Letter in support of Lt. Watada
Regretting participation in the war (or something)
Cloy Richards"It takes real courage to resist the war," says Cloy Richards, a
former artillery cannoneer for the Marines. "I was afraid to not go; afraid to say
no. I took the easy way out and went to the war. It takes way more bravery to
say no."
Corporal Richards did two tours of duty in Iraq, between March and October of
2003, and again between March and October of 2004. Like so many in the
military, his initial support for the invasion began to disintegrate as the
occupation lengthened and became more brutal.
"I was in the artillery unit. I saw a lot of civilian casualties," says Richards, who
has seven nephews and one niece. "I love kids," he says. And his views of the
Iraq war began to change as he saw Iraqi children die. He particularly
remembers watching some kids play with unexploded ammunition. When it
exploded, several of them were killed and several more were disfigured. "It was
kind of like everything else over there. I just shoved it to the back of my mind
somewhere and forgot about it." Except that Richards couldn't actually forget.
Richards has a hard time forgetting other experiences in Iraq as well. For
example, the first time he was ambushed, on March 25th, 2003. "My
commanding officer lost his hand that day," Richards remembers. "But he
wrapped cloth around the remaining portions of his arm and led us into battle."
By his second tour of duty, Richards says he didn't want to fight. The reason
he's speaking out now, he says, is not because he has some kind of agenda.
"It's just that I've been there. I've seen it. I feel sorry and am trying to make
amends for all the bad things I've been a part of. I should have said no the
second time, when my heart and my mind were telling me not to go."
This guilt is part of the reason Richards says it's so important for the people like
Lieutenant Watada to take the lead. "As an officer, he lends more credibility to
anti-war sentiments among the troops. The Lieutenant is leading by example,
and this is taken very seriously. An officer's example is what we are supposed
to follow." It's only now, Richards says, that he's found an example that he
wants to follow.
Regretting participation in the war (or something)
Cloy Richards"It takes real courage to resist the war," says Cloy Richards, a
former artillery cannoneer for the Marines. "I was afraid to not go; afraid to say
no. I took the easy way out and went to the war. It takes way more bravery to
say no."
Corporal Richards did two tours of duty in Iraq, between March and October of
2003, and again between March and October of 2004. Like so many in the
military, his initial support for the invasion began to disintegrate as the
occupation lengthened and became more brutal.
"I was in the artillery unit. I saw a lot of civilian casualties," says Richards, who
has seven nephews and one niece. "I love kids," he says. And his views of the
Iraq war began to change as he saw Iraqi children die. He particularly
remembers watching some kids play with unexploded ammunition. When it
exploded, several of them were killed and several more were disfigured. "It was
kind of like everything else over there. I just shoved it to the back of my mind
somewhere and forgot about it." Except that Richards couldn't actually forget.
Richards has a hard time forgetting other experiences in Iraq as well. For
example, the first time he was ambushed, on March 25th, 2003. "My
commanding officer lost his hand that day," Richards remembers. "But he
wrapped cloth around the remaining portions of his arm and led us into battle."
By his second tour of duty, Richards says he didn't want to fight. The reason
he's speaking out now, he says, is not because he has some kind of agenda.
"It's just that I've been there. I've seen it. I feel sorry and am trying to make
amends for all the bad things I've been a part of. I should have said no the
second time, when my heart and my mind were telling me not to go."
This guilt is part of the reason Richards says it's so important for the people like
Lieutenant Watada to take the lead. "As an officer, he lends more credibility to
anti-war sentiments among the troops. The Lieutenant is leading by example,
and this is taken very seriously. An officer's example is what we are supposed
to follow." It's only now, Richards says, that he's found an example that he
wants to follow.
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