[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue May 1 07:12:23 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 May 7, 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 April 20 through April 26:

Army Pfc. Jeffrey A. Avery, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; assigned to
the 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd
Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army Pfc. Brian A. Botello, 19, of Alta, Iowa; assigned to the 3rd Squadron,
61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort
Carson, Colorado. 

Marine Sgt. William J. Callahan, 28, of South Easton, Massachusetts;
assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Marine Cpl. Willie P. Celestine Jr., 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana; assigned
to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. Alexander J. Funcheon, 21, of Bel Aire, Kansas; assigned to the
3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. 

Army 1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers, 26, of Hastings, Nebraska; assigned to the
5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Sgt. Michael R. Hullender, 29, of Little Falls, New Jersey; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Spc. Jerry R. King, 19, of Browersville, Georgia; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Pfc. David A. Kirkpatrick, 20, of Upland, Indiana; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Pfc. Garrett C. Knoll, 23, of Bad Axe, Michigan; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth E. Locker Jr., 28, of Wakefield, Nebraska; assigned
to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Adam E. Loggins, 27, of Athens, Alabama; assigned to 3rd
Battalion,6th Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force,
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Marine 1st Lt. Travis L. Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania; assigned
to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Spc. Jeremy E. Maresh, 24, of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania; assigned to C
Battery, 1st Battalion, 213th Air Defense Artillery, Spring City,
Pennsylvania.

Army Sgt. Randell T. Marshall, 22, of Fitzgerald, Georgia; assigned to the
5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Staff Sgt. Jay E. Martin, 29, of Baltimore, Maryland; assigned to the
3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Staff Sgt. William C. Moore, 27, of Benson, North Carolina; assigned to
the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Sgt. Brice A. Pearson, 32, of Phoenix, Arizona; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Dale G. Peterson, 20, of Redmond, Oregon; assigned to 2nd
Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Pfc. Nicholas E. Riehl, 21, of Shiocton, Wisconsin; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Spc. Michael J. Rodriguez, 20, of Sanford, North Carolina; assigned to
the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Spc. Eddie D. Tamez, 21, of Galveston, Texas; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. 

Army Staff Sgt. Steven R. Tudor, 36, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania; assigned to
the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, New York.

Army Sgt. Michael L. Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Oregon; assigned to the 5th
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Marine Sgt. Peter Woodall, 25, of Sarasota, Florida;  assigned to 8th
Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

April 20 - April 26
Killed: 25; wounded in action: 148

March 19, 2003 - April 26, 2007
Killed: 3,334; wounded in action: 24,912

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in
Afghanistan, confirmed by the Defense Department from April 20 through April
26:

Army Cpl. Jeremy R. Greene, 24, of Springfield, Ohio;  assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, N.Y 

Army Spc. Daniel F. Mehringer, 20, of Morgantown, West Virginia; assigned to
Division Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North
Carolina.

Army Staff Sgt. Michael D. Thomas, 34, of Seffner, Florida; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. Alexander Van Aalten, 21, of Monterey, Tennessee; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team,
82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

April 20-26
Killed: 4; Wounded in action: 7

Oct. 10, 2001 - April 26
Killed: 377; Wounded in action: 1,184

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National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized
(as of April 25, 2007)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2007/d20070425ngr.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 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.