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This is a letter that I sent home to family of friends following a tough week in Iraq when I was in battalion command in Baghdad. I've previously shared it in a couple of venues and hope RallyPoint finds it of interest.
From: Russell, Samuel L LTC MIL USA FORSCOM
Sent: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 4:10 pm
Subject: Another Memorial
Family and Friends...
I've been trying to get out another update on the events of the past two months, but we've had a busy couple of weeks -- large spike in insurgent activity. Unfortunately, our brigade lost several Soldiers. Again, my battalion was spared any casualties. I can't bring myself to write about my trivial goings on with the weight of the latest combat operations, and the burden of the associated loss. That will have to wait.
One of the missions my unit performs is recovering heavily damaged vehicles that units are unable to self-recover. We had several over the past week into heavily contested areas. Our follow-on missions after a recovery are to sanitize the damaged or destroyed vehicles, process the human remains and prepare the fallen Soldiers for transport through the mortuary in Baghdad and on to the mortuary in Dover. Unless out on a mission, I am always present when remains are brought back and vehicles are sanitized. It is the most solemn of missions and at the same time potentially the most psychologically demanding that my Soldiers encounter.
One of my recovery teams went out with 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment -- Rangers -- to bring back a destroyed HMMWV and two of their fallen comrades. This mission involved running a gauntlet of improvised explosive devices (IED), rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and small arms fire--there and back--and, thank God, our guys returned unscathed, despite being hit by all three. I was there when we downloaded the severely damaged gun truck, which was missing an armored door after receiving the full blast of an explosively formed projectile (EFP). After untarping the vehicle and beginning the sanitization, I moved to the mortuary affairs collection point where I met those two young Rangers, not in life but in death. The earthly remnants of their bodies were void of the souls and spirits that so recently filled them with life and aspirations, but had now moved onto a better place. After fourteen months of hard fought combat, these two Rangers were only days from going home; each was in his early twenties. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with my chaplain as he prayed over the bodies of these two fine young men.
No movie can capture the essence of war, not even the beach landing scene in Saving Private Ryan. Rightfully, such true to life experiences should not be seen and felt by anyone. Beyond the sights and sounds of battle, the movies can never bring to the viewer the overwhelming crush to the other senses: touch, taste and smell. My attempts to describe the variety and severity of each sensory input would make this message unreadable. So, I'll spare you those details. Suffice it to say that the most overwhelming sense is that of loss.
Today we held the traditional memorial ceremony for both of them. It was comforting to see photos of them when they were whole, strong, motivated and proud to serve. Unfortunately, what I'll carry with me is the images of my meeting with them at my mortuary as we prepared them for their hero flight home.
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur once said, "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
While this is true, the Soldier also prays for his life, the life of his buddy next to him, the loved ones he is serving to protect, and his safe return home where he can peacefully enjoy that blanket of freedom for which he has sacrificed so much. He prays for victory, for strength in battle, for the annihilation of his enemy, and for retribution of fallen comrades. But what separates a Soldier's prayer from any other God-fearing American, is that he puts his prayers into action. Wielding his God-given strength he storms into the cauldron of fire, takes the fight to the enemy, places his life on the line for his buddies, seeks vengeance for his fallen comrades, and annihilates the enemy.
May God continue to bless our Nation with young men like Specialist Durrell Bennett and Private First Class Patrick Miller, young men that not only pray for peace but are willing to answer the prayers of millions of Americans by waging into battle to protect and preserve that blanket of freedom. Sleep gently tonight America, for your brave young men are standing firmly at their post.
God Bless, Sam
SAMUEL L. RUSSELL
LTC, LG
94th BSB Commander
FOB Rustamiyah
From: Russell, Samuel L LTC MIL USA FORSCOM
Sent: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 4:10 pm
Subject: Another Memorial
Family and Friends...
I've been trying to get out another update on the events of the past two months, but we've had a busy couple of weeks -- large spike in insurgent activity. Unfortunately, our brigade lost several Soldiers. Again, my battalion was spared any casualties. I can't bring myself to write about my trivial goings on with the weight of the latest combat operations, and the burden of the associated loss. That will have to wait.
One of the missions my unit performs is recovering heavily damaged vehicles that units are unable to self-recover. We had several over the past week into heavily contested areas. Our follow-on missions after a recovery are to sanitize the damaged or destroyed vehicles, process the human remains and prepare the fallen Soldiers for transport through the mortuary in Baghdad and on to the mortuary in Dover. Unless out on a mission, I am always present when remains are brought back and vehicles are sanitized. It is the most solemn of missions and at the same time potentially the most psychologically demanding that my Soldiers encounter.
One of my recovery teams went out with 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment -- Rangers -- to bring back a destroyed HMMWV and two of their fallen comrades. This mission involved running a gauntlet of improvised explosive devices (IED), rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and small arms fire--there and back--and, thank God, our guys returned unscathed, despite being hit by all three. I was there when we downloaded the severely damaged gun truck, which was missing an armored door after receiving the full blast of an explosively formed projectile (EFP). After untarping the vehicle and beginning the sanitization, I moved to the mortuary affairs collection point where I met those two young Rangers, not in life but in death. The earthly remnants of their bodies were void of the souls and spirits that so recently filled them with life and aspirations, but had now moved onto a better place. After fourteen months of hard fought combat, these two Rangers were only days from going home; each was in his early twenties. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with my chaplain as he prayed over the bodies of these two fine young men.
