Letters from Iraq
Kalat's Iraqi Comfort
My cousin forwarded the following to me. While it isn’t from one of our troops, it is in keeping with the thought that the majority of the Iraqi people appreciate them:
Dear Friends,
The picture of the statue below was made by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. This artist was so grateful that the Americans liberated his country; he melted 3 of the fallen Saddam heads and made a memorial statue dedicated to the American soldiers and their fallen comrades. Kalat worked on this night and day for several months.
To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms. It is currently on display outside the palace that is now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped and shown at the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.
Origins: According to the Army News Service (ARNEWS), the text reproduced above is a relatively accurate description of the statue shown in the photograph accompanying it. In July 2003, two statues of Saddam Hussein, which an Iraqi sculptor named Kalat had a hand in creating, were removed with explosives from outside a palace complex in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, Iraq, where the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division headquarters group is located. The 555th Engineer Group cut up the bronze statues and shipped the pieces to Kalat, who — using a photograph of 1st Sgt. Glen Simpson as a model — spent several months fashioning them into a likeness of an American soldier kneeling to mourn a fallen comrade, while a young girl reaches out to comfort him in his time of grief.
According to ARNEWS: The sculpture is based on a scene many in Iraq have witnessed in one form or another. A Soldier kneels before a memorial of boots, rifle and helmet — his forehead resting in the hollow of his hand. Behind and to his right stands a small Iraqi girl with her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder. The statue evokes emotion. The girl was added to the statue to remind people of why the sacrifice was made, [Command Sgt. Maj. Chuck] Fuss said. "It's about freedom for this country, but it's also about the children who will grow up in a free society," he said. The statue will eventually be flown to the 4th Infantry Division museum at Fort Hood, Texas.
Additional information: Changing Faces: Statue Honors Fallen Heroes (Army News Service)
Update: July 22, 2004
I received an update on this story from reader P. Jarvinen. The information in the original story is correct up to a point. Yochi J.Dreazen, reporting for the Wall Street Journal, fleshed out the story in the March 8, 2004 edition. While the full story isn't quite as touching as the original, in a sense, it's better. Mr. Alussy, better known as Kalat, had the opportunity in the free Iraq to do some things he could not have sculpting under Saddam.
According to the sculptor, "I made the statues of Saddam - even though I didn't want to - because I needed money for my family and to finish my education. And I decided to make statues for the Americans for the exact same reasons." He had the freedom to say no, had he wanted to, to the US request. Try telling Saddam NO! Kalat has now the freedom to criticize the current government and occupying forces, many under Saddam who so much as told a joke about Saddam, or even looked at the dictator in a manner perceived as disrespectful were severely punished, maimed, or even killed. Finally, under Saddam, Kalat/Alussy received several hundred dollars for his work on a pair of huge Saddam statues, under the Americans, he could exercise capitalism and initially got $8000, and when an addition to the statue was requested, the little girl, Kalat demanded, and received, an additional $10, 000.
So is this additional information taking the "bloom off the rose" of the original story? No, honestly, the original story seemed almost too sweet to be true in as harsh an environment as Iraq. The full story is far better. Those soldiers that Alussy reportedly despises are responsible for his freedom to speak out, his freedom to exercise his business acumen and free market trade and he is now able to choose whether to take work or refuse it without retribution. I'd say that is evidence that the efforts of our soldiers in Iraq have been successful and beneficial for the Iraqi people.
Also, in February 2004 the statue was flown to the 4th Infantry Division's museum at Fort Hood, TX. See "Memorial to Honor Fallen Task Force Ironhorse Troops" on the Armed Forces Information Service.
For the full story and background see "Thanks, Kalat" on Snopes.
Also, "Winning the Bronze" on BreakTheChains.org
The WSJ site is only available via subscription. While a search of the site failed to turn up a hit for the article, Dreazen does write for the Journal and I located a few other references on the web to it, all essentially giving the same information.
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