Wartime
Dispatches
Nearly
105 years ago, a young British army lieutenant traveled to Cuba
to observe the U.S. military go into action against the Spanish
Empire during the Spanish-American War. During his stay, the
young officer also filed regular news articles for a major London
newspaper. Thus, more than four decades before he became a wartime
world statesman, Winston Churchill both served his country in
uniform and operated as a war correspondent.
In
that spirit, the Soldiers for the Truth Foundation and DefenseWatch
magazine invite all soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast
Guardsmen participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom to send us
their own personal dispatches from the front. We invite you
to send us direct email dispatches to inform our readers –
many of whom are fellow military personnel or veterans –
of how you and your comrades are experiencing the war.
We
also invite family members who have received such emails from
their loved ones to share them with us.
We
have created a special site at sftt.us called, “From the
Troops,” and will post your dispatches there for our readers
to enjoy.
Secretary
of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has repeatedly cautioned that
even with over 500 journalists “embedded” in major
combat units, their reports still provide readers and viewers
with only a “narrow slice” of the overall reality.
We solicit these dispatches to help broaden the American public’s
understanding and perspective of the war.
It
will be our policy not to divulge any information that could
violate operational security or otherwise potentially endanger
the safety of the coalition troops. What we seek are your accounts
of war – in its excitement, boredom, humor and sadness
combined – that will enable us better to understand what
you are experiencing, and to better support you as you serve.
Please
send us your dispatches, including your name, rank and unit,
to:
dweditor@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
Col.
David H. Hackworth USA (Ret.)
Robert L. McMahon, President SFTT
Ed Offley, Editor, DefenseWatch magazine
