Camp Victory, Iraq, July 4, 2007: 588 U.S. Troops Marked The Fourth Of July By Re-Enlisting In The Military Wednesday While Others Took Oaths Of American Citizenship
BAGHDAD (AP) - Hundreds of U.S. troops marked the Fourth of July by re-enlisting in the military Wednesday while others took oaths of American citizenship in ceremonies at the main U.S. headquarters in Iraq.
A total of 588 troops signed up for another stint, according to a U.S. military statement, while 161 soldiers became naturalized American citizens. The ceremonies took place at Camp Victory, the sprawling American headquarters at the western end of the Iraqi capital.
“No bonus, no matter the size, can adequately compensate you for the contribution each of you has made and continues to make as a custodian of our nation’s defenses,” the top U.S. commander, Gen. David Petraeus, told the audience.
Visiting Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., congratulated the new citizens and spoke of the hardships endured fighting in an unpopular war. McCain, who has backed the war, has watched his presidential campaign suffer as public support for the conflict has waned.
“You know that you who have endured the dangers and deprivations of war so that the worst thing would not befall us, so that America might be secure in our freedom,” McCain said. “As you know, the war in which you have fought has divided the American people. But it has divided no American in their admiration for you. We all honor you.”
Petraeus dedicated the Independence Day ceremony to the memory of two soldiers who were killed in action before they could be sworn in as citizens.
They were Sgt. Kimel Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a native of Jamaica who was killed June 3 in Baghdad, and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi of Paterson, N.J., who died June 14 in a bombing near Kirkuk. Elazzouzi was born in Morocco.
“Words cannot express the admiration I feel for these two men or the sadness I feel for our nation’s loss and their families’ sacrifice,” Petraeus said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., led the new citizens in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dining facilities at U.S. bases around the country were open throughout the day, serving traditional Fourth of July meals of barbecued ribs, barbecued chicken, grilled rib-eye steak, corn on the cob, apple and cherry pie.
At a U.S. base outside Baqouba, Sgt. Jesse Jones, 24, of Olympia, Wash., spent Independence Day taking a shower and getting a haircut. His platoon was on break before heading back to fighting in Baqouba.
“Today I’m just basically relaxing and refitting, getting ready to go back into the city,” he said. “As much as I want to be home, I don’t regret being here. This is a good place to celebrate the Fourth of July. Not only are we celebrating independence, we’re fighting for independence, too.”
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God bless each and every one of them.
They know something that pelosi, murtha and the rest of the cheese eating surrender monkey’s don’t. Might as well add the traitor’s cry baby voinovich, and dickie lugar..
July 4th, 2007 at 9:56 amTHANK YOU!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:07 amAmerican Soldiers.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:07 amThe very definition of the word hero.
God Bless America and God bless the fine men and women of the U.S. military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for our freedom and security!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:26 amNow there is job not many Americans want to do. Where are all the Mexicans that want to work?
I’ve heard of Guatemalans and Hondurans joining to become American citizens but I have yet to hear that Mexican nationals are joining for a fast track to American citizenship.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:57 amGod bless the troops and welcome to our new American citizens!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:59 amHooah!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:03 amOOOOOOO-rah!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:24 amThank you for the great post today Pat ! Happy 4th indeed!
God Bless our great brothers & sisters that are laying their lives on the line to free others serve our wonderful U.S.A. ! Let freedom ring.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:32 amAMEN
July 4th, 2007 at 11:47 amcan’t wait to see this on NBC tonight!
Godspeed Warriors!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:49 amThanks to people like them we are 231 years old. With more like them we will exist another 231 years old. Thanks military members
July 4th, 2007 at 11:58 amGod bless these brave men and women, what heroes they are!
It cannot be forgotten that they are making this extraordinary committment while all the “beautiful people” and “respected politicians” back home are spitting at them and deriding their mission as “already failed” and saying anything else that can demoralize them…That is UNPRECEDENTED IN AMERICAN HISTORY, and make their re-enlistment even more inspiring.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:08 pmKind of puts the pooh pooh on needing a draft.
From people in the know that I have heard from as far as recruitment for the military, the short falls in recruitment is not in the combat arms but in the formerly coveted high tech positions in all branches.
Seems to me that the fighting spirit still live in the US, and in its ALL VOLUNTEER ARMED FORCES…..SO STICK THAT UP YOU ASS CHARLIE RANGEL!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 1:36 pmI am humbled and grateful because of their sacrifices and service to us all. My thanks, thoughts and prayers are with them. The United States has the most diverse and highly trained troops in the world. Thank you for our freedom.
July 4th, 2007 at 2:33 pmHi,
This is one of my all time favorite pictures from Iraq:
http://iraqsinconvenienttruth.com/us-army-staff-sgt-kevin-reese-and-his-military-working-dog-grek/
Happy 4th of July!
Peace,
July 4th, 2007 at 2:50 pmDan
Welcome to our new brothers and sisters, and great thanks to our old ones.
We WILL die for freedom if it comes to that. Suffer no delusions.
July 4th, 2007 at 3:00 pmTo Steve in NC,
The metrosexual media wont report this.
July 4th, 2007 at 3:03 pmIts not realy news.
There’s no American body count.
POD1:
Foxnews carried the story on this evenings “Special Report.”
July 4th, 2007 at 3:11 pmI, too, will be interested to see how much play this gets in the mainstream media.
I am so honored to be represented and defended by such incredible people! We are all proud of you!
July 4th, 2007 at 3:14 pmHi,
Great website to send your best wishes to our troops and also read their responses.
