[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue Jan 2 15:38:24 PST 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 January 8, 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 December 22 through December 28:

Army Pfc. Wilson A. Algrim, 21, of Howell, Michigan; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 125th Infantry, Big Rapids, Michigan.

Army Spc. John Barta, 25, of Corpus Christi, Texas; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.

Army Pvt. Evan A. Bixler, 21, of Racine, Wisconsin; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Baumholder, Germany.

Army Sgt. Lawrence J. Carter, 25, of Rancho Cucamonga, California; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Capt. Hayes Clayton, 29, of Georgia; assigned to the 842nd Military
Training and Transition team, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Spc. Michael J. Crutchfield, 21, of Stockton, California; assigned to
the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Bragg, North
Carolina.

Army Sgt. Jason C. Denfrund, 24, of Cattaraugus, New York; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th
Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. 

Army Spc. Dustin R. Donica, 22, of Spring, Texas; assigned to 3rd Battalion,
509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th
Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Spc. Elias Elias, 27, of Glendora, California; assigned to the 3rd
Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Marine Cpl. Christopher E. Esckelson, 22, of Vassar, Michigan; assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine
Division, Lansing, Michigan.

Army Pfc. Nathaniel A. Given, 21, of Dickinson, Texas; assigned to 4th
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2d Brigade Combat Team, Fort Drum, New
York.

Marine Lance Cpl. William C. Koprince Jr., 24, of Lenoir City, Tennessee;
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Pvt. Clinton T. McCormick, 20, of Jacksonville, Florida; assigned to
the 2nd Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Sgt. Christopher P. Messer, 28, of Petersburg, Florida; assigned to 4th
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2d Brigade Combat Team, Fort Drum, New
York.

Army Pvt. Bobby Mejia II, 24, Saginaw, Michigan; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 125th Infantry, Big Rapids, Michigan.

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas A. Miller, 20, of Silverwood, Michigan; assigned
to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine
Division, Lansing, Michigan.

Army Sgt. Jae S. Moon, 21, of Levittown, Pennsylvania; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Marine Lance Cpl. Stephen L. Morris, 21, of Lake Jackson, Texas; assigned to
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine
Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Army Pfc. William R. Newgard, 20, of Arlington Heights, Illinois; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Sgt. Curtis L. Norris, 28, of Dansville, Michigan; assigned to the
210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York.

Marine Cpl. Joshua M. Schmitz, 21, of Spencer, Wisconsin; assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Marine Lance Cpl. Myles C. Sebastien, 21, of Opelousas, Louisiana; assigned
to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. Edward W. Shaffer, 23, of Mont Alto, Pennsylvania; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored
Division, Friedberg, Germany.  

Army Spc. Joshua D. Sheppard, 22, of Quinton, Oklahoma; assigned to the
642nd Engineer Support Company, 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Mountain
Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York.

Marine Lance Cpl. William D. Spencer, 20, of Paris, Tennessee; assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve's 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine
Division, Nashville, Tennessee.

Army Spc. Joseph A. Strong, 21, of Lebanon, Indiana; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th
Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Army Spc. Douglas L. Tinsley, 21, of Chester, South Carolina; assigned to
the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Spc. Chad J. Vollmer, 24, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 125th Infantry, Big Rapids, Michigan.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Dexter E. Wheelous, 37, of Winder, Georgia; assigned to
the 842nd Military Training and Transition team, 1st Brigade Combat Team,
1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Pfc. Eric R. Wilkus, 20, of Hamilton, New Jersey; assigned to the 57th
Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, Schofield Barracks,
Hawaii. 

December 22 - December 28
Killed: 30; wounded in action: 164

March 19, 2003 - December 28, 2006
Killed: 2,975; wounded in action: 22,393

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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.