[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1827-E1828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

LETTERS FROM A MARINE OFFICER

______

HON. LAMAR S. SMITH

of texas

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, October 6, 2004

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to submit for the
Congressional Record two letters that were forwarded to me by Bill and
Bonnie Nofsinger. Their nephew, 1st Lt. Robert I. Nofsinger, is
stationed in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps.
Lieutenant Nofsinger's letters contradict much of what has been
reported in the national news media about the war on terror in Iraq.
Reports have led some Americans to conclude that all of Iraq is in
turmoil and despair, which is not supported by the facts. Much of the
country is making the successful transition to stability.
Lt. Nofsinger writes:
``When you watch the news and see doomsday predictions and spiteful
opinions about our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing
that we are doing a tremendous amount of good. So spread the word.''
Mr. Speaker, I will follow Lt. Nofsinger's advice and spread the word
by submitting his eloquent and heartfelt letters for my colleagues and
others to read.

Hello Everyone: I am taking time to ask you all for your
help. First off, I'd like to say that this is not a political
message. I'm not concerned about domestic politics right now.
We have much bigger things to deal with, and we need your
help.
It seems that despite the tremendous and heroic efforts of
the men and women serving here in Iraq to bring much needed
peace and stability to this region, we are losing the war of
perception with the media and American people.
Our enemy has learned that the key to defeating the mighty
American military is by swaying public opinion at home and
abroad. We are a people that cherish the democratic system of
government and therefore hold the will of the people in the
highest regard. We love to criticize ourselves almost to an
endless degree, because we care what others think. Our
enemies see this as a weakness and are trying to exploit it.
When we ask ourselves questions like, ``Why do they hate
us?'' or ``What did we do wrong?'' we are playing into our
enemies' hands. Our natural tendency to question ourselves is
being used against us to undermine our effort to do good in
the world. How far would we have gotten if after the surprise
attacks on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, we would have
asked, ``Why do the Japanese hate us so much?'' or ``How can
we change ourselves so that they won't do that again?''
Here in Iraq the enemy is trying very hard to portray our
efforts as failing and fruitless. They kill innocents and
desecrate their bodies in hopes that the people back home
will lose the will to fight for liberty. They are betting on
our perceived weakness as a thoughtful, considerate people.
Unfortunately our media only serves to further their cause.
In an industry that feeds on ratings and bad news, a failure
in Iraq would be a goldmine. When our so-called ``trusted''
American media takes a quote from an Iraqi doctor as the
gospel truth over that of the men and women that are daily
fighting to protect the right to freedom of the press, you
know something is wrong. That doctor claimed that of the 600
Iraqis who were casualties of the fighting in Fallujah, the
vast majority of them were women, children and the elderly.
This is totally absurd. In the history of man, no one has
spent more time and effort, often to the detriment of our own
mission, to be more discriminate in our targeting of the
enemy than the American military. The Marines and Soldiers
serving in Iraq have gone through extensive training in order
to avoid shedding innocent blood.
Yet, despite all of this, our media consistently sides with
those who openly lie and directly challenge the honor of our
brave heroes fighting for liberty and peace. What we have to
remember is that peace is not defined as an absence of war.
It is the presence of liberty, stability, and prosperity. In
the face of the horrendous tyranny of the former Iraqi
regime, the only way true peace was able to come to this
region was through force. That is what the American
Revolution was all about. Have we forgotten?
Freedom is not free and ``peace'' without principle is not
peace. The peace that so-called ``peace advocates'' support
can only be brought to Iraq through the military. And we are
doing it, if only the world will let us!
If the American people believe we are failing, even if we
are not, then we will ultimately fail. That is why I am
asking for your support. Become a voice of truth in
your community. Wherever you are, fight the enemy's lies.
Don't buy into pessimism and apathy and say that it is
hopeless, that they hate us too much, that this part of
the world is just too messed up and it is our fault
anyway, that we are to blame.
Whether you're in Middle School, working a 9-5 job, retired
or a stay-at-home mom, you can make a huge difference! There
is nothing more powerful than the truth. So, when you watch
the news and see doomsday predictions and spiteful opinions
about our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing
that we are doing a tremendous amount of good. Spread the
word. No one is poised to make such an amazing contribution
to the everyday lives of Iraqis and the rest of the Arab
world than the American Armed Forces. By making this a place
where liberty can finally grow, we are making the whole world
safer.
Your efforts at home are directly tied to our success. You
are the soldiers at home fighting the war of perception. So
I'm asking you as fellow soldiers to do your duty; stop the
attempts of the enemy wherever you are. You are a mighty
force for good, because truth is on your side.
Together we will win this fight and ensure a better world
for the future.
God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
1st Lt. Robert L. Nofsinger USMC.
____

