Remembering the Fallen

“Some say God caught them even before they fell…” -- --Wilfred Owen

We don’t see as many “Support Our Troops” stickers on cars. Most of them have gotten old and peeled off. Somehow the casualties of this war have gotten lost in the shuffle of politics as usual, culture wars, president bashing and general rants which begin and end with the same words: “me…mine…us…ours.”

CNN reminds us that there have been 4,666 coalition deaths in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 4,349 of these casualties were American men and women. 337 others have come from Australia, Britain, Bulgaria—22 other countries in all. The Pentagon report, issued on September 25, 2009 said that at least 31,510 U.S. troops have been wounded in action since this war began. This, of course does not even begin to address the thousands and thousands that have lost their lives in their own land of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Zelma Pattillo, a good friend attends Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Each week the names of those that have died in service are read during worship. A yellow ribbon is placed on the fence outside the church with each person’s name that has fallen in battle. Needless to say, the fence is covered in yellow ribbons. Maybe if more churches would call out the names of our brothers and sisters who have died serving us in this war—it might not be so easy to forget.

So every week I plan on listing the names and those we, their families and this nation lost this week. Read the names and whisper a prayer for them and their families and for us all.

Lance Cpl. John J. Malone / Hometown: Yonkers, NY / Age 24 years
Died Sept. 24, 2009 while supporting operations in Farah province, Afghanistan.


Pfc. William L. Meredith / Hometown: Va. Beach, Va. / Age 26
Died Sept. 21, 2009 in Kandalar, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Specialist Carey J. Kowall / Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN. / Age 20 years /Died Sept. 20, 2009 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of injuries sustained in a vehicle rollover.

Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois / Hometown: Lucas, TX./ Age 22 years / Died Sept. 20, 2009 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait.

Specialist Michael S. Cote, Jr. / Hometown: Denham Springs, La. / Age 20 / Died Sept. 19, 2009 in Balad, Iraq of wounds suffered when the Blackhawk helicopter he was in crashed.