[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue Sep 18 15:21:17 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

And Dick Cheney again in 1994
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9a8_1186873756

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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 September 24, 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 September 7 through September 13:

Marine Cpl. Terrence P. Allen, 21, of Pennsauken, New Jersey; assigned to
1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Spc. Ari D. Brown-Weeks, 23, of Abingdon, Maryland; assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Spc. Steven R. Elrod, 20, of Hope Mills, North Carolina; assigned to
the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Marine Cpl. Carlos E. Gilorozco, 23, of San Jose, California; assigned to
2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Staff Sgt. Yance T. Gray, 26, of Ismay, Montana; assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Sgt. Michael C. Hardegree, 21, of Villa Rica, Georgia; assigned to the
1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Jon T. Hicks Jr., 20, of Atco, New Jersey; assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 

Army Staff Sgt. Courtney Hollinsworth, 26, of Yonkers, New York; assigned to
the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Pvt. Christopher M. McCloud, 24, of Malakoff, Texas; assigned to the
6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Sgt. John Mele, 25, of Bunnell, Forida; assigned to the 1st Battalion,
30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort
Stewart, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Omar L. Mora, 28, of Texas City, Texas; assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Spc. Todd A. Motley, 23, of Clare, Michigan; assigned to the 6th
Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Cpl. Javier G. Paredes, 24, of San Antonio, Texas; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Nicholas J. Patterson, 24, of Rochester, Indiana; assigned to the
1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Pfc. Sammie E. Phillips, 19, of Cecilia, Kentucky; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, Kentucky Army National Guard, Carlisle,
Kentucky.

Army Spc. Jonathan Rivadeneira, 22, of Jackson Heights, New York; assigned
to the 6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Rivera-Santiago, 26, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands;
assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Army Pfc. Brandon T. Thorsen, 22, of Trenton, Florida; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Staff Sgt. Michael L. Townes, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada; assigned to the
4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Army Staff Sgt. Terry D. Wagoner, 28, of Piedmont, South Carolina; assigned
to the 6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. 

September 7 - September 13
Killed: 20; wounded in action: 81

March 19, 2003 - September 13, 2007 
Killed: 3,771; wounded in action: 27,848

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The following U.S. service members died while supporting combat operations
in Afghanistan, confirmed by the Defense Department from September 7 through
September 13:

Marine Cpl. Travis M. Woods, 21, of Redding, California; assigned to3rd
Battalion, 1stMarine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

September 7 - September 13
Killed: 1; Wounded in action: 13

Oct. 10, 2001 - September 13, 2007
Killed: 436; Wounded in action: 1,567

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National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized 
(as of September 12, 2007) 
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2007/d20070912ngr.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.