I was away from the front lines for a while this spring living with other troops and considerable fighting took place while I was gone. When I got ready to return to my old friends at the front I wondered if I would sense any change in them.

The problem is that the Iraqi people are facing atrocities from both sides - Zarqawi and also the American troops at times. The Zarqawi groups uses car bombs the Americans use other bombs. You also know what they do in the prisons.

1 month ago the American people stopped to remember the third anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. We thought first and foremost of the selflessness patriotism and heroism by our troops our National Guard and Reserves.