No movie can capture the essence of war, not even the beach landing scene in Saving Private Ryan. Rightfully, such true to life experiences should not be seen and felt by anyone. Beyond the sights and sounds of battle, the movies can never bring to the viewer the overwhelming crush to the other senses: touch, taste and smell. My attempts to describe the variety and severity of each sensory input would make this message unreadable. So, I'll spare you those details. Suffice it to say that the most overwhelming sense is that of loss.
Today we held the traditional memorial ceremony for both of them. It was comforting to see photos of them when they were whole, strong, motivated and proud to serve. Unfortunately, what I'll carry with me is the images of my meeting with them at my mortuary as we prepared them for their hero flight home.
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur once said, "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
While this is true, the Soldier also prays for his life, the life of his buddy next to him, the loved ones he is serving to protect, and his safe return home where he can peacefully enjoy that blanket of freedom for which he has sacrificed so much. He prays for victory, for strength in battle, for the annihilation of his enemy, and for retribution of fallen comrades. But what separates a Soldier's prayer from any other God-fearing American, is that he puts his prayers into action. Wielding his God-given strength he storms into the cauldron of fire, takes the fight to the enemy, places his life on the line for his buddies, seeks vengeance for his fallen comrades, and annihilates the enemy.
May God continue to bless our Nation with young men like Specialist Durrell Bennett and Private First Class Patrick Miller, young men that not only pray for peace but are willing to answer the prayers of millions of Americans by waging into battle to protect and preserve that blanket of freedom. Sleep gently tonight America, for your brave young men are standing firmly at their post.
God Bless, Sam
SAMUEL L. RUSSELL
LTC, LG
94th BSB Commander
FOB Rustamiyah
Posted in these groups: 
Baghdad
Fallen Soldiers
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Battalion Commander
Command Post
Baghdad Fallen Soldiers Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Battalion Commander Command Post
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 42
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COL Sam Russell
Thank you for sharing! I can't imagine the pressure of being responsible for hundreds (or more) of men, sending them out on missions not knowing if you are going to have to contact a family member because they do not make it back to the wire alive. Losing your buddies is a horrible experience, but having to contact family members must be equally horrible.
Thank you for sharing! I can't imagine the pressure of being responsible for hundreds (or more) of men, sending them out on missions not knowing if you are going to have to contact a family member because they do not make it back to the wire alive. Losing your buddies is a horrible experience, but having to contact family members must be equally horrible.
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Right before Christmas 2006, during their RIP/TOA (Relief In Place/Transfer of Authority) the Latvian Army lost three Soldiers during their Right Seat Ride/Left Seat Ride. This was the Polish Army's flyby during their Angel Flight back to Baghdad at FOB Echo in Diwaniyah, Iraq. We had other Memorials for our fallen Soldiers, but this one always underscored the price all of us were willing to pay to serve our country and preserve our freedoms. We left the Iraqi Theater of Operations eventually, but all of us had put something into preserving the security of Iraq to allow them to live in a democratic society and in safety. I didn't know how to share a letter or email, although I corresponded on an almost daily basis, so I thought this photograph would be worthy of sharing with my fellow Warriors. Let freedom ring throughout our world!
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Sir, thank you for honoring these Soldiers. This is the mark of leadership all should aspire to; that we personally care about each and every one of them. They all have faces, names and families. To avoid that reality would be disingenuous and cowardly.
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COL Sam Russell Great Colonel. I don't know if my kid brother's one letter from Nam will scan, I'll give it a try!
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I was on submarines and we only had "Family-grams". 20 word messages sent by our loved ones. 6 for a 3 month deployment. The only one I kept was the one telling me my son was born.
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COL Sam Russell
Sir,
Have you ever heard of letters written home having false information in them resulting in a elected officials becoming involved in righting a wrong that didn't occur?
Sir,
Have you ever heard of letters written home having false information in them resulting in a elected officials becoming involved in righting a wrong that didn't occur?
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CPT (Join to see)
COL Sam Russell -
We had one Sir, the Soldier decided to become a contentious objector after deploying. The Soldier wrote letters home containing false information about unit activities... which was in turn turned over to a Senator in the family's state. All the effort put into the inquiry was for nothing.
We had one Sir, the Soldier decided to become a contentious objector after deploying. The Soldier wrote letters home containing false information about unit activities... which was in turn turned over to a Senator in the family's state. All the effort put into the inquiry was for nothing.
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This moved me to tears Sir. I was lucky to serve during a time when there weren't any active (that we know of) combat operations, so I can honestly say I don't know what that is like. I'm thankful I don't have to know. I have many friends and loved ones that unfortunately do. I can only draw up my experiences in my previous life as a critical care nurse before transitioning over to IT. God Bless you all who bear the wounds and scars of war. I'm forever grateful and thankful for you all!
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A long time ago, I stood vigil as remains were recovered from vehicle destroyed by a SVBIED. I was injured myself in the same attack, burned badly. The smells... will never, ever leave my memory.
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Sir, Thanks for sharing your letter. It puts what our Soldiers do in perspective and reminds us of our responsibility to ensure they receive the best training to prepare them for the challenges they may face.
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I will also include Brave Women too,"Sleep gently tonight America, for your brave young men and women are standing firmly at their post."
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COL Sam Russell
You are absolutely correct. I wrote a later version that recognized sacrifices of both genders, but wanted to post my email as I originally wrote it.
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CPT Pedro Meza
COL Sam Russell - I understand Sir, for those of us in Civil Affairs we have women in our teams, I lost my company CO in Iraq in 2004 Major Rob Soltes, and 1SGT Blue C. Rowe 2009 in Afghanistan; CA is a small community.
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