[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 19, 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 2 through March 8:

Army Spc. Ryan M. Bell, 21, of Colville, Washington; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Raul S. Bravo, 21, of Elko, Nevada; assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. 

Army Staff Sgt. Justin M. Estes, 25, of Sims, Arkansas; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Sgt. Gregory D. Fejeran, 28, of Barrigada, Guam; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, Barrigada, Guam. 
 
Army Sgt. Christopher J. C. Fernandez, 28, of Dededo, Guam; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, Barrigada, Guam. 

Army Pvt. Mark W. Graham, 22, of Lafayette, Louisiana; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Spc. Blake Harris, 22, of Pueblo, Colorado; assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.

Army Staff Sgt. Darrel D. Kasson, 43, of Florence, Arizona; assigned to the
259th Security Forces Company, Phoenix. 

Army Pfc. Cory C. Kosters, 19, of The Woodlands, Texas; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Pvt. Barry W. Mayo, 21, of Ecru, Mississippi; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 
 
Army Sgt. Ashly L. Moyer, 21, of Emmaus, Pennsylvania; assigned to the 630th
Military Police Company, Bamberg, Germany. 

Army Sgt. Brandon A. Parr, 25, of West Valley, Utah; assigned to the 630th
Military Police Company, Bamberg, Germany. 
 
Army Sgt. Michael C. Peek, 23, of Chesapeake, Virginia; assigned to the
630th Military Police Company, Bamberg, Germany.

Army Sgt. Andrew C. Perkins, 27, of Northglenn, Colorado; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,
82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Spc. Shawn P. Rankinen, 28, of Independence, Missouri; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Spc. Michael D. Rivera, 22, of Brooklyn, New York; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Spc. Justin A. Rollins, 22, of Newport, New Hampshire; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,
82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Spc. Ryan D. Russell, 20, of Elm City, North Carolina;  assigned to the
1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.

Army Spc. Jonathan K. Smith, 19, of Atlanta, Georgia; assigned to the 115th
Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert M. Stanley, 27, of Spotsylvania, Virginia; assigned
to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Dennis J. Veater, 20, of Jessup, Pennsylvania; assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve's Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, Marine Wing
Support Group 47, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Wyoming, Pennsylvania.

Army Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Webb, 28, of Winchester, California; assigned
to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 
 

March 2 - March 8
Killed: 22; wounded in action: 139


March 19, 2003 - March 8, 2007
Killed: 3,174; wounded in action: 23,924

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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.