A U.S. Marine is being held hostage in Iraq, and the Marines have sent an open letter to Al Qaeda.

To the terrorists currently operating in Iraq,

I see that you have captured a U. S. Marine, and that you plan to cut off his head if your demands are not met. Big mistake. Before you carry out your threat I suggest you read up on Marine Corps history. The Japanese tried the same thing on Makin Island and in a few other places during World War Two, and came to regret it. Go ahead and read about what then happened to the mighty Imperial Army on Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. They paid full price for what they did, and you will too.

Sorry to delve off into this, but read the whole thing. The terrorists have no idea what they are about to unleash if they murder this U.S. Marine. As a history major and studying military history, to go along with being a former Army soldier, this letter really moved me.