Catholic 'Desert Storm' veteran speaks out

By Matt Abbott
Op/Ed
Catholic Online

John Grasmeier is a 42-year-old Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm.

"I was in two different Army units, but the unit I served with in Iraq was the 3/24 INF," said Grasmeier (via e-mail), a traditional Catholic who maintains the Angelqueen.org website.

On a recent thread, Grasmeier posted the following (edited):

"I take my brother veterans one at a time. I've known some really golden guys and some not so golden, so if I 'support our troops,' it comes with certain qualifiers.

"Most of my friends when I was in [the Army] would have died for me if given the chance, as I would have for them. That's support. Then there were the tankers that ran over a dead Iraqi so many times that the only way I was able to identify the pile of mess in the middle of the road was because of the mangled hand that stuck out.

"I certainly don't support them in any way.

"In Iraq, I finally understood part of the reason why the military hierarchy demands such discipline: It's because war is such a wonton, mad and evil venue that they are just trying to have a structure which will hopefully maintain some semblance of order once the insanity begins. They figure if they go in with something truly orderly, trained and polished, what's left after the breakdown will be just a little better than a totally uncontrollable FUBAR.

"This is what happens when you have young men just out of childhood, give them beastly, destructive arms and equipment, and shove them into a lawless environment in which they realize they might not be alive the next day.

"I was able to keep my mind and soul intact -- didn't get the brunt of what some did -- and it still took me a long time to come back down to earth when I got back. There are, however, some things I won't ever forget, and it's an experience that changed my outlook on life profoundly."

Regarding the current conflict in Iraq, Grasmeier told me the following:

"All wars are a culmination of our collective sins. They're the result of an infection of human evils that comes to a head and proves how savage we can be to each other.

"Satan loves each and every one of them and they should never, ever be fought unless every imaginable alternative has been exhausted."

_____________________

(Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic journalist and commentator. He is a columnist for and/or contributor to Catholic Online, TheConservativeVoice.com, RenewAmerica.us, MichNews.com, Opeds.com and Speroforum.com. He is also an occasional contributor to "The Wanderer" Catholic newspaper. He can be reached at mattcabbott@hotmail.com.)

Contact

Matt Abbott
http://www.catholic.org IL, US
Matt Abbott - Author,

Email

mattcabbott@hotmail.com

Keywords

Catholic, Abbott

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,718

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• »