Philadelphia Inquirer:
Finish The Job In Iraq, Marine's Father Urges
John Wroblewski's son was killed in Ramadi in 2004. Now, he says, the U.S. should focus on winning the war.

John Wroblewski suggests Congress stop all the talk about leaving Iraq in 60 days, or 90 days, or 120 days. Instead, what the country needs, he says, is "more discussion about victory and how we're going to win."

What he seeks is leadership. Courage, to stand up to a relentless, smart and brutal enemy. Patience, to see the nation through the inevitable dark days. Strength, to set priorities and see them through.

Wroblewski sees these characteristics in those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, young men and women he considers heroes. Is it too much to ask the same of those who sent those troops into combat?

The high school athletic director from Jefferson Township, N.J., is unapologetic in his support for the war and those fighting it - "You can't separate the troops and the mission," he says. Often, he says, the news out of Washington makes you "grit your teeth." Worse are declarations that the war is lost.

"When [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid said that, it just turned my stomach," Wroblewski says.

"How can a leader of this country, when we have men on the battlefield, and we've shed the blood of our sons and daughters, how can he say we've lost?" he asks.

So Wroblewski speaks out. He calls in frequently to talk-radio programs. He campaigned against antiwar congressman John P. Murtha (D., Pa.) last year. He and his wife, Shawn, were among the counterprotesters facing off against Cindy Sheehan two years ago near President Bush's ranch. He's told the president to his face - twice - how important it is that the United States complete the mission in Iraq.

The Wroblewskis understand the cost of war.

The oldest of their four sons, Marine 2d Lt. John Thomas Wroblewski - "JT" to his family, "Lt. Ski" to his men - was killed in a Ramadi ambush on April 6, 2004. He'd enlisted only weeks after Sept. 11 and had been in Iraq for a little more than a month when he was shot.

"He just loved being in the Marines," his mom says. "Even if he could come back now and stand in front of us, knowing all the heartache, he'd say: 'Suck it up. I'm doing it again.' "

It was a running joke between them. If he caught her crying over a TV show, he'd roll his eyes and say: "Mom, come on, suck it up."

Even with all that heartache, the Wroblewskis are resolute about finishing the job. "Do people really think that if we pull out, the terrorists will say: 'We're going to leave you alone now,'?" John asks.




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