Dear Friends: Well, my unit has come to the end of its time
here in Iraq and I wanted to send a final note. During the
past seven months 3rd Battalion 11th Marines has accomplished
much. Our artillery Battalion was given the mission of convoy
security and provisional MP (Military Police) duties. From
that mission gnaw other duties and we eventually ended up
accomplishing a wide range of tasks.
We were assigned to assist the Iraqi Border Patrol along
the Saudi Arabian border. Along with that came the
responsibility to care for the nearby town of Nukhayb. It is
a fairly small town that had been ravaged by two wars, 12
years of sanctions, and a tyrannical government that
neglected its basic needs. Over the course of seven months,
our small civil affairs section was able to spend roughly
$1.3 million on the infrastructure, people of Nukhayb and
outlying areas. The projects included the following:
Hospital renovation and medical supplies; school
refurbishment; water supply improvement; sanitation
equipment; regional fire department; agricultural
cooperative; multiple power generators and transformers;
equipment and gear for local Iraqi Security Forces;
electrical rewiring; refurbishment of local government
buildings; establishment of employment programs; and local
mosque refurbishment.
Nukhayb is now a thriving active community with a renewed
sense of direction. The local economy is rapidly increasing
and is already far beyond where it was at any time during the
past 30 years. 3/11's main mission was to provide convoy
security for military and non-military convoys throughout
Iraq. This was done with the utmost patience and
professionalism. The Marines of 3/11 being trained as
artillerymen, performed tremendously as provisional
infantrymen without skipping a beat. As this war has only
further proven, Artillerymen are the ``go to'' Marines of the
Marine Corps. In the end 3/11 was responsible for escorting
hundreds upon hundreds of vital convoys throughout the
theater.
In addition to this responsibility 3/11 was asked to
supervise and run a provincial Iraqi

[[Page E1828]]

Security College where Iraqi Security Forces were trained to
take control of their country. The college was so successful
that it is now entirely run by Iraqis.
Continuing the Military Police role 3/11 also maintained
and operated a provincial detention facility where detainees
were treated with respect and humanity. Long before incidents
at other prisons in Iraq were discovered, 3/11 set the
highest of possible standards in the country for quality of
care and facility conditions. The detention facility has
been heralded as a hallmark in our area of operations and
brings much praise to the battalion.
All along the way 3/11 was asked to step outside its area
of expertise and provide the highest level of performance,
and each time the expectations were met and exceeded. Few
units if any can claim to have accomplished such a wide
variety of missions in such a short period of time. The
Marines of 3rd Battalion 11th Marines can return home to
their loved ones knowing they provided absolutely vital
contributions to the war in Iraq. The Iraqi people have never
known liberty in their entire history and now they finally
have a chance to live free. With Marines and soldiers out
there like those from 3/11, the war on terror will be
definitively won and the world will know a higher level of
freedom and prosperity than it has ever known. I personally
want to thank each of you who have supported me through this
journey. I will never be able to put into words, my
appreciation for all you have done for me. My definition of
family has grown exponentially since being over here and I
thank you. But more than just your personal support I am
grateful for your support of the cause. Not everyone in
America is educated enough to understand the full importance
of what we are doing in this part of the world and I am so
thankful that you all do. Freedom and liberty are fragile and
America seems to be one of the only countries actively
fighting to ensure that they do not perish from this earth.
Your continued efforts at home are much needed in spreading
the truth. Together we will win this fight and secure a
better future for the whole world.
God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
1st Lt. Robert L. Nofsinger USMC.

____________________