A message of inspiration from the United States regarding President Bush's efforts and our soldiers' progress in Iraq...

Ray Reynolds, a Denison Iowa firefighter in civilian life, from the SFC Iowa Army National Guard, 234th Signal Battalion wrote an email to thirteen friends and family this April.

It is the first positive report I have read since the war began.

Sgt. First Class Reynolds wrote:

As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say "thank you" to all of you who do not believe the media. They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has happened.

I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you during my two week leave back home.

And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you.

This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently:

(Please share it with your friends and compare it to the version that your paper is producing.)

* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations

* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war

* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons stored there so education can occur

* The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from ships faster

* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August

* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq

* The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before the war

* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war

* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils are in place

* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city

* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets

* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country

* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with U.S. soldiers

* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever

* Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs

* An interim constitution has been signed

* Girls are allowed to attend school

* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years

Don't believe for one-second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about, but they hope their children will.

We are doing a good job in Iraq, and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts.

So if you happen to run into John Kerry, be sure to send him to Denison, Iowa. This soldier will set him straight. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.

Ray Reynolds, SFC Iowa Army National Guard
234th Signal Battalion

Since Reynold's email began circulating in April, there have been many cynics who are calling it pure propaganda. If you have not heard about it before, we encourage you to do your own analysis on the web.

Thank you Shelley Marks for sharing this inspirational story.

And thank you Ray Reynolds for this first piece of positive progress in Iraq. At least, the first positive report -- albeit five months old -- that I have read.

While I get four papers a day, one of them USA Today I did not see their May 15th piece which did not report one single accomplishment Reynolds' mentioned. Instead, they turned it into a political story about a soldier who over stepped his bounds in being anything but "neutral."

Neutral?

For as many cynics as there are out there ready to discount what you claim to be fact, we encourage you and your comrades to treat their nit picks with a grain of salt, and keep up the great work.

And we encourage our audience to keep an open mind about the many positive U.S. military efforts taking place in Iraq.

As one of the members of the Peace Corp. said in response: "Let's show Reynolds and every other one of our brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, and colleagues who are fighting for freedom and peace the respect they need and deserve for once." Amen!

God bless you, God bless all of our soldiers worldwide, and God bless America.

For a more complete, and up-to-date report on the Reynold's report, go to the U.S. Agency for International Development at:

We encourage you to also read the USAID's recent written testimony by Administrator Andrew S. Natsios called U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan on the Eve of National Elections , and dated 09/29/04.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and eye-opening living!

~ Jennifer King

P.S. RuggedElegantLiving.com reports on that which is inspirational, only. There are plenty of places on the web and sources via the media where you can hear the negative side of what is taking place in Iraq. This is not one of them.