LETTER TO THE EDITOR
War-time Veteran Says 'Demand End to U.S. Occupation of Iraq'

To the Editor:

It has been four years now since I last wrote to the people of the Upper Peninsula. Weeks prior to the invasion of Iraq, in 2003, I wrote a small column, and with the courtesy of the local editor, it was published. It was to remind all of us of the great importance for the need to support to our military service members, reminding communities that these brave men and women cannot stand without their full support. Four years now, they have been sacrificing for us. Their mission has been completed. It is now our turn to sacrifice for them.

I call on and challenge each citizen who depends on this military for protection to immediately get involved in their return home now. I believe now, as a civilian who has served in wartime, that it is our duty to assist and support our troops, by calling for and demanding the end to the occupation of Iraq.

This nation called upon our military to fight and defeat another countries militarily, and it has successfully completed that task, as we all knew they would.

It is now our turn, the people of the communities, to demand their return, and bestow upon them the greatest honors and benefits this country has to offer.

Each citizen of this country has an obligation to those men and women over there. Having personally been in their situation, except under a more competent and professional leader, I can almost assure you, they are now waiting for us, and our efforts should not end until the last American boots return home.

We are now at the crossroads as a country, to either allow further troop escalation, or demand an end to the war now. It is now up to you, your turn to sacrifice for them. We, as a nation, should not send more men and women off, knowing they are going only for us to show that we have more to sacrifice.

A recent poll shows 70 percent of Americans have lost public confidence in the current government's ability to properly serve its citizens.

We have a duty to get involved when we have lost our confidence in our government. Next week, I am traveling to Washington to join in America's March on Washington Rally. Our message will be clear, our voice will be strong: End the war in Iraq, bring all the troops home now! I urge you all to get involved, and stay involved.

We owe them that.

Jeff Archambeau Wyoming, Michigan