Iraq War veterans Madia and Halloran
Major Gerald Halloran
Marine Corps veteran Ashwin Madia
MINNEAPOLIS -- Operation Iraqi Freedom drew to a close for all practical purposes Thursday, when the US military closed its final outpost in Iraq. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta took part in a small flag retirement ceremony at a base on the outskirts of Baghdad.
"We will not allow those who would seek to undermine success to have their way," Panetta remarked in a speech before the US colors came down and were furled and cased.
"This is a time for Iraq to look forward."
For the first time since the US invasion in 2003, Iraqis will have to chart their own course. And while the legacy of that long war is sure to be debated for many years to come, Minnesotans who served there will be watching Iraq with more than just passing interest.
"We felt that we've done a great job in everything we've been asked to do," Major Gerald Halloran of the Minnesota Army National Guard told KARE.
"We just hope that our contributions have helped the nation of Iraq and citizens of Iraq to take their next step."
Halloran heads mobilization efforts for the Minnesota Guard, and served in Iraq in 2008 and 2009 with an aviation brigade. The mission there brought him into direct contact with many Iraq citizens.
"Every Iraqi that I met appreciated us being there," he recalled. "I hope they'll have a better life, better result, better government and our that contributions really mattered."
At least 76 Minnesotans were among the 4,500 who died as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which lasted nearly nine years and cost American taxpayer at least $700 billion.
Minneapolis attorney Ashwin Madia, a Marine Corp JAG officer who served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006, said America's commitment to that conflict must continue here at home.
"I guess it's an end in terms of our formal presence on the ground in Iraq, but it's a beginning in that we've got a ton of veterans coming home now and that we need to take care of," Madia said. "And we're going to have take care of them for many, many years."
Madia was involved in what he termed "nation building" efforts in Iraq, working with Iraqi government officials to create a new judicial system. He said that fledgling nation has made great strides in the legal realm since the fall of Saddam Hussein, but more progress is needed.
He said he has wondered at times if the outcomes in Iraq were worth the lives lost and the money spent there. But, having said that, he never questioned the sincerity or commitment of those who served.
"We've got a lot of heroes coming back," Madia explained. "I was constantly amazed at the decency and the integrity and the heroism of the people I got to work with. I wish people could see what these kids are doing and what members of the military are doing every single day."
Halloran thanked the people of Minnesota for their unwavering support of the 8,000 Minnesotans who served in that effort.
"While some people may have a political difference, and may not agree with the war, we did not see any impact on their support of our soldiers."
He thinks the military's reliance of national guard and ready reserves helped average citizens connect better to those who served.
"Your local banker, your local farmer is now over in the middle of that operation and it really brings a sense of involvement from the community," said Halloran.
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