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Posted Sat, Jul. 17, 2004
Harry Tunnell has been to West Point, served in the Army
for 25 years and seen combat in Iraq, leaving a good
portion of his blood there. So when this 42-year-old
officer from Fort Wayne says he's eager to go back as soon
as his shattered right leg allows, we should ask: Why?
His answer is profoundly simple and, perhaps,
uncomfortably blunt: "In war," Tunnell said,
"You determine who the enemy is, then go and kill
them. Victory is not an optional event. If the terrorists
win, our way of life changes substantially."
Lt. Col. Harry Tunnell's way of life changed the night of
Oct. 11, 2003, when he was leading a six-member
reconnaissance patrol south of Kirkuk. About 20 insurgents
attacked with rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and
small arms, and Tunnell took a bullet six inches above the
ankle. He was evacuated to a hospital in Germany and has
been living in Fort Wayne with his mother, Annie, since
November. When he returns to duty -- perhaps as soon as
next month -- Tunnell will study at the elite National War
College in Washington, D.C. It will take at least a year
for his leg to heal completely -- if it does.
Tunnell, commander of the 600-member 1st Airborne
Battalion, 508th Infantry, had been in harm's way even
before parachuting into Iraq with 400 other soldiers on
March 26, 2003. He was part of 1989's Operation Just
Cause, which removed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega,
and 1994's Operation Uphold Democracy, which kept the
peace in Haiti. But the stakes in the war against global
terrorism, he knows, are infinitely greater.
Even though Tunnell is confident the United States and its
allies are winning the war, he's not convinced Americans
understand or appreciate their own success.
"Americans are only getting part of the story,"
he said. "So many positive things are happening in
Iraq. We are helping build the infrastructure and schools,
immunizing children, providing water and teaching about
hygiene. There is an insurgency but, overall, the
population is positive about our presence, and life is
improving for the average Iraqi.
"It's not unusual to read, 'I love Bush and (British
Prime Minister Tony) Blair' on the walls of
buildings."
Because the official mission of the National War College
"is to prepare future leaders of the armed forces,
State Department and other civilian agencies for
high-level policy, command and staff
responsibilities," one could assume Tunnell might one
day be given even greater responsibilities and authority.
So his opinion on the controversial decision to attack
Iraq is especially significant.
"Think back to World War II," he said.
"Japan attacked us, but we concentrated on Germany
first." The meaning of Tunnell's use of historic
parable is clear: Because there were, and are, terrorists
in Iraq, that country is a legitimate and unavoidable
front in the war on global terrorism -- whether Saddam
Hussein was involved in the Sept. 11 attacks or not. That
doesn't blind Tunnell to the problems -- soldiers who
abused Iraqi prisoners should be punished, he said -- but
neither does he want war's inevitable setbacks to obscure
the larger, brighter picture.
"Our young kids are doing a superb job. They are
wonderful soldiers. But, as with any major war, this one
must be won with diplomacy, economics and information, not
just militarily," he said. The recent transition to
Iraqi-led government, therefore, is a key step. Tunnell,
whose unit helped establish a police academy in Kirkuk,
believes Iraqis will be up to the job.
Tunnell, who attended Culver
Military Academy before graduating from West
Point in 1984, is a professional soldier: Although he is
willing to discuss military matters, he does so grudgingly
-- and would rather not talk about personal matters at
all. He didn't even want his picture taken for this
article, preferring not to be recognized or celebrated.
Command officers just shouldn't do that sort of thing, he
believes.
I respect his perspective. But I also believe people who
willingly sacrifice themselves for others deserve
recognition. So I hope Lt. Col. Tunnell won't mind if I
share with you just a glimpse of the price he paid for all
of us.
Harry, his mother Annie and I are members of Zion Lutheran
Church on Hanna Street. His father, Dr. Harry Tunnell III,
died in 1995, four years after taking over the practice of
his uncle, R.B. Wilson, one of the first black doctors in
Fort Wayne. Although this tall, muscular, very proper man
walks with a cane now, for several weeks after returning
home, Tunnell's leg was encircled by a cumbersome metal
cage that held in place several steel rods inserted into
the bone. Crutches allowed him to walk, but only with
great difficulty. Once seated in the pew -- which he and
Annie occupy faithfully each week -- he stayed there,
unable to rise, kneel or receive communion at the rail.
So, as the body and blood of Christ were brought to
Tunnell, I always marveled at how he -- and so many of his
comrades -- have likewise given up their bodies and blood
for the sake of others who do not always appreciate their
gift.
That doesn't make him God, of course. And Tunnell would
probably deny he is even a hero. Which only makes what he
did, and hopes to do again, all the more amazingly
selfless -- and worthy of respect and gratitude.
Reporter Kevin Leininger writes a column
every other Saturday. Leininger has been with The
News-Sentinel for 24 years, 11 of which were as an
editorial writer. The column reflects his opinion, not
necessarily that of The News-Sentinel, and will discuss
issues affecting Fort Wayne.
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