[Vision2020] The Human Toll

[Tom Hansen]

"The notion that we ought to now go to Baghdad and somehow take control of
the country strikes me as an extremely serious one in terms of what we'd
have to do once we got there. You'd probably have to put some new government
in place. It's not clear what kind of government that would be, how long
you'd have to stay. For the U.S. to get involved militarily in determining
the outcome of the struggle over who's going to govern in Iraq strikes me as
a classic definition of a quagmire." 

- Dick Cheney, 1991
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Cheney_Quagmire.mp3

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>From the December 25, 2006 edition of the Army Times -

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in Iraq,
confirmed by the Defense Department from December 8 through December 14:

Army Pfc. Paul Balint Jr., 22, of Willow Park, Texas; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored
Division, Friedberg, Germany.

Army Staff Sgt. Thomas W. Clemons, 37, of Leitchfield, Kentucky; assigned to
the 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor, Leitchfield, Kentucky.

Marine Lance Cpl. Budd M. Cote, 21, of Marana, Arizona; assigned to Marine
Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft
Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar,
California.

Army Maj. Gloria D. Davis, 47, of St. Louis, Missouri; assigned to the
Defense Security Assistance Agency, Washington, D.C.

Marine Cpl. Matthew V. Dillon, 25, of Aiken, South Carolina; assigned to
Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar, California.

Army Sgt. Brent W. Dunkleberger, 29, of New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania;
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Spc. Philip C. Ford, 21, of Freeport, Texas; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Army Sgt. Brennan C. Gibson, 26, of Tualatin, Oregon; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Marine 1st Lt. Nathan M. Krissoff, 25, of Reno, Nevada; assigned to
Headquarters and Service Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine
Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

Marine Capt. Kevin M. Kryst, 27, of West Bend, Wisconsin; assigned to Marine
Light-Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force Camp Pendleton, California.

Marine Master Sgt. Brian P. McAnulty, 39, of Vicksburg, Mississippi;
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California.

Marine Lance Cpl. Clinton J. Miller, 23, of Greenfield, Iowa; assigned to
Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar, California. 

Army Pfc. Shawn M. Murphy, 24, of Fort Bragg, North Carolina; assigned to
the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th
Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Army Pfc. Albert M. Nelson, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicklas J. Palmer, 19, of Leadville, Colorado; assigned to
the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Phaneuf, 38, of Eastford, Connecticut; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Brigade, Hartford, Connecticut. 

Army Spc. Nicholas P. Steinbacher, 22, of La Crescenta, California; assigned
to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Pfc. Roger A. Suarez-Gonzalez, 21 of Miami, Florida; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,
Fort Carson, Colorado.



December 8 - December 14
Killed: 18; wounded in action: 172


March 19, 2003 - December 14, 2006
Killed: 2,945; wounded in action: 22,229

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And the beat goes on . . .

"Bring 'em Home"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Bring_em_home.mp3

"If you love this land of the free
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Bring them back from overseas
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

It will make the politicians sad, I know 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
They wanna tangle with their foe 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

They wanna test their grand theories
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
With the blood of you and me
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

Now we'll give no more brave young lives 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
For the gleam in someone's eyes 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

The men will cheer and the boys will shout 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
Yeah and we will all turn out 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

The church bells will ring with joy
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
To welcome our darlin' girls and boys
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

We will lift their voice and sound
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Yeah, when Johnny comes marching home
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home."
   
Pro patria,

Tom Hansen
Vandalville, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime."

-- Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.