Wade Zirkle, war vet who served two tours in Iraq with the Marines before being wounded in action, takes on Rep. John Murtha in the Washington Post today (hat tip: Allah and readers):

Murtha undoubtedly knows full well that the greatest single thing that drags on morale in war is the loss of a buddy. But second to that is politicians questioning, in amplified tones, the validity of that loss to our families, colleagues, the nation and the world.

While we don’t question his motives, we do question his assumptions. When he called for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, there was a sense of respectful disagreement among most military personnel. But when he subsequently stated that he would not join today’s military, he made clear to the majority of us that he is out of touch with the troops. Quite frankly, it was received as a slap in the face.

Like so many others past and present, I proudly volunteered to serve in the military. I served one tour in Iraq and then volunteered to go back. Veterans continue to make clear that they are determined to succeed in Iraq. They are making this clear the best way they can: by volunteering to go back for third and sometimes fourth deployments. This fact is backed up by official Pentagon recruitment reports released as recently as Monday.

The morale of the trigger-pulling class of today’s fighting force is strong. Unfortunately, we have not had a microphone or media audience willing to report our comments. Despite this frustration, our military continues to proudly dedicate itself to the mission at hand: a free, democratic and stable Iraq and a more secure America.

Read the whole thing.

Hugh Hewitt has more on Zirkle’s organization, Vets for Freedom. Donate here.

Flashbacks…

A soldier takes on Murtha and Moran
Video: A veteran tells off Murtha/Moran
Video: Another vet tells off Murtha/Moran
Fighting the Murtha/Moran-ites