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/Message.aspx?SectionID=5
Peace,
July 4th, 2007 at 3:27 pmDan
POD1, you were on the $$–ABC’s fuckface Charlie Gibson spent 4 minutes on the soldier-citizens, BUT NOT ONE WORD about the re-enlistments…
Whattapig…
July 4th, 2007 at 3:32 pmGod bless our troops!!! Welcome new Americans,Your service and sacrifices will not be forgotten.
July 4th, 2007 at 5:01 pmTHANK YOU so very very much!!
Dan and Jewish Odysseus,
(J.O. you have an awesome website BTW)
I’m jaded.
I don’t watch the MSM anymore, yet I know precisely what they’re going to say on ANY subject.
Media template:
USA is Bad,
Republicans are especially bad,
Americans in general should be ashamed of themselves for all time.
Pat,
This site and it’s links are this concerned Americans lifeline to the REAL truth.
Thank You.
Happy Birthday America.
July 4th, 2007 at 5:08 pmMy NBC comment was purely sarcasm, no casualties during the ceremony for the MSM to celebrate
July 4th, 2007 at 5:39 pmHave a great Independence Day y’all! God bless our brave men and women in uniform!
July 4th, 2007 at 5:53 pm[…] Read More […]
July 4th, 2007 at 10:31 pmGod Bless our MILITARY HEROES, and thanks for your outstanding displays of courage everyday.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:07 amYou keep inspiring us to believe.
What a great story that will not be picked up on the MSM.
Thanks again Pat for all you are doing to keep us involved.
Reading this story SHOULD make Pelosi, Reid, and Murtha go out and suck on a tailpipe…ashamed to ever show their traitorous faces again. But the clueless cocksuckers don’t even have the decency to do that.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:11 amAnd the ceremony was held in one of saddam’s FORMER palaces. HA HA HA HA HA HA
July 5th, 2007 at 5:14 amyeah….but there are more and more troops now resisting the war going to Canada etc…. more than Vietnam. Media does not give good coverage to this.
Lt Watada is just one of many….
Listen to Pacifica Radio and Air America for the truth.
They always interview soldiers/ former soldiers who are part of anti wat movement.
Also there is a big counter recruitment movement growing across America….to give young people alternatives to military. May be partially sucessful since enlistments are down.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:29 amJay,
July 5th, 2007 at 5:39 amHow do I say this nicely? You and Air Un-America go fuck yourselves.
enlistments are not down.
July 5th, 2007 at 6:08 amI hope that “big counter recruitment movement” fails. I don’t think Lt. Watada is warrior-material anyway. Just my opinion.
July 5th, 2007 at 6:25 amI thought soldiers hated being in the military because of Iraq war. That President Bush is “FORCING” them to stay there and to stay in the military. Man, the main stream media, liberals, democrat leaders sure are confused wouldn’t you say?
July 5th, 2007 at 7:08 amGood for you, guys and gals! Damn proud of you all!
July 5th, 2007 at 7:23 amJay: Man, I need some of that stuff you are smoking.
July 5th, 2007 at 9:11 am“to give young people alternatives to military.” How about coming up with alternatives to having your head sawed off? You have anything helpful with that?? No, none of you scummbags do. You will face judgement, I believe, for not throwing in your lot with the right side of this. But you thought you were cool while you rooted for evil cowards.
England could use some alternatives to having their country blown up.
July 5th, 2007 at 9:33 amJay:
You are cherrypicking facts with non-facts. The fact IS the majority of the military supports the mission. The fact IS the person that you mentioned is a “nobody”.
No, more troops are not fleeing to other countries. You have your facts wrong.
The fact is the troops are re-upping at unprecedented rates. They’re not running away…or fleeing to some puss ass country.
Unlike you asshole, the average soldier/marine et al is an honerable, fantastic human being, who would have no problem telling you to fuck off to your face.
Spew your bull shit liberal dribble elsewhere feces for brains.
July 5th, 2007 at 10:30 amJay, you are a bold faced liar. If some where going to Canada the main scream media would be all over it. And as Scott told you enlistments are not down. Get back in your mother’s basement, the light is making you melt.
July 5th, 2007 at 12:09 pmOUTSTANDING. I can’t hold my manhood in the same regard as these guys. I got out of the Navy just because I didn’t want to go to a sub…..
These guys are fighting and dying in a warzone and they have the guts to re-up. (Although I think I would rather go to war in the open than be stuck in cramped quarters hoping the tin can doesn’t spring a leak. Plus you know what they say about subs….120 sailors go down, 60 couples come up….I get the willies just thinking about it.)
July 5th, 2007 at 1:08 pmJay must/might have been one of those wasted youth frat boys I saw in New Porche Beach on the 4th, waiving the flag and singing the national anthem, and then egging on a couple of drunk girls in a catfight for the evening’s entertainment. They are so manly, but not manly enough to enlist, huh??????? Good for them for the song, but if that’s the best they can do….
July 5th, 2007 at 3:50 pmMike in Dallas, I’ve met a few Submariners and if I got my story right only those that volunteer to be in submarines are even considered. “Plus you know what they say”…actually I never heard that before. Did you just pull that out of your ass?
July 5th, 2007 at 7:48 pmenlistments are not down, but a few liberal weenies who slithered into our miltary have fled to canada. cindy sheehan had gone to canada to praise them. alls I can say to them is stay in canada because if we catch you coming back we will kick your panzy barbara streisand loving asses back. a vast majority of the ones who have betrayed america are liberals or cowards who are of course putting their own safety before the safety of our country. so many joined only for the benefits. I knew agreat many like that when I served.
but it is okay i have met many candaians who have crossed the border as well to join the military. that is the kind of trade off i like! with all those hockey players, you are bound to find some very tough ombres.
go canada!
July 6th, 2007 at 3:05 am