[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue Jul 24 15:13:07 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 July 30, 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 13 through July 19: 

Army Sgt. Shawn G. Adams, 21, of Dixon, California; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team
(Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Sgt. Nathan S. Barnes, 23, of American Fork, Utah; assigned to the 4th
Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, New York.

Army Pfc. Brandon K. Bobb, 20, of Orlando, Florida; assigned to the 401st
Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, 89th Military
Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Cpl. Rhett A. Butler, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas; assigned to 2nd
Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker
Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Navy Petty Officer First Class Jeffrey L. Chaney, 35, of Omaha, Nebraska;
assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eleven, Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

Army Spc. Zachary R. Clouser, 19, of Dover, Pennsylvania; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. 

Army Sgt. Ronald L. Coffelt, 36, of Fair Oaks, California; assigned to the
503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne),
XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Pfc. Brandon M. Craig, 25, of Earleville, Maryland; assigned to
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army Spc. Richard Gilmore III, 22, of Jasper, Alabama; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 26th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Spc. Daniel E. Gomez, 21, of Warner Robbins, Georgia; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. 

Army Sgt. 1st Class Luis E. Gutierrez-Rosales, 38, of Bakersfield,
California; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. 

Army Pfc. James J. Harrelson, 19, of Dadeville, Alabama; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Spc. Eric M. Holke, 31, of Crestline, California; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 160th Infantry, California Army National Guard, Fullerton,
California.

Army Pfc. Ron J. Joshua Jr., 19, of Austin, Texas; assigned to the 401st
Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, 89th Military
Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Sgt. John R. Massey, 29, of Judsonia, Arkansas; assigned to C Battery,
142nd Fires Brigade, Arkansas Army National Guard, Ozark, Arkansas.

Marine Cpl. Christopher G. Scherer, 21, of East Northport, New York;
assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Sgt. Jacob S. Schmuecker, 27, of Atkinson, Nebraska; assigned to the
755th Recon/Decon Company, Nebraska Army National Guard, Oneill, Nebraska.

Marine Lance Cpl. Shawn V. Starkovich, 20, of Arlington, Washington;
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Marine Lance Cpl. Bobby L. Twitty, 20, of Bedias, Texas; assigned to Combat
Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics
Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Patrick L. Wade, 38, of Key West, Florida; assigned
to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eleven, Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island, Washington. 

July 13 - July 19
Killed: 20; wounded in action: 111

March 19, 2003 - July 19, 2007 
Killed: 3,621; wounded in action: 26,806

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There were no reports of U.S. service members who died while supporting
combat operations in Afghanistan, confirmed by the Defense Department from
July 13 through July 19.

July 13 - July 19
Killed:  0; Wounded in action: 21

Oct. 10, 2001 - July 19, 2007
Killed: 408; Wounded in action: 1,401

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National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized 
(as of July 18, 2007) 
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2007/d20070718ngr.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.