Legacies

The American soldier is the most dangerous man in the world, and the Iraqis had to learn that before they would trust or respect us. But it was when they understood that these great-hearted warriors, who so enjoyed killing the enemy, are even happier building a school or making a neighborhood safe that we really got their attention.

More before and after photos from the surge:

This week Robert Stokely sent me some more photos he'd just received from Iraq.

"The purpose of what was labeled the Mike Stokely Foundation Yusufiyah Project", Robert writes, "was to establish a humanitarian link with this region and help the local school children have needed school supplies."

Robert described the email that came with the photos:

The words of LT Dreschner in his email to me today are words Mike and his 108th CAV never knew - 'things in Yusufiyah are very good". Just three years ago, when Mike and his fellow 108th CAV were in Yusufiyah things were the extreme opposite - very very bad. The Triangle of Death has now become a peaceful place where our soldiers are able to concentrate more on humanitarian relief and seldom encounter hostile action or IEDs.

"Coincidentally", Robert adds, "at the same time, the Nathan Barnes Foundation (honoring Nathan Barnes, 10th Mountain Division who died in the region) also sent supplies to be distributed by the 101st AB DVN."

The Christian Science Monitor covered the Nathan Barnes Foundation here.

See earlier stories here here and here.

The Mike Stokely Foundation also awards scholarships to American students - as does the Maupin family's Yellow Ribbon Support Center: "It has sent thousands of gift boxes to troops overseas and awarded 180 scholarships in honor of fallen soldiers."