Remembering the Fallen

This Thanksgiving there will be empty places in many homes in this country and around the world. And other homes men and women will hobbble up to the table, if they are able and bow their heads and ponder the silence. But the war goes on...remember those that we have lost.

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of is scientists, the hopes of its children...This is not a way of life, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron." --Dwight D. Eisenhower

Spc. Christopher J. Coffland / age 43 / Baltimore, MD / Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Wardak Province, Afghanistan / November 13, 2009.

Lance Cpl. Shawn P. Hefner / age 22 / Hico, TX / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan,/ November 13, 2009.

Sgt. Benjamin W. Sherman / age 21 / Plymouth, Mass. / Sherman was one of two soldiers that went mission during a mission to recover airdropped supplies from a river in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan on November 4, 2009. On November 10 divers recovered his body from the Morghab River near Afghanistan' s border with Turkmenistan. Family members said he jumped into the river to help a fellow soldier who was struggling in the water.

Staff Sgt. Stephen L. Murphy / age 36 / Jaffery, NH / Died as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq / November 9, 2009.

Chief Warrant Officer Mathew C. Heffelfinger / age 29 / One of two soldiers killed when their helicopter experienced a hard landing in Tikrit, Iraq / November 8, 2009.

Chief Warrant Officer Earl R. Scott III / age 24 / Jacksonville, FL / The other soldiers killed in that same helicopter's hard landing in Tikrit, Iraq / November 8, 2009.

Someone's hurting Lord...

As the debate on health care rages on in Washington--people everywhere continue to fall through the cracks. How long will those that supposedly represent us stand up for the people? Saturday another free clinic for those in desperate need of health care was held in New Orleans. Over 1,000 people were treated that day. Keith Oberman reported tonight that 700,000 people in Louisiana have no health care. Read some of the hard facts about those who stood in that long, long to receive some help for their ailing lives. Find out more about the Free clinic movement by checking out their web site.

Wish I'd said this. Nicholas Kristof reports in The Times that it costs 1 million dollars to keep one of our soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan for a year. Is there some connection between the aching needs at home and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Hmm.

Attention Must Be Paid

Listening to NPR Radio two days ago my ears perked up when I heard someone say that in England in the House of Parliament each week they read out the names of those that they have been lost in the war that week. What a great reminder for all those representatives to stop and ponder the sacrifices their troops had made for them and their country.

So I sat down and wrote our Senators, Sessions and Shelby this same letter:

"Dear Mr. Sessions (Shelby) : Two days ago on NPR they told of how inEngland that the Parilament each week calls out the names of those who have died in the war from England.

I have thought this would be a great practice to begin in the Senate. What would be more important than reminding those that serve us of those that have given their lives for all of us?

I know you have been greatly interested in military matters and I would appreciate some consideration on this issue. I also think it would be appropriate for the Senate to send a letter to every family of those whose name have been read."

Maybe you would like to write your Congressman or Senator if you think this is a good idea.

When we began not long ago to show the caskets of those that came home--I think it has been a good thing for us to see such sad events that touch us all.

As the play said: "Attention must be paid...attention must be paid."

Now that the Parades are over...

Now that the parades for Veteran's Day are over it might be time to do a little stocktaking. We have all been horrified by the carnage of killing by an Army Psychiatrist at Fort Hood. But the New York Times has just pointed out that this killing spree is only part of the picture at Fort Hood. The Crisis Center for servicemen reports that they are receiving over 60 phone calls a week. Since 2003 there have been 76 suicides at Fort Hood--ten this year. Read about some of the terrible fallout of this war in the Times' article.

"We are waiting for peace to break out
We are waiting for flowers to bloom
We are waiting for the moon to come
from behind the black clouds of war
We are waiting for the light
We are waiting
and as we wait we sing songs of celebration
We are waiting
and as we wait we hold out our hands in love and friendship:
white hands extend in friendship to black hands
and brown and green hands of the earth
We are waiting
and while we wait we applaud those who have gone
before us
preaching peace: all the Martin Luther Kings, all the
Gandhi's...
We are waiting for peace to break out..."
--Carlos Reyes

Want to read up to date fine poetry about the war? There is a Web site, Poets Against the War which I have found to be great. I recommend.

We Remember the Fallen

"How long, O Lord, will we sing this song? How long will we cry for peace and see only war? How long will our families be torn part and devastated by ceaseless violence? How long, O Lord? We wait on you; we trust in you. Vindicate our faith, Prince of Peace; show forth your glory in shalom. Amen

--Prayer for the Day, from Sojourners

Our troops keep dying. Read these names, look at how old--er, how young they are. Look at where they came from and ponder the families in those towns, small and large whose lives will never, ever be the same again. Let us remember the fallen.

Spc. Aaron S. Aamot / age 22 / Custer, WA / One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Jelewar, Afghanistan/ November 5, 2009.

Spc. Gary L. Gooch, Jr. / age 22 / Ocala, Florida / He was killed with his colleague Aaron Aamot in that same roadside bomb in Jelewar, Afghanistan / November 5, 2009.

Spc. Julian L. Berisford / age 25 / Benwood, WV / Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades in Paklika province, Afghanistan/ November 4, 2009.

Spc. Tony Carrasco Jr. / age 25 / Berino, NM / Died of a gunshot wound suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit in Ad Dawr, Iraq/ November 4, 12009.

Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador / age 29 / Albany, NYT / Died