Remember the Fallen

"The greatest treasure the United States has is our enlisted men and women. When we put them in harm's way, it had better count from something. Their loss is a national tragedy."
 --General Tony Zinni USMC (Ret.)
    Commander in Chief
    CENTCOM 1997-2000

Sebastian Junger spent a year with the troops in Afghanistan. As he was leaving one of the young soldiers turned to him and said,"Let me ask you something, Do people know that we are out here?"

Since my last reporting on May 13--I am sad to say that we have lost 47 young men and women. This is the greatest number since I began this remembering a year ago.

Read these names and remember...

Sgt. Denis Deleon Kisseloff / age 45 / Saint Charles, MO./ Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit in Logar province, Afghanistan/ May 14, 2010.

Cpl. Nicholas Dimas Parada Rodriguez /age 29 / Stafford, VA / Died of wounds sustained on May 14 when a roadside bomb detonated while supposrting combat operations in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 16, 2010.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Zarian Andre Wood / age 29 / Houston, TX / Died of wonds sustained from a roadside bomb blast while on a dismounted patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 16, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Adam Levi Perkins / age 27 / Antelope, CAL / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 17, 2010.

Pfc . Billy Gene Anderson / age 20 / Alexandria, TN / Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with roadside bombs in Badghis province, Afghanistan / May 17, 2010.

Lance Cpl. Philip P. Clark / age 19 / Gainesville, FL / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May  18, 20010.

Sgt. Joshua Abram Tomlinson / age 24 / Dubberly, LA / One of five US soldiers killed along with a Canadian soldier when a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan / May 18, 2010.

Col. John Michael McHugh / age 46 / New Jersey / The second of five soldiers killed along with a Canadian soldier when a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan / May 18, 2010.

Lt. Col. Paul Robet Bartz / age 43 / Waterloo, WIS / The third of five soldiers killed along with a Canadian soldier when a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan / May 18, 2010.

Lt. Col. Thomas Patrick Belkofer / age 44 / Pettysburg, OH / The fourth of five soldiers killed when that suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan / May 18, 2010.

Lance Cpl. Patrick Xavier, Jr., / age 24 / Pembroke Pines, FLA/ Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 18, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Richard James Tieman / age 28 / Waynesboro, PA / The fifth soldier killed along with that Canadian soldier when a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan / May 18, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Shane Stanley Barnard / age 38 / Desmet, SD / Died of wounds sustained when he stepped on a secondary roadside bomb in Kabul province, Afganistan / May 19, 2010.

Spc. Stanley J. Sokolowski / age 26 / Ocean, NJ / Died in a non-combat related incident in Kirkuk, Iraq / May 20, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Amilcar H. Gonzalez / age 26 / Miami, FLA /Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire near Mosul, Iraq / May 21, 2010.

PFc. Jason D. Fingar / age 24 / Columbia, MO / Died of wounds sustained when his military vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Durai, Helmand Province, Afghanistan/ May 22, 2010.

Maj. Ronald W. Culver, Jr. / age 44 /Shereveport, LA / Died when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a roadside bomb in Numaniya, Iraq / May 24, 2010.

Pfc. Christopher Barton / age 22 / Concord, NC / Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire in Khost province, Afghanistan / May 22, 2010.

Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht / age 24 / College Station, TX / Died following a roadside bomb attack in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 27, 2010.

Pfc. Jake W. Suter / age 18 / Los Angeles, CAL / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 29, 2010.

Lance Cpl. Anthony A. Dilisio / age 20 / Macomb, MICH / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / May 30, 2010.

Sgt. Edwin Rivera / age 28 / Waterford, CONN / Died of wounds sustained on May 20, 2010, Langhman province, Afghanistan / May 24, 2010.

Pfc. Alvaro R. Regalado Sessarego / age 37 / Virginia Beach, VA / Died from wounds sustained April 18, 2010 from a non-combat related incident in Dahuk, Iraq / May 30, 2010.

Sgt. Jonathan K. Peney / age 22 / Marietta, GA / Peney, a combat medic was killed while moving under heavey enemy fire to provide aid to a wounded Ranger in Kandahar province/ Afghanistan / June 1, 2010.

Pvt. Francisco J. Guardado-Ramirez / age 21 / Sunland, NM / Died of injuries sustained from  non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq / Jun 2, 2010.

Sgt. Steve M.  Theobald / age 53 / Goose Creek, SC / Died of injuries sustained in a military vehicle rollover near Kuwait City, Kuwait / June 4, 2010.

1st Lt. Joseph J. Theinert / age 24 / Sag Harbor, NY / Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan / June 4, 2010.

2nd Lt. Michael E. McGahan / age 23 / Orlando, FL / Died of wounds sustaned when enemy forces attacked his unit in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 6, 2010.

Sgt. Brandon C. Bury / age 26 / Kingwood, TX / One of three Marines killed in a non-hostile vehicle accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 6, 2010.

Cpl. Donald M . Marler / age 22 / St. Louis, MO. / The second of three Marines killed in a non-hostile accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 6, 2010.

Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez / age 20 / Edinburg, TX / The third Marine killed in that non-hostile accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 6, 2010.

Sgt. John K. Rankel / age 23 / Speedway, IN / Died as a result of small-arms fire in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 7, 2010.

Spc. Brandon P. Neenan / age 21 / Enterprise, AL / Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Jelawar, Afghanistan / June 7, 2010.

Sgt. Derek L. Shanfield / age 22 / Hastings, PA / One of two Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 8, 2010.

Sgt. Eric J. Klusacek / age 22 / Calcium, NY / Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Patkia province, Afghanistan / June 8, 2010.

Sgt. Zachary J.  Walters / age 24 / Palm Coast, FL / One of two Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 8, 2010.

1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz / age 25 / Grass Lake MICH / One of four airmen killed when their rescue helicopter was shot down near Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 9, 2010.

Lance Cpl. Michael G. Plank / age 25 / Cameron Mills, NY/ Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 9, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Michael Pl. Flores / age 31 / San Antonio. TX / One of four airmen killed in that rescue helicopter was shot down in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 9, 2010.

Staff Sgt. David C. Smith / age 26 / Eight Mile, AL / One of those four airmen killed when their helicopter was shot down in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 9, 2010.

Senior Airman Benjamin D. White / age 24 / Erwin, TN / The last of four airmen killed when their rescue helicopter was shot down in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 9, 2010.

Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund / age 22 / Arnold, CAL / Died when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / June 10, 2010.

Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Hoover / age 29 / West Elizabeth, PA / One of two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan / June 11, 2010.

Sgt. Israel P. O'Bryan / age 24 / Newbern, TN / One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a suicide car bomb in Jalula, Iraq / June 11, 2010.

Sgt. William C. Yauch / age 23 / Batesville, ARK / One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a suicide bomb in Jalula, Iraq / June 11, 2010.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Fike / age 38 / Conneautville, PA / One of two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan / June 11, 2010.

Spc. Christian M. Adams / age 26 / Sierra Vista, ARZ / died of wounds sustained from a non-combat incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan / June 11, 2010.

(The aove sculpture is entitled, "Menelaus supporting the body of Patroclus." It is a Roman piece from the Flavian era and is housed in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy.)

(The second photograph I took of one of the houses in my neighborhood.)

(The third photograph I took at Coventry Cathedral where an altar with the words, "Father Forgive" was erected at the site of the bombd-out Cathedral in World War II.)

(The last picture I took in the War Museum in London where children had drawn pictures of their feelings about the Gulf war.)