[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue Apr 10 11:40:35 PDT 2007

"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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"I think Rumsfeld, Cheney, and the president made a big mistake in
justifying going into the war in Iraq.  They put the emphasis on weapons of
mass destruction." 

- Gerald R. Ford (July 28, 2004)
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Ford_Iraq_Big_Mistake.mp3

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>From the April 16, 2007 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 March 30 through April 5:

Army Staff Sgt. Shane R. Becker, 35, of Helena, Montana; assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Gregory J. Billiter, 36, of Villa Hills, Kentucky;
assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit Eleven, Whidbey Island,
Washington.

Army Staff Sgt. Jerry C. Burge, 39, of Carriere, Mississippi; assigned to
the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Pfc. Jay S. Cajimat, 20, of Lahaina, Hawaii; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Cpl. Joseph H. Cantrell IV, 23, of Ashland, Kentucky; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Sgt. Forrest D. Cauthorn, 22, of Midlothian, Virginia; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th
Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Army Pfc. James J. Coon, 22, of Walnut Creek, California; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Spc. Ryan S. Dallam, 24, of Norman, Oklahoma; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Pfc. Gabriel J. Figueroa, 20, of Baldwin Park, California; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Pfc. Walter Freeman Jr., 20, of Lancaster, California; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. 

Army Pfc. Daniel A. Fuentes, 19, of Levittown, New York; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Pfc. Derek A. Gibson, 20, Eustis, Florida; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Curtis R. Hall, 24, of Burley, Idaho; assigned
to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit Eleven, Whidbey Island, Washington. 

Army Sgt. Adam P. Kennedy, 25, of Norfolk, Massachusetts; assigned to the
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th
Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph A. McSween, 26, of Valdosta, Georgia;
assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit Eleven, Whidbey Island,
Washington. 

Army 1st Lt. Phillip I. Neel, 27, of Maryland; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Capt. Anthony Palermo, 26, of Brockton, Massachusetts; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Spc. Brian E. Ritzberg, 24, of Long Island, New York;  assigned to the
977th Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 1st Infantry
Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Pvt. Damian Lopez Rodriguez, 18, Tucson, Arizona; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph C.Schwedler, 27,of Crystal Falls,
Michigan; assigned to Navy SEAL Team Four, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Army Spc Jason A. Shaffer, 28, of Derry, Pennsylvania;  assigned to 1st
Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Sgt. Todd A. Singleton, 24, of Muskegon, Michigan; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.

Army Spc. Curtis R. Spivey, 25, of Chula Vista, California; assigned to the
1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

March 30 - April 5
Killed: 23; wounded in action: 162

March 19, 2003 - April 5, 2007
Killed: 3,263; wounded in action: 24,476

The Department of Defense announced the death of a soldier who was
supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan

Army PFC Conor G. Masterson, 21, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany.

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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
Moscow, Idaho

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

-- Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.