Brandon Day's blog

The Montgomery GI Bill was established to give veterans the opportunity to improve their lives after their service and put them on a career track. This is one of the best ways that we can honor the service of the young men and women who put themselves in harms way to defend this nation. This is also of benefit to the nation as a whole.

Everybody likes war stories, and this one seems like an appropriate one for me to tell, given the circumstances.

5 years ago I was a private first class in the 101st Airborne Division sitting in the back of a 5 ton with half of my platoon, heading north out of Kuwait to a city named An Najaf in southern Iraq. It had been a crazy week leading up to that four day convoy.

I am a two time Iraq war veteran. I was there during the initial invasion, and again in Sept. 05-Sept. 06. I am now the secretary of the Minnesota chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

I watched the Iraq people go from having hope in America to killing Americans. Midway through my second deployment I was forced to contemplate the necessity of this war as I watched my fellow soldiers being killed and injured. After much reflection, I decided for my self that this war was based on lies for the benefit of corporate America. I wasn't fighting to keep America safe, I was fighting to line the pockets of the Dick Cheney's of the world. I have a big problem with that. Duty to America compelled me to join the infantry after 9-11, and duty to America compels me to do everything I can to help end this war.