[Vision2020] [Corrected Dates] The Human Toll (and a Plea)

[Tom Hansen]

>From the October 16, 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 September 29 through October 5:

Army Pfc. Christopher T. Blaney, 19, of Winter Park, Fla.; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas

Navy Master-at Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor, 25, of Garden
Grove, Calif. Assigned to a west-coast based commend

Army Staff Sgt. Scott E. Nisely, 48, of Marshalltown, Iowa; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, Army National Guard, Iowa Falls, Iowa

Army Spc. Kampha B. Sourivong, 20, of Iowa City, Iowa; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 133rd Infantry, Army National Guard, Iowa Falls, Iowa

Army Spc. Robert F. Weber, 22, of Cincinnati, Ohio; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Fort
Lewis, Wash.

Army Cpl. Chase A. Haag, 22, of Portland, Ore.; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas

Army Sgt. Mario Nelson, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored
Division, Friedberg, Germany 

Marine Capt. Justin D. Peterson, 32, of Davisburg, Mich.; assigned to the
1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force,
Twentynine Palms, Calif. 

Army Sgt. Denise A. Lannaman, 46, of Bayside, N.Y.; assigned to the 1569th
Transportation Company, New York Army National Guard, Newburgh, N.Y.

Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher B. Cosgrove III, 23, of Cedar Knolls, N.J.;
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division,
Marine Forces Reserve, Dover, N.J.

Marine Cpl. Aaron L. Seal, 23, of Elkhart, Ind., assigned to the 6th
Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces
Reserve, Sound Bend, Ind.

Army Pfc. Michael K. Oremus, 21, of Highland, N.Y.; assigned to the 57th
Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, Seoul, Korea

Army Pfc. Satieon V. Greenlee, 24, of Pendleton, S.C.; assigned to the 4th
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Army Spc. Angelo J. Vaccaro, 23, of Deltona, Fla.; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. 

Army Sgt. Joseph W. Perry, 23, of Alpine, Calif.; assigned to the 21st
Military Police Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, XVIIIth Airborne
Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Staff Sgt. Joe A. Narvaez, 25, of San Antonio; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany 

Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Rojas, 27, of Hammond, Ind.; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort
Wainwright, Ala. 

Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Isshak, 25, of Alta Loma, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 27th Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield
Barracks, Hawaii

Marine Lance Cpl. Edward M. Garvin, 19, of Malden, Mass.; assigned to the
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

Marine Cpl. Benjamin S. Rosales, 20, of Houston; assigned to the 2nd Light
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

September 29 - October 5
Killed: 20; wounded in action: 219

March 19, 2003 - October 5, 2006
Killed: 2,719; wounded in action: 20,687

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And the beat goes on . . .

A heart-felt plea concerning our troops:  Perhaps the removal of Saddam
Hussein from power in Iraq was not only a compassionate response to the
needs of the Iraqi people, but appealed to me and many others as a viable
alternative to endless genocide.  However, long after Iraq had not been
linked to terrorism, long after it had been determined weapons of mass
destruction did not exist, and long after Saddam Hussein had been captured,
there remains no strategy beyond "Stay the course" and no justification
beyond re-emergence of Vietnam's "bright shining lie" as American troops die
at an ever-increasing rate.  We must, for the sake of our families and our
truest sense of patriotism, . . .

"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."
   
Seeya round town, Moscow.

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.