[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 March 12, 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 February 23 through March 1:

Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony Aguirre, 20, of Channelview, Texas; assigned to
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine
Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Marine Sgt. Chad M. Allen, 25, of Maple Lake, Minnesota; assigned to 2nd
Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. William J. Beardsley, 25, of Coon Rapids, Minnesota; assigned to
the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Troop Brigade, 3rd
Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. 

Army Spc. Ethan J. Biggers, 22, of Beavercreek, Ohio; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 

Army Spc. Jonathan D. Cadavero, 24, of Takoma Park, Maryland; assigned to
the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th
Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. 

Hospitalman Lucas W.A. Emch, 21, of Kent, Ohio; to 1st Marine Logistics
Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Marine Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Gould, 28, of Longmont, Colorado; assigned to
7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. 

Army Cpl. Lorne E. Henry, Jr., 21, of Niagara Falls, New York; assigned to
the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th
Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. 

Army Staff Sgt. Paul M. Latourney, 28, of Roselle, Illinois; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Spc. Luis O. Rodriguez-Contrera, 22, of Allentown, Pennsylvania;
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Staff Sgt. Karl O. Soto-Pinedo, 22, of San Juan, Puerto Rico; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. 

Army Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka, 30, of Oceanside, California; assigned to the
2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. 

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Morgan C. Tulang, 36, of Hilo, Hawaii; assigned to U.S.
Central Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Kuwait City,
Kuwait.

Marine Pfc. Bufford K. Van Slyke, 22, of Bay City, Michigan; assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine
Division, Saginaw, Michigan.

Army Pvt. Wesley J. Williams, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; assigned to
the 163d Military Intelligence Battalion, 504th Military Intelligence
Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Spc. Christopher D. Young, 20, of Los Angeles, California; assigned to
Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National
Guard, San Pedro, California. 


February 23 - March 1
Killed: 16; wounded in action: 108


March 19, 2003 - March 1, 2007
Killed: 3,152; wounded in action: 23,785

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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.