Nov 1, 2004 By Buster Gladman 3 min read

This is a letter is to let my friends and family know that I am fine and in good shape. I want to thank you for your support during this time of war. I also want to thank you for your letters, e-mails and care package; they really came in handy to me and my other team members. I don’t think that I or the other soldiers on the team could express our feelings of gratitude and how much of a moral boost you have given us since we have been in this country. The only people that probably could understand how much we appreciated these things would be veterans of the past wars.

They know what just a little simple letter or a postcard from home means. Just to receive something from home that shows that people are thinking of us and that we are in their thoughts and prayers everyday means a lot to the soldiers over here. But just to read something from home is worth more than anything that I can think of. I believe that I am speaking for some of the soldiers that are here with me on my team.

As a reservist, I volunteered to go Iraq, and some may say that is crazy, but there are a couple of reasons why I wanted to come here and fight against terrorism. I would rather fight them here in their country than in ours. But there are still a few more reasons:

For the U.S.A. a country that I stand for and love.

To help fight against terrorism in our country so Americans can feel free to go anywhere in the United States and feel free and safe.

To help train the new Iraqi Army so our soldiers can come home sooner to their families and love ones.

To help give the Iraqi and Kurdish people their country back to them.

To show them that Americans are not bad people but peaceful people.

To learn from them and try to help make their lives better for them.

For the unborn that will come into this world or country unpunished for what they are and who they are or what their religion beliefs may be.

To live free of fear from Saddam Hussein and others like him.

For my friends and family to be proud of me and what I stand for because I am proud to be a soldier of the reserve of the United States Army.

Most of all to my father who passed away this year. For when I get back soon, I can say to him mission complete from me to him. Even though he will not be there in the physical, he will be there in the spirit.

I look at it like stars in the sky, just because he is not there with me does it mean he is not here with me.

Just like stars in the sky at night, some you can see some you don’t see. The star that you don’t see doesn’t mean that it’s not there. To my father Floyd Gladman Jr. who served 23 yrs in the United Stated Army – Mission Complete Dad. It is a great honor to serve my country near or afar.

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SFC Buster Gladman of Edenborn is a training advisor with the 2/312th battalion from Oakdale stationed in Kirkush, Iraq. Some of our readers know him better as their former carrier.