Voices from the Front

“History is being made here and I have a ringside seat,” said UWG student Mark D. Woelzlein in a letter written late at night from Iraq to a professor. Photographs from Iraq sent to UWG are available for viewing.

It is an honor that I have enjoyed for a while now. I will continue to do what I am doing and teach others the lessons learned. I do what I do so our children can continue to enjoy being free, to make their own decisions on how they want to live their lives.

Young Iraqi children look over a brick wall to see what is going on in their neighborhood. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt/Released)

I am at Victory Base, Baghdad, Iraq and have it better here than a lot of other soldiers spread around the other bases. I appreciate your thanks and ask that you and others remember why we are here. No matter what the politicians and the media say, we who serve here are trying to make sure the events of 9/11 never happen again.

Iraq is a better place, where the children here can live in a country with a future that is in their hands, not the hands of a mad man. The streets are no longer a place of fear for the people of Iraq. The Iraqi Police and military forces are gaining in experience and gaining the trust of the people. As they take control of the cities, we are closer to coming home, leaving a country where terrorism has no room to grow. For most of us here, the ultimate goal is clear.

Respectfully,
MSG Mark D. Woelzlein
Joint Combat Camera
Victory Base, Iraq
Mark.Woelzlein@iraq.centcom.mil

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