Father... words cannot express the happiness that I have felt throughout the last forty-eight hours. Yesterday was a success- a monumental success. It is difficult for someone to understand, or even to begin to understand the level of success- the sheer exuberance and joy of the people involved in what occurred yesterday. We awoke today to a new Iraq... even as the liberal media from around the world attempted to play down the success that we enjoyed; one could just as easily stop the world from turning. America should rightfully be proud of her sons and daughters in uniform- incredibly proud. When we are older men and women, that natural inclination to justify ones life, to ask the question, "Have I made a difference?" can be answered with a resounding yes. How many, including the majority of ourselves, predicted chaos and destruction. What we- what everyone- forgot was the un-corruptible power of the human spirit that yearns for freedom. America has long forgotten, as will a child who has grown used to a right or privilege present throughout the years, what a thrill it is to choose one's destiny. When I went into the streets yesterday, and I was present amongst the crowds, patrolling for nine hours throughout the day, I saw people who were happy, dancing in the streets and smiling for the cameras. This was not the chaos predicted by the news channels, nor the bloodshed anticipated by the vast majority. This was, quite simply, a marvelous thing of absolute goodness- and there is seldom an opportunity in one's life were you can claim to be witness to such an event. This one day, has justified and made worthy the whole of my year-long deployment. Cast aside the doubt, the loneliness, the anger- completely washed away. Cast aside the questions of worth and sacrifice- gone. Left behind is the feeling that we have made a difference- for the 30,000 in my little Kada'a (think county) to the several million in Iraq that voted freely for the first time, ever, we have made a difference. I have three anecdotes that I would like to share with you, and whomever you forward this too. The first, is a video I saw on the Arabic news channel Al Arabiyah yesterday. A group of Iraqi women was marching through the streets of Baghdad, chanting "we are not afraid" as they went, with mortar rounds landing in the background- what more moving indictment of democracy could one ask for... maybe Michael Moore could add that clip to his next movie? The second, involves my interpreters. As I have intimated to you previously, one of my main jobs is to manage the pool of Iraqi civilian interpreters that works with the Battalion. Over the course of my year here I have grown quite close to my group of Iraqi friends, and I can accurately gauge the successfulness of our mission on their actions and reactions to what we do and say. We made it a point, to ensure that all of our interpreters was able to vote yesterday- I have never seen the m happier than when they returned with their right index finger covered in blue ink- the sign that an Iraqi had already voted. This morning, I spoke with our head interpreter, of whom I am very fond. He said to me, "Captain, you know, yesterday I was very proud, for the first time in my life, I felt like an Iraqi, I felt like my country had a future- and I am very proud of her." I will let those comments stand alone. Finally, a word on the Iraqi Army, whose training and maturation has been a focus of my battalion's for the last year. When we first arrived in Iraq, we received a rag-tag group of Iraqis from all walks of life who were not even able to defend their own base camp. Since that time, through hard and disciplined training, and some bumps and bruises along the way, they have grown into a capable and ever-improving unit. But never would I have believed the speed of growth possible that was displayed over the past three days. Here are men whose paychecks are intermittent. They have no base surrounded by US guards to return to at the end of a mission. Their families are not safely tucked away in Germany or the States- yet for three days, through multiple attacks, they held their ground. Yesterday, I saw them operate with pride- pride in a country that they are helping to create. I also saw the smiles and warmth of a populace beginning to appreciate their efforts... and a sense of pride thrust back upon those soldiers, the pride of parents who admire the efforts of their children as they grow and come into their own. This morning, at a daily security meeting that I attend with the Operations officer and my counterpart in the Iraqi Army Battalion, the Iraqi Army Operations Officer, turned to myself and my operations officer and said, " I would like to say something. In a short while, you will leave us for your homes. You will inevitably move on to train a new unit, a new group of soldiers, and you will forget us- but we will NEVER forget you, for you are our teachers and you brought us FREEDOM." Again, these words take no comment from me to drive home the point. I will close with this thought. I read the excerpts of Senator Kerry's interview with Tim Russert on "Meet the Press" this morning. I agree with the Senator on most of what he said. And as he was in Iraq only two weeks prior he speaks with some understanding when he talks about the state of the Iraqi Army and the people here. Where Senator Kerry misses the mark is that he fails to understand that two weeks ago, would have been in total agreeance- and not have thought possible the activities of yesterday. But I was here and he was not. And through the hard work and efforts of the US forces present here, but more importantly through the sacrifice and perseverance of the people of Iraq, a great victory was won. Zarqawi has been shown to be what he is, a lone, weak man, awash on a great sea of freedom, and rest assured, he will drown. The trials are ahead of us- the race is certainly not over, and the fight will be a long and hard one. But regardless of what the future holds, for one brief shining moment, the people of Iraq spoke, and in doing so, reminded me of why I serve my country so willingly. with love, your son David.