‘Please Pray for Me; This Is No Cake Walk ... ‘

Spc. Michelle Witmer, 20, and her sisters Rachel and Charity enlisted in the Wisconsin National Guard and were sent to Iraq. Michelle was killed April 9 when her Humvee was attacked in Baghdad. This correspondence, except where deletions are indicated, is reproduced as it appears on the family’s website: https://home.wi.rr.com/jwitmer/index.htm. It is reprinted with the Witmers’ permission.

*

4 July 2003

Dear Mom, Dad, Mark, Charity & Timmy,

I hope you all are doing well. Well I’ve been in Baghdad for close to a week now and it’s like nothing I could have ever imagined!

We are staying at what was once a beautiful country club/home that belonged to one of Saddam’s close advisors. He was a known terrorist and “The King of Spades” in the deck of cards with all Saddam’s advisors and most wanted. At one time this place must have been spectacularly beautiful but it was bombed pretty badly and now all that’s left is crumbling buildings and remnants of marble floors & staircases, gold door knobs and light fixtures, Persian rugs half-burned. It truly must have been grand. The grounds are beautiful with palm trees and flowers and all the gardens and grass are overgrown but at one time I’m sure they were perfectly manicured and the gardens -- well I can only imagine. It’s really more like a palace. We don’t have electricity. We built makeshift port-a-potties.... Hopefully soon we will have running water.

It’s really heartbreaking to see the poverty right outside the gates where we live and think about how Saddam and his crew were living. The children literally swarm you. Smiling little toddlers wave and cry after us saying, “misses, misses -- please water, please food.” These children usually wander around in filthy clothes and no shoes. Some of them can’t be more than four years old. It breaks my heart not to be able to give them anything.

The police station I work at is in the worst part of Baghdad. The only thing I can compare it to is maybe the worst part of New York or Chicago’s ghettos except with no justice system. We are the police and right now the city is in chaos and it’s going to take a long, long time to make even a small dent. There are no working stoplights or traffic signs. The traffic is unreal. People drive like maniacs.

Yesterday morning there was a drive-by in front of our station and two Iraqis were killed. Shot in the head in their car....

I work the night shift, 7 PM-7AM. It’s very frightening being in the worst ghetto you can ever imagine, at night, in the dark, and not only do we have to worry about the common criminal gang activity but also the pockets of resistance who support Saddam, still. (They) frequently shoot at our building and are very much a threat. I hear gunfire all the time, it’s so unnerving! Last night Rachel’s station, which is a lot nicer than mine, got attacked. No one was hurt but it was scary and they returned fire.

I sat and talked to the Arabic interpreters for a long time last night. There are two and they both are fluent in English. One of them is also fluent in Russian and the other also speaks Chinese; it’s amazing. They are teaching me three words a day in Arabic. Wow, is it difficult!

One of them used to work at an Iraqi television studio, before the war, as a sound tech. But he was thrown into prison after there was an audio problem with one of Saddam’s speeches. Saddam’s men beat him and smashed his hands. They are pretty much healed but his nails will be black forever. He was thrown in prison for two months, and by prison I mean a tiny cell underground with no windows and about 25 other men. He said that he was on the verge of death, his fifth day without food or water. He said he would feel for puddles on the bottom of the cell floor (he couldn’t see because it was pitch black underground) and try to lick up anything he could find .... Then the Marines came and broke down the door and gave everyone water.

I have been up 18 hours now so I’m not even sure if this letter makes sense anymore. I must sleep now. My apologies for grammatical errors, I’m sure there’s at least a hundred. Right now I don’t care. Please pray for me; this is no cake walk. I love you all so much. I’ll try to write again soon.

LOVE,

Michelle Witmer

P.S.: I am a Specialist now. I got promoted, so please change that on your site!

*

[August 3, 2003]

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am the only female in my squad so I work with virtually all men when I go back to base camp all I want to do is find my friend Jackson and talk to her about things women talk about (mom, you know what I mean.) I love getting mail and appreciate it so very much. If you only knew how it feels to come “home” to the compound and see a piece of mail on your cot after a long night at the station. Sometimes it makes me cry. It’s just a little reminder that someone back home is thinking about me and supports me through all this. I love you all so much....

I wish I had some idea of when I was coming home but I don’t -- you’ll know as soon as I know.

Love you,

Michelle

*

Sent: August 12, 2003 11:39 PM

Subject: I’M melting

Dear mom and dad,

Mr. Miller would be correct in saying it’s 135 in Baghdad, like 120 in the shade. It’s one of the hottest summers on record. Lucky us huh! As far as a wish list goes, here are a few things I dream about:

* Crystal light -- you can’t send enough of the stuff.

* DVDs (mind you, this is a wish list; I don’t expect anything)

* CDs any new music we’re sooo starved for anything new here.

* Magazines -- People, Cosmo, Marie Claire, US weekly -- I mean anything at all

* A pair of flip flops size 71/2

* good facial moisturizer

* laundry detergent

* pictures of all of you!!!!!!

* some chocolate (ooh the cravings)

* Anything that is frivolous like a self-heating face mask or stuff along those lines. I like to feel like a girl again sometimes

OK there it is, no obligation whatsoever

Love you all

Michelle