Lt.
Commander Bill Goss, USN (Ret) is an internationally
known speaker and author. Enlisting in 1974,
Bill worked on underwater weapons in Europe
for the U.S. Navy until he was discharged
as a Mineman Second Class in 1977. A former New Jersey Golden Glove boxer, Bill was also the light-heavy weight boxing champion at the U.S. Naval Air Stations in Pensacola, Corpus Christi, and Jacksonville. After his enlisted tour of duty, Bill attended
Rutgers University on the GI Bill and earned
an MBA from the Southern New Hampshire University. Bill graduated Aviation Officer
Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, and
earned his Navy Wings of Gold the following
year in Corpus Christi, Texas.
As a P-3
Orion pilot, Bill flew missions against
Soviet submarines in the North and South Atlantic
and Mediterranean and deployed to a very wide
variety of sites around the world. He became
an instructor pilot in the T-44 Pegasus and
then the Assistant Navigator of the nuclear
aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, deploying
throughout the Pacific from the Vinson's homeport
in the San Francisco Bay area. Bill and his
family returned to the east coast where he
flew P-3 Orions and a variety of other aircraft
while working for the admiral at NAS Jacksonville.
While there, Bill was diagnosed with a rare
form of cancer called amelanotic malignant
melanoma, had surgery, and retired from the
Navy. Bill is the author of The Luckiest
Unlucky Man Alive: A Wild Ride Overcoming
Life's Greatest Challenges -- And How You
Can Too. His second book, published by
Simon and Schuster's newest hardcover imprint,
Atria Books, is titled There's a Flying
Squirrel in My Coffee: Overcoming Cancer With
the Help of My Pet.
Bill is a contributing writer to many other
books including the New York Times bestseller,
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul.
Bill's life story has been featured on national
and international radio shows, and in publications
such as the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles
Times, New Jersey Star Ledger, The Dallas
Morning News, The St. Petersburg Times,
and Maxim Magazine.
A motivational and inspirational speaker,
Bill is featured every month on the Discovery
Channel's Animal Planet. Bill's mailing address
is:
Bill Goss International
P.O. Box 7060
Orange Park, FL 32073
I do not know the original source of the email below that was recently forwarded to me, but it certainly seems to be truthfully put forth. It's definitely worth a read if you are at all interested in keeping a fair and balanced perspective on what is going in Iraq, and specifically, in Al Fallujah, particularly with regards to the way the world's media organization is covering the world war against Islamist extremists.
It is an excellent argument against those who don't think we should let George W. Bush have four more years to "stay the course."
Below, in its entirety, is what was forwarded to me:
Bill, here is an email from someone who understands the big picture and, is "in the trenches" so he can speak first hand. This is from a Chaplain in the Army Reserve who has been called to active duty to support our troops in Iraq. They are Psychology Operations personnel who speak the local languages and work with the people. Thus, he has a good perspective to what is really going on in Iraq.
He writes...
In light of today's death toll in Al Fallujah I'd like to offer you a different view than you may see on your TV news. First, I'm not one that bashes the media for bias. Yes, they have a bias...don't we all...but I'm not one that sees conspiracy. But I have noticed that deaths in Iraq get a whole lot more attention than the good things that happen here, a whole lot more attention. So, here's some background on Al Fallujah to keep in mind.
A) Why is it in the news almost every night? Because it is one of the FEW places in all of Iraq where trouble exists. Iraq has 25 million people and is the size of California. Fallujah and surrounding towns total 500,000 people. Do the math...that's not a big percentage of Iraq. How many people were murdered last night in L.A.? Did it make headline news? Why not?
B) Saddam could not and did not control Fallujah...he bought off those he could, killed those he couldn't and played all leaders against one another. It was and is a 'difficult' town. Nothing new about that. What is new is that outside people have come in to stir up unrest. How many are there...that's classified, but let me tell you this...there are more people in the northeast Minneapolis gangs than there are causing havoc in Fallujah...surprised?
C) Then why does it get so much coverage? Because the major news outlets have camera crews permanently posted in Al Fallujah. So, if you are from outside Iraq, and want to get air time for your cause, where would you go to terrorize, bomb, mutilate and destroy? Al Fallujah.
D) Why does it seem to be getting worse? Two answers...
1) This country became a welfare state under Saddam. If you cared about your well-fare...you towed the line or died. The state did your thinking and your bidding...want a job...pledge allegiance to the Baath party...want an apartment, a car, etc...show loyalty...electricity, water, sewage, etc....was paid by the state. Go with the flow...life is good...don't and you're dead. Now, what does that do to initiative? drive? industry?
So, we come along and lock up sugar daddy and give these people the toughest challenge in the world...FREEDOM. You want a job...earn it! House? Buy it or build it! Security? Build a police force, army and militia and give it to yourself. Risk your lives and earn freedom. The good news is that millions of Iraqis are doing just that, and some pay with their lives. But many, many are struggling with Freedom (just like East Germans, Russians, Czechs, etc...) and they want a sugar daddy...the USA to do it all. We refuse. We don't want to be plantation owners...we make it clear we are here to help, not own or stay...they get mad about that, sometimes.
Nonetheless, in Fallujah, the supposed hotbed of dissent in Iraq...countless Iraqis tell our psy-opers they want to cooperate with us but are afraid the thugs will slit their throats or kill their kids. A bad gang can do that to a neighborhood and a town...that's what is happening here.
2) We have a battle hand-off going on here. The largest in recent American history. The Army is passing the baton to the Marines in this area. There is uncertainty among the populace and misinformation being given out by the bad guys. As a result there is insecurity and the bad guys are testing the resolve of the Marines and indirectly of you; the American people. The bad guys are convinced that Americans have no stomach for a long haul effort here. They want to drive us out of here and then resurrect a dictatorship of one kind or another.
Okay, what do we do? Stay the course. The Marines will get into a battle rhythm and along with other forces and government agencies here, they will knock out the crack houses, drive the thugs across the border and set the conditions for the Fallujans to join the freedom parade or rot in their lack of initiative...either way, the choice will be theirs. The alternative? Turn tail, pull out and leave a power vacuum that will suck in all of Iraq's neighbors and spark a civil war that could make Rhwanda look like a misdemeanor.
Hey America, don't go weak kneed on us...585 dead American's made an investment here...that's a whole lot less than were killed on American highways last month. Their lives are honored when we stay the course and do the job we came to do; namely set the conditions for a new government and empower these people to be the great nation they are capable of being.
So, when you watch the reports from Al Fallujah...remember...there's more to the story than meets the camera's eye.
