Semper Fidelis (An Open Letter to the American People from the Mother of a US Marine

I am sick and tired. Sick and tired of how some in this country are turning their backs on our troops at a time when they need our support the most!

This is why I am taking action to speak up, and in particular, why I am helping to lead the “THESE COLORS DON’T RUN” national pro-troop/patriotic caravan being organized by Move America Forward.

This is my letter to you, the American people.

Semper Fidelis: These are not just mere words, they have a meaning greater than their literal definition in a dictionary. They mean “Always Faithful.”

Not only is this the motto of the United States Marines, but also of their families, and it has spilled over into the hearts and souls of all those who serve in every branch of our military and their families as well.

Always Faithful to God. Always Faithful to your brother (or sister) who serves along side you. Always Faithful to your Country… Always Faithful to your Family… Always Faithful to your Commander in Chief.

People ask me every day, “how do you get through the days with a son serving in Iraq?”

Well, the answer is an obvious one. Always Faithful to God, Always Faithful to the heroic men and women of the U.S. military who serve along side my son. Always Faithful to the Commander in Chief, Always Faithful to my Country.

However, it does not seem that our political leaders and media representatives have remained Always Faithful

I have traveled across this country and I have listened to the American people. I have heard the support that is expressed for our military and I know that the American people do support the war on terror. They just want communication. They just want to know what the goals and objectives are.

I understand that the American people wanted change in leadership in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. I understand the American people want things to go better in Iraq so our troops can come home. However, none of this can be accomplished because of the partisan politics that are taking place, which is ultimately hurting our military. You can’t imagine how much it sickens me to see our troops used as little more than pawns in a chess game where some politicians care more about putting our President in “checkmate” than they do in winning the war our sons and daughters are bravely fighting.

I am tired of those defeat & retreat politicians who say they are patriotic, and then insult the Commander in Chief at a time when we have boots on the ground in war zones.

I am tired of the politicians who want us to wave the white flag of surrender, but who then tell me how much they “support our troops.” As a military mom I can tell you that no soldier, Marine, sailor, airmen or Guardsmen wants to risk his or her life in a military mission, only to have political leaders denouncing the validity and morality of the missions that these troops are serving in. That is NOT supporting our troops.

Can you imagine being over in Iraq or Afghanistan, facing Islamic terrorists hell-bent on killing you, and returning to your base to hear that the best plan to win this war is with a “phased redeployment” (liberal-speak for retreat) out of the combat zone to someplace like Okinawa?

I am tired of the anti-war politicians whining for months on T.V., in the New York Times, and in the House and Senate that we need more troops to win the war in Iraq, and then when the President plans to do just that, they say that this is the wrong plan, it won’t work, and we need a “new direction.” Yet they don’t offer any new direction or a better plan.

I am tired of the decisions of Sergeants and Privates made in the heat of battle being scrutinized by lawyers and political commentators who were not there. Those who snub their nose at the military, and who look down at the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces, will never really know the state of mind of the young Marines or soldiers who were there and what is asked of them in order to survive.

I am tired of certain media outlets like CNN claiming that they are showing “news,” with anti-American propaganda videotapes sent to them by terrorists that show Marines and Soldiers being shot at by snipers—but then refusing to show what happens when our military builds a new school, paves a road, hands out food and water to children, opens a water treatment plant, provides much needed medical supplies to children in an orphanage.

I am tired of the politicians who act as Monday morning armchair generals, second-guessing the war effort and our military men and women. If you cannot stand behind our military and support them, go stand in front of them. Far better you stand in front of them than their parents, because they have to follow the Rules of Engagement and we don’t!

I am tired of the thousands of people in the rear who claim that they are working hard to support the troops and their way of supporting them is to bring them home. When was the last time any of you who made this statement went out to the airport to greet our troops during their redeployments back home? When was the last time any of you who say you “oppose the war, but support the troops” ever helped out a grieving widow or mother? When was the last time any of you provided help at the facilities for the wounded? When was the last time any of you sent Christmas Cards, or a care package to our troops?

I am tired of politicians who are running for office suddenly showing up at the opening of rehab facilities for our wounded for their photo opportunities as if they had really been supporting our troops all along.

I am tired of Code Pink, Daily Kos, Al-Jazzera, CNN, Reuters, the Associated Press, ABC, NBC, CBS, the ACLU, and CAIR thinking that they somehow get to have a vote in how our troops on the ground blast, shoot and kill these terrorist who have no regard for human life and who would seek to subdue and destroy us every chance they get.

I am sick and tired of people like Cindy Sheehan who not only go around the United States bashing our military, our President, but goes around the world and hugs thugs like Hugo Chavez, as if he has been her best friend her entire life. Cindy Sheehan: “You Don’t Speak for Me” and it’s time for you to zip your lip, go back home to your family and stop playing the role as this generation’s “Tokyo Rose.”

