Here is another letter from Iraq, this one from a soldier from San Marcos, TX. Excerpt:

The other thought I would like to leave you with is a sense of optimism I have for this country in spite of all the naysayers and the pundits.

There is a sense of hope in the Iraqi people, a people of ancient civilization, a very adapting people. There are the beginnings of normalcy in areas not directly affected by the fighting. There is a street on the way to the International Zone, in central Baghdad that looks like Sears or Wal-mart, the appliance section. You can buy all sorts of things there, right on the sidewalk. There are satellites and cell phones everywhere, certainly not something Saddam Hussein would have in his state.

(Hat-tip to The Patriette)