Sent forward by occasional reader Sandi, and too wonderful not to carry:
Dear Terrorists,
I am a Navy Aviator. I was born and raised in a small town in New England. I come from a family of five. I was raised in a middle class home and taught my values by my mother and father.
My dad worked a series of jobs in finance and my mom took care of us kids. We were not an overly religious family but attended church most Sundays. It was a nice small Episcopal Church. I have a brother and sister and I am the youngest in my family. I was the first in many generations to attend college.
I have flown naval aircraft for 16 years. For me the flying was never a lifelong dream or a “calling,” it just happened. I needed a job and I liked the challenge. I continue to do it today because I feel it is important to give back to a nation which has given so much to me. I do it because, although I will never be rich, my family will be comfortable. I do it because many of my friends have left for the airlines and someone has to do it.
My government has spent millions to train me to fly these multi-million dollar aircraft. I make about 70,000 dollars a year and after 20 years will be offered a pension.
I like baseball but think the players make too much money. I am in awe of firemen and policemen and what they do each day for my community, and like teachers, they just don’t get paid enough.
I respect my elders and always use sir or ma’am when addressing a stranger. I’m not sure about kids these days but I think that’s normal for every generation.
I tell you all this because when I come for you, I want you to know me. I won’t be hiding behind a woman or a child. I won’t be disguised or pretending to be something I am not. I will be in a U.S. issue flight suit. I will be wearing standard US issue flight gear, and I will be flying a navy aircraft clearly marked as a US warplane. I wish we could meet up close in a small room where I could wrap my hands around your throat and slowly squeeze the life out of you, but unfortunately, you’re hiding in a hole in the ground, so we will have to do this a different way.
I want you to know also that I am very good at what I do. I can put a 2,000 lb weapon through a window from 10,000 feet up. I generally only fly at night, so you may want to start sleeping during the day. I am not eager to die for my country but I am willing to sacrifice my life to protect it from animals like you.
I will do everything in my power to ensure no civilians are hurt as I take aim at you. My countrymen are a forgiving bunch. Many are already forgetting what you did on Sept 11th. But I will not forget.
I am coming. I hope you know me a little bit better, see you soon…sleep tight.
Signed,-
A U.S. Navy Pilot
Yeah. I’d fly with that man.
8 responses so far ↓
1
AFSister
// Jan 24, 2006 at 8:09 pm
I love it!
I can’t remember who sent that to me recently, but I thought it was outstanding. I’m glad you posted it!
2 The Owner's Manual // Jan 24, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Dear Jihadist…
This is not a response to Dear Infidel, but it could have been. This an excerpt from a real warrior’s writings, via another real warrior, Neptunus Lex, on whose blog you’ll find the entire piece. Link: A happier note. [W]hen…
3
FbL
// Jan 24, 2006 at 8:44 pm
Yes, this is a good one! I remember first reading it not long after 9-11 (I think). It surely packed a wallop then, and it still does.
4
Sgt. B.
// Jan 24, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Yessir, and we’ll take care of his buddies… Or laze the target, iff’n ya want…
5
Barb
// Jan 24, 2006 at 9:43 pm
This is great, Lex - thanks for sharing. I don’t know how I’ve missed it before, but it’s a keeper
6
Kris, in New England
// Jan 25, 2006 at 6:30 am
Sometimes these things make the rounds and you get immune to the power in the message. This is NOT one of those - I’ve read it a few times before and it’s one-two punch never eases up. Of course, I’m particularly proud that it came from a fellow New Englander. But for us up here in the Northeast country, the memories of 9/11/01 will remain fresh for a very long time. On the CT shoreline, you could see the towers burning. And too many communities in New England lost far too many loved ones, us included. So it’s nice to see that this powerful message is still being circulated, for those parts of the country that have started to forget what it’s all about.
For Heather Lee Smith, Flight 11
7
FbL
// Jan 25, 2006 at 6:43 am
Oops! I did some thinking and realized that I was wrong about that letter existing just after 9-11. I think it first surfaced in early 2003 before the Iraq war.
8
SoCal Pir8
// Jan 25, 2006 at 6:19 pm
My time to serve, I’m sad to say, is over. I served my 20 years but now I feel I did far too little. I ‘fought’ the Cold War, patroling the seas searching the depths for our ever present foe and then supporting our green breathen with the air support they needed as they made their way ashore. As I stepped forward from my Father, now, unfortunately, the next generation of my family has to bear the load to meet and defeat our nation’s enemies. I guess it has always been that way. We hoped that with the collapse of the Soviet Bear, we had finally put our nation on safe course. Little did we suspect that a snake was crawling up to bite at our ankles.
What I started out to say is this, I fly every mission, walk every patrol, and wish I could still be in the fight.
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