May 5, 2004

THE GREAT CHAIN:

Salvadoran soldiers praised for Iraq role (Denis D. Gray, 5/04/04, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

One of his friends was dead, 12 others lay wounded and the four soldiers still left standing were surrounded and out of ammunition. So Salvadoran Cpl. Samuel Toloza said a prayer, whipped out his knife and charged the Iraqi gunmen.

In one of the only known instances of hand-to-hand combat in the Iraq conflict, Cpl. Toloza stabbed several attackers swarming around a comrade. The stunned assailants backed away momentarily, just as a relief column came to the unit's rescue.


Interesting that many of the same folk who think we shouldn't be helping the Iraqi people move towards democracy thought in the 80s that we shouldn't be helping the Salvadorans. Twenty years from now an Iraqi soldier fighting side-by-side with Americans will show similar bravery on behalf of another people...

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 5, 2004 8:22 PM
Comments

And a hundred years ago, the counterparts of the left, were clamoring against the war, for the
origin of Gen. Tacuba, (The Phillipines)which
was the original quagmire; which a distant relative of Sen. Kerry, once ran

Posted by: narciso at May 5, 2004 9:39 PM

As Steve Sailer notes today, in El Salvador we had local allies to do the dirty work. Not so in Iraq.

Posted by: Paul Cella at May 6, 2004 8:08 AM

Paul:

One would much rather have the Shi'ites on one's side than ARENA.

Posted by: oj at May 6, 2004 8:15 AM

The Shi'ites in Iran may be on our side; it is not clear about those in Iraq.

Posted by: Paul Cella at May 6, 2004 8:20 AM

They're on their own side.

Posted by: oj at May 6, 2004 8:26 AM

Thus speaks the oracle.

Posted by: Paul Cella at May 6, 2004 9:30 AM

The Salvadorans were fighting for each other ... so it goes in combat. Their will to be present, and in harms way, for another people is what is admirable. When the lead starts flying survival and unit cohesion become the focus. Within that context individual heroism reveals itself.

Pat Tillman R.I.P.

Ted Rall, may you burn in hell.

Posted by: genecis at May 6, 2004 11:11 AM
« CONFIRMING A RUMOR FLOATED HERE EARLIER THIS WEEK (via Brian Hoffman): | Main | MISTER, WE COULD USE A MAN LIKE MILLARD FILLMORE AGAIN...: »