Soldiers' Stories From Five Years in Iraq

Last week marked the five year anniversary of the war in Iraq.  Our heads of state commemorated the event with familiar political rhetoric; the Republicans vehemently defended the invasion and touted the war as a “major success,” while the Democrats criticized the Administration’s strategy and politely called for an end to the war. 

The presidential candidates capitalized on the anniversary as a media event; John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all took to the soapbox with finely-tuned messages about plans to win/end/contain the war in Iraq.    

One way to observe the anniversary is to acknowledge how the war has changed the day-to-day existence of soldiers and their families.  With the development of Web 2.0 (a term which is younger than the Iraq War), a “living-room war” has evolved into the “YouTube war.” 

With sites like iFilm, LiveLeak, Green Marines, Alive In Baghdad and YouTube, the American public can gain access to the unadulterated, daily existence of those who know the war firsthand: