This is my last e-mail from Forward Operating Base Saint Michael - in Mahmudiyah Iraq.

It's been a long haul. Be patient with me - I want to tell you a few things - emotions are running high right now - so forgive me if I'm a little sappy. Over a million Americans have passed through Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 (many are on their second or third trip - they get counted twice) - so I know we are only a small part of this effort - it's a characteristic of any military unit to feel like you are the center of the universe - we're not of course, but as we come home - a lot of reflection is going on.

There have been some very painful moments and difficult times for us to get through - I've written to you about those times. Things happened here that I would do anything to change - 12 lives lost that I wish I could bring back - of those, 4 Marines from Company G that followed me here - killed - 1 Marine who worked for me in my capacity on the staff - killed - I would give anything to bring them back - but I can't. They will never be forgotten.

The separation from my family has been incredibly difficult. They have probably had a more difficult time than I have - the not knowing.

All very hard - very dirty business.

Having acknowledged the difficulties and the sadness I want to tell you something. I'VE HAD A GOOD TIME IN IRAQ - Most of what we experienced I would not change or trade or give up. We came to accomplish a mission and we accomplished it. We have lived - together. We have laughed - together. At times we have worked 18-22 hour days - together. We have almost nightly been woken from our sleep by the sound of our cannons. We have watched from the roof tops as our illumination rounds lit up the night. We have sheltered together behind concrete and sandbags while mortars fell around us. We have suffered through extreme heat and bitter cold - together. We
have mourned - together. We have fought and triumphed - together. From the Lance Corporal on patrol to the Battalion Commander - from the clerk in Supply to the guard who kept the night watch - we have embodied the warrior spirit. We are not the victims of this war. We brought American muscle. We came to kill Saddam's thugs and Osama's terrorist. We came to protect the first spark of freedom that is already sweeping a flame across the Middle East. We brought hope to the oppressed. We brought the promise of freedom and backed it up with our lives. And we brought imprisonment or death to those who stood in the way. Every day that we were here we relentlessly brought torment, death, and hell to a wicked enemy. We did not get all of them - but we captured, killed, or displaced 2 to 3 or our enemy for every Marine in 2/24. We did things you can't do at home: built friendships in a combat zone, strategize, planned, fought, outsmarted our enemy, compromised our health, bet our future, and risked our lives. I tell you honestly - we had a good time doing it.

Mothers, wives, daughters - welcome your Marine home - baby him - mother him - but greet him as the victorious Warrior that he is. Be proud of what he accomplished. Be tolerant of his stories. We have put every Marine through a class as he comes out of the field - getting them to open up to each other - preparing him for what he will experience when he gets home. He's been given advice on how to make his homecoming an easier process. It wasn't too long ago in the history of our country that our soldiers and Marines had weeks on a ship to unwind, we only have a few days. We all have a lot of transitioning to do - softening maybe - adjusting back to a more
civilized existence. We will make every effort to do that - and get back to our normal lives - we're ready to move on. Be patient with us. Again - these Marines are not victims to be pitied but warriors who have fought a good fight.

Finally - I want to say thank you for everything you have done for me, my Marines, and my family. Packages, letters, e-mails, donations to our fallen warrior's families, everything - I have been overwhelmed with your steadfast kindness - I will go to my grave in awe of you and the American people. I believe the outpouring of support must come from a determination in the American consciousness not to repeat the treatment our Vietnam Veterans received. Your support has given us a firm foundation to stand on - to fight from. Your support for us has been essential in defeating our enemy. Your support has ensured we come home mentally healthy - knowing we have the full faith and confidence of the people who sent us. I came to
Iraq an American Exceptionalist - I leave here even more in love with my countrymen - and my home - more convinced that America is "the last best hope for mankind." I'll spend the rest of my life thanking you.

There's not a Marine in 2/24 who does not want to come home. We have a bit of a journey ahead of us - but expect us to be in California the first week of April. After the doctors and psychologist have poked and prodded us and certified we're not sick or crazy - we will fly home in the second week of April - probably.

I'm very anxious to come home - to see each of you - and to thank you in person.

To steal a line - and paraphrase a famous quote:

And then to Kuwait; and to America then: Where ne'er from Iraq arrived more happy men.....

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

Stay the Course - Semper Fidelis - see you in April.

I started these periodic updates on a whim. When I wrote the first update I didn't realize the gravity of the words. Before I started this final update from Iraq, I sat down and read a couple of the previous updates and realized that our journey here in Iraq is not only coming to an end but that we have been part of a remarkable point in history. Time has literally flown by and you feel like there is so much left to be done. But I leave Iraq with my head held high and very honored to be called a Marine and to have served with some of the finest men this earth has ever seen. To be part of an historical election, to fight an insurgency, to see people affected in such a moving way, to witness some of the most horrible sights one could ever imagine, to learn many great lessons, to be protected by God's Hand - these are just some of the amazing things that I have been fortunate to be a part of. Many lives have been changed because of our time in Iraq.

The insurgency in South Baghdad/North Babil is suppressed. It is suppressed because of the lives of 12 Marines who gave everything to see justice and liberty come to Iraq. Their blood was spilt for Iraqis they never met, for their brother Marines and for the safety and protection of all Americans. It is suppressed because the other 1,170 Marines of this battalion have shed their blood, sweat and tears for freedom to come to the citizens of Iraq. January 30, 2005 will be a day that I will never forget and a day that I will talk about until I leave this earth. To see thousands of Iraqis ignore the terrorists threats and walk miles to the polling stations all while under the threat of a crazed suicide bomber or while actual mortars were falling out of the sky was truly a sight that my words cannot come close to illustrating. Iraqi security forces are taking responsibility for their areas, the Iraqi people are taking responsibility for the civil government, they are starting to provide for the basic necessities and services, shops and market places continue to open, and ad hoc gas station entrepreneurs are popping up along the main roads - it is democracy at its finest.

In a couple of days the battalion will continue on to a staging base near Baghdad for an eventual flight to Kuwait. Once in Kuwait we will then wait for a day or two for our flight back to the USA! We'll be in CA for several days to turn in our gear, have a Battalion Memorial service to remember our fallen heroes then we'll be able to return to our families. What a glorious day that will be! We still have a dangerous road ahead and until we are out of the country we must remain ever vigilant. I sit here and write this last update as waves of helicopters lift my fellow Marines out of our forward operating base in Mahmudiyah, Iraq. This has been our 'home' for the past 7 months. We've definitely grown attached to this area and it will be hard to say goodbye to the good citizens of North Babil and the Iraqi soldiers who have stood next to us during this time and shed their blood as well. They have lost many and have born the brunt of the casualties.

I want to thank every one of you who has sent me an email of
encouragement. I want to especially thank those who have been faithful in prayer for both me and the magnificent Marines of this Battalion. Also, we were very appreciative of the wonderful boxes of goodies and letters. They definitely came at just the right times and we were never in want for anything! The comfort that I felt after I read a letter from someone back home was indescribable. I pray that I get the opportunity to shake the hand of everyone that this email goes out to and tell you personally how much I appreciate your support and prayers.

My email address will be good for only a couple more days. I will forward an updated address when I return to the states. Thank you for letting me share my opinions, stories and feelings throughout my time here. I trust you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them down.