Day 8

October 10, 2006
 
Utah County was supposed to be a hard sell. It was supposed to be the most conservative county of the most conservative state in the nation, and I heard tell that they hanged war protesters in these parts. Not true. All the honking and waving, thumbs-up and peace signs drowned out the sound of the handful of antagonistic statements.
 
All day we had a steady stream of dedicated and sincere walkers. I met so many wonderful people, it would take too long to mention all of them. There was one in particular, Chris, whom I’d like to write a bit about. He’s a Marine Reservist and he’s had two six-month tours in Iraq. The last one finished in December. He quizzed me on my stance about the war and then told me that he supported the war. He felt we were justified in going in and doing what we did there. Though we didn’t agree on that fact, we did agree on the most important thing: what to do now. 
 
His plan is to get out now. He felt that using a military to try and get people to get along was fatally flawed. He felt the war was horribly mismanaged and that for better or worse, it’s time to cut Iraq loose. This is a Marine who has served two times in serious combat, I’d like to see any politician try and call him a “cut and runner.”
 
Personally, I have a lot of hope for Iraq. I think we can leave in a responsible manner. Still, leaving completely and immediately would be better than staying the course. I was pleased to see that even though we have some radically different thoughts on the war, we absolutely agree that there needs to be a change and it needs to happen soon. Chris and I can work out our minor differences, I just hope our government can, as well.

A Note from Kristen (Marshall’s wife):
OCT. 10

I remember a phone conversation I had with Marshall when he was still serving in Iraq.  We were discussing our future and trying to decide what job he should apply for in order to support our little family while I finished my graduate degree at USU this fall.  He told me he felt like he needed to do something to help end this war.  I said, “sure”, thinking this meant he would come home, write some letters to politicians, and join an organization devoted to peace.  I had no idea that his efforts would become the most important and time consuming aspect of our lives right now. 
 
However, I want to make it clear that I am so grateful to be a part of this.  I truly believe in this cause.  Throughout Marshall’s deployment, I felt so frustrated and powerless about the current situation and the increasingly convoluted justifications for this war.  I am grateful that Marshall has given me an opportunity to feel like I’m actually doing something to promote peace and to bring the rest of the soldiers home soon.

When we began planning this walk, I felt like we would receive a lot of opposition in Utah, and very little support.  I was wrong.  So far, a week and a half into the walk, we have received over a thousand supportive e-mails.  We have also received letters, donations, and words of support from people all over the world.  For every one person who has vocalized their disagreement of this cause or personally attacked Marshall’s character, we have heard from over one hundred people who express their gratitude and support.  As I have walked with Marshall, I have met hundreds of people who agree with Marshall’s message and who are grateful for the opportunity to express their views in Utah.
”
I am overwhelmed.  To those of you who have walked with Marshall, who have sent e-mails of support, who have donated, who have shared your stories and experiences, or helped in any other way, thank you.  We are so grateful for the wonderful people that we have encountered during this experience so far.  He still has a long way to go and I hope people will continue to spread the word and to walk with him as he heads south.  With your help, I think we can all be successful in raising awareness and sparking rational debate about the urgency of responsible troop withdrawal from Iraq.  
 
Sincerely,
Kristen Thompson