Friday, July 27, 2007

"Bring Your Daughter Here": U.S. Soldiers Selflessly Aid Injured Iraqi Child

The U.S. government's record on coming to the aid of our Iraqi allies when they are in need has so far been pretty dismal, especially concerning Iraqi translators. But there are also real instances of U.S. citizens, such as Kirk Johnson, working hard and making sacrifices to help those who have helped us.

The following is an excerpt from an article by David Finkel in today's Washington Post, titled "Izzy? . . . Bring Your Daughter Here." It's an extremely moving story that brought tears to my eyes at its conclusion, and I hope you will read it in its entirety.

BAGHDAD, July 26 -- An hour after a car bomb exploded in downtown Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, wounding at least 110 and destroying an apartment building, a phone call begging for help came to an Army officer in eastern Baghdad. It was from a man named Izzy who works as an interpreter for the U.S. military and whose calm voice was now filled with panic.

A suicide car bomb exploded in Baghdad's Mansour area on Wednesday near a crowd of jubilant Iraqis celebrating Iraq's Asian Cup defeat of South Korea, killing 30 and wounding 75, police said. [photo: REUTERS/MAHMOUD RAOUF MAHMOUD]His apartment was in ruins, he said. One of his two daughters had been badly injured. Something had pierced her head when their apartment disintegrated. He had taken her to a hospital filled with the injured, but overwhelmed doctors had said there was nothing they could do, that she needed more help than they could give, and so he was standing on a street with his bleeding daughter at his side, afraid that she was going to die.

"The only hope you have is to get her to an American hospital?" said Maj. Brent Cummings, executive officer of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, for which Izzy is an interpreter. He was repeating what Izzy had just said. Izzy started to answer. The cellphone went dead. "Izzy?" Cummings said. "Izzy?"

How do moments of decency occur in a place such as Baghdad, in a war such as this war? Perhaps by what several officers on an Army base in eastern Baghdad decided to do next.
Please continue reading the story here.
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous4:34 PM, July 27, 2007

    Why aren't we helping to build hospitals over there anyway? These are the things they need. Maybe if we'd concentrate on doing good we'd have more Iraqis working beside us.

    ReplyDelete

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