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A Marine gives a report that the Baghdad hotel war correspondence never see

The Sun News:

Three weeks after graduating from Conway High School in 2002, where he was in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, Kite joined the Marine Corps. After fighting a ruthless enemy and seeing his friends wounded and killed, he is convinced that American fighting forces are doing the right thing.

"If you could just see the smiles on the people's faces, see how they hug us and kiss us, you'd know that everything we're doing over there is worthwhile," he said. "I'm proud of the Marine Corps, and I'm proud of my government, my president, my commander in chief."

Kite pushed into Fallujah the first time U.S. forces entered the city with the Third Battalion, 4th Marines, India Company, Second Platoon. "Everything was chaos," he said. "We were there to give those people their city back."

Almost all of the civilians had left, and the Marines were fighting the mujahedeen terrorist group, which had taken over. "We repelled several enemy attacks," Kite said.

When they needed air support, Kite and another Marine made their way to a sniper's position to retrieve chem-lights that can only be seen with night vision goggles. They ran down the street throwing them out to guide a helicopter to the enemy position. "The helicopter came in and took care of what was left of the enemy," he said.

Kite and his fellow Marine, who was later killed in action, received certificates of commendation for that action. The wounds to his heart are still fresh, and Kite doesn't talk much about the friends who died. "As far as I'm concerned, a part of me went with them," he said.

Even if he had been killed, Kite believes the difference American fighting men and women are making for generations of Iraqis would be worth the sacrifice. "The Bible says there's no greater gift than for a man to lay down his life for his friends," Kite said. "One human life compared to thousands of years. I'd be proud that I helped change the course of their lives to better lives. I'd hope that some way my parents would be proud that I gave my life for my country, the greatest country in the world."

The first time Kite went into Fallujah, there was no one there who didn't want to kill him, he said. Leaders pulled them out in anticipation of a later push into the city. The next time Kite went into Fallujah, the markets were open, kids were in school, and the civilians were out in the streets.

On that second tour, he spent time arresting terrorists and taking them to prison. He also stood guard during the elections and watched voting Iraqis come and go. "I haven't been hugged so much in my life," he said. "I was standing there sweating, tired, homesick, in my helmet and everything, and this lady and her daughter had flowers, and the little girl just came up to me and handed me some flowers."

Before going to Iraq, Kite guarded President Bush at Camp David. "I thought it was awesome. He's a nice man," Kite said. The president once got in the chow line and served Kite and others, and the press was not there, Kite said.

Great story that you have to read local papers to find.