[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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"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 July 23, 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 July 6 through July 12: 

Marine Cpl. Jeremy D. Allbaugh, 21, of Luther, Oklahoma; assigned to 1st
Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Pfc. Benjamin B. Bartlett Jr., 25, of Manchester, Georgia; assigned to
the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Sgt. Allen A. Greka, 29, of Alpena, Michigan; assigned to the 3d
Battalion, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry
Division at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Courtney T. Johnson, 26, of Garner, North Carolina; assigned to
the 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd
Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Army Pfc. Christopher D. Kube, 18, of Sterling Heights, Michigan; assigned
to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Sgt. Gene L. Lamie, 25, of Homerville, Georgia; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Eric A. Lill, 28, of Chicago, Illinois; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd
Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army 1st Sgt. Jeffrey R. McKinney, 40, of Garland, Texas; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Capt. Maria I. Ortiz, 40, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico; assigned to the Kirk
U.S. Army Health Clinic, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

Marine Lance Cpl. Angel R. Ramirez, 28, Brooklyn, New York; assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Twentynine Palms, California.
 
Army Pfc. Bruce C. Salazar Jr., 24, of Tracy, California; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Marine Lance Cpl. Steven A. Stacy, 23, of Coos Bay, Oregon; assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Pendleton, California. 

Army Spc. Robert D. Varga, 24, of Monroe City, Missouri; assigned to the
984th Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion, Fort Carson,
Colorado.

Army Cpl. Kory D. Wiens, 20, of Independence, Oregon; assigned to the 94th
Mine Dog Detachment, 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort
Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Army Pfc. Le Ron A. Wilson, 18, of Queens, New York; assigned to the 26th
Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart,
Ga.

July 6 - July 12
Killed: 16; wounded in action: 137

March 19, 2003 - July 12, 2007 
Killed: 3,601; wounded in action: 26,695

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in
Afghanistan, confirmed by the Defense Department from July 6 through July
12: 

Air Force Master Sgt. Randy J. Gillespie, 44, of Coaldale, Colorado;
assigned to the 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Luke Air Force Base,
Arizona.

July 6 - July 12
Killed:  1; Wounded in action: 19

Oct. 10, 2001 - July 12, 2007
Killed: 406; Wounded in action: 1,380

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National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized 
(as of July 11, 2007) 
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2007/d20070711ngr.pdf

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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 our 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.