dicey. So I hope this diary gets the word to them.
To the 82nd Airborne, Bravo Company:
Commander Captain Ben Morales
Staff Sgt. Michael Beale
Staff Sgt. Mitchell Gibson
Lt. Stephen Duperre
Capt. Jim Cook
Lt. Jason Smith
and all the others soldiers who may not have been mentioned by name in the article but who all contributed to this incredible effort...
Thank you and our thoughts are with you.