I am sick and tired of the politicians and their whining about this war, because it is this constant whining that is emboldening the terrorists to continue to kill and injure our troops and kill innocent civilians in Iraq. Can’t you give up even for a little while, your pathetic desire to get time in front of the TV cameras by doing the politically correct thing of denouncing the war effort? Could you please shelve your personal and political ambition, take your unhelpful bickering behind close doors and put your self-glorification aside for the good of our troops and this nation?

I am tired of people like Meredith Vieria from NBC asking oxygen thieves like Senator Chuck Hagel questions like “Senator, at this point, do you think we are fighting and dying for nothing?” Meredith might not get it, but Marines and soldiers do know the difference between fighting and dying for something and fighting and dying for nothing.

I am tired of journalists like William Arkin who say: “So, we pay the soldiers a decent wage, take care of their families, provide them with housing and medical care and vast social support systems and ship obscene amenities into the war zone for them, we support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?”

Please tell me what a decent wage looks like for them Mr. Arkin? You need to meet Cindy Sheehan at the closest airport and fly back home with her and stop insulting the men and women of our military.
I am tired of people whining about how costly this war is when they hear of a casualty. You have no idea what we as families go through when we hear 12 Marines killed; 8 Soldiers killed. You cannot even imagine the pain and difficulty we experience with the instantaneous news in our face on a daily basis. We grieve for the loss of a hero, we grieve for their families and we feel tremendous guilt when we feel relieved that it was not us who received that knock at the door.

But we stand in solidarity with our troops overseas. We become even more committed to rallying support for them and their missions. So, could you please stop trying to undo that by voicing opposition to what our troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan? If you are so upset with the news of U.S. casualties in these areas, then do what you can to help our troops achieve VICTORY and SUCCESS so they can come home as soon as their missions are completed.

I am tired of Rules of Engagement being made by JAG lawyers and not Combat Commanders; and politicians who have never served in the military second-guessing everything after the fact. Our military is not playing Hopscotch over there. There is no 2nd place trophy either. I think that if the enemy knew some rough treatment was at hand for them, instead of prayer rugs, special diets and free Korans; this might help send a message to the terrorists that this nation means business.

I am tired of hearing people say to me I am glad it is your son and not mine. Well you know what me too, because I would not want your coward of a son serving next to mine because it might be him and his lack of back bone that would cost my son his life. So you just let your kid go to an anti-war rally on a college campus, or attend the next MoveOn.org organizational meeting and be a wimp, while mine defends this great nation with Honor, Courage, and Commitment.

I am tired of hearing that my son has to stand down when being shot at by terrorists from inside of a Mosque, or terrorists inside a home with women and children when they are used as human shields—like the first battle in Fallujah. No, that’s not the key to victory… instead let us turn loose our troops to do what they must to defeat, kill and annihilate enemy combatants so that this war can be over and our military men and women can finally come home.

We are in Iraq and Afghanistan to kill our enemies. It is that simple.
It is only possible to defeat an enemy who kills indiscriminately by utterly destroying him. He cannot be made to yield or surrender or sit down and talk nicely about the situation. This is not Barney “I Love You, You Love Me and we are one big happy family.” These terrorists will fight to the death by the thousands to kill the infidels who do not believe in their way of life and that means you and me and our Marines and Soldiers serving in Iraq.

As the President asked in his recent speech to the Nation: Please all of you put down your own selfish agendas. Take a good long look at what you are doing. Because I am telling you your actions, the mud slinging you all have going on against one another is hurting and hindering our military men and women and their families.
All of you politicians had access to the same intelligence the President had when you voted for this war. You all had a similar view of Saddam Hussein, and you all knew that Iraq was a state sponsor of Islamic terrorist groups. The fact is that we are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our troops need our support to get the job done so they can come home, and all of you politicians need to stop acting like a bunch of whining 2 year-olds who are not getting your way. I am telling you if you cut the funding to our military and do not provide them with the manpower and equipment they need to get this job done, you are no better than the terrorists who shot at them and try to kill them.

I know the American People want change in Iraq, our military wants change and so do their families. The change we want is for everyone to stop undermining the war effort and support our troops so that they may achieve a complete military victory in Iraq and Afghanistan alike.

Please, as a Mother of a Marine serving his third tour of duty, on his behalf, on the behalf of his brothers serving along side him, our troops, and their families, lay down your anger towards one another and do what is right and in the best interests of our Military.

God Bless them until they come home, God Bless those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, God Bless their families who are Always Faithful and God Bless this Country.

Please join us for the “THESE COLORS DON’T RUN” national caravan hosted by Move America Forward and the “Gathering of Eagles” event in Washington, D.C. on March 17th.

Semper Fidelis
Deborah K. Johns
Very Proud Marine Mom of
SGT William Johns, USMC 3rd Tour of Duty in Iraq