Soldiers Seeing Signs Of Support
Published: Dec 6, 2005
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FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Of all the dangerous places in Iraq, Fallujah may be the most infamous.
One of the most stunning images of the war -- the mutilated bodies of U.S. contractors hung from a bridge -- came from Fallujah.
Although things are calmer here than they once were, troops go on patrol in a state of high alert, thinking of every possibility and alert to dangers in seemingly innocent forms.
Such as the toy guns the insurgents give to children, guns that could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
Soldier Joshua McKay, who is based at Fort Bragg, is angered by such tactics.
"It's pretty cowardly that they're gonna try and fight through kids," he says. "I mean, I understand they can't do the same soldier on soldier, tank on tank, but at least be a warrior and stand up and fight, if that's what they truly believe in."
But the soldiers on the road near Fallujah also see signs of support from local residents.
Maj. Mike Elliot points to a cold storage unit troops are building, which will help farmers store their produce, as an example of building the kind of relationships that make a difference in Iraq.
"We're not gonna win this war with bullets," Elliot says. "We're gonna win this war with economics, government, infrastructure. ... It's the next phase of the operation where we need to turn it over to the Iraqis and let them take their country back."
Bob Hite
ABOUT THESE STORIES
News Channel 8's Bob Hite and Keith Cate recently visited with U.S. troops based overseas, focusing on those with connections to the Tampa Bay area. Cate spent a week in September at Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where wounded troops are treated. Hite spent almost three weeks in August and September in Iraq and Afghanistan with members of U.S. Central Command. Their reports aired each Wednesday night in November on News Channel 8. In The Tampa Tribune, we've introduced you to some of the men and women they met during their travels. To see the full series, go to TBO.com and enter keyword War Stories.
