The Atlantic Magazine Inspires American Citizens to do more!

All War Is Local published in Sept issue of The Atlantic inspired the following letter to the editor, I hope it gets published:

Dear Letter to the Editor:                                   Oct.23.2010                                                                                                     I was pleased to read your heartwarming article in The Atlantic October 2010 issue, about troops fighting in Afghanistan.  It was nice to see family and freedom brought to words.  Civilians in America are not exposed to the war in Afghanistan enough, and I was thrilled when I saw your cover story in the November issue. (The Last Patrol is definitely worth reading too.) The All War Is Local article by Brian Mockenhaupt is what initially made me want to send this letter.  The article really did a great job of grabbing readers attention by simply making citizens feel more engaged in the soldiers lives by writing about their memories from home. This especially hit close to home for me.  By telling military stories on a regular basis, it allows the )American people to maintain a more personable relationship with them, however far away the soldiers are.   People can be more connected to patriotism, freedom, and our service men and women.  Perhaps it will inspire others to get more involved as a nation, and help us to gain respect from other countries.  Perhaps that is why your articles have continued. My brother, originally from Michigan too, deployed for the fourth time, this past June, to just outside Kandahar City.  Just days before that he moved from North Carolina to Germany, after several years of planning.  He's been married for almost a year, and was just transitioning into his new unit when he heard the news.  During his tenure of 10 years in the US Army, he has deployed 4 times to the middle east.  Three times to Afghanistan, and once to Iraq.  Though he volunteered for a couple of those missions, my hat goes off to him for demonstrating simple liberties.  I am forever grateful, as we all should be, for all the soldiers who have served us in every past and present war. I like many others have grandfathers, and a father who have served in various branches; Navy, Army, and Air Force.  Collectively they served in World War I & II, the Cold War, the Korean War, and Vietnam.  I even have lineage that connects us to Ethan Allen from the American Revolutionary War.  My husband is additionally an Active Duty Army National Guard Sergeant, currently stationed at Camp Mabry; while a part of the 36th Infantry unit that deployed September 30th to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.  While civilians go about living their daily lives these soldiers can only dream of going home and being with their families, the threshold must feel like eternity.  Once they return to the states, the struggle continues because many of them suffer from a number of physical and emotional disorders including PTSD.  Many of them aren't comfortable being around people, even those they love.  These women and men that serve our country give us freedom, fight for justice in America, and protect our families with pride.  It's time we started giving them more respect, by simply saying thank you every time we see them, by buying them lunch when they're sitting next to us at the diner, by sending them a care package in Afghanistan or simply just hanging a flag at our house. God Bless our American troops, the excellent writers like Brian Mockenhaupt, and the media recognition from The Atlantic!  You help keep the soldiers dreams alive by continuing to write about the day and the life of a soldier.  You help bring their stories home, and share them with the rest of the world, so that civilians can become more connected and somehow make a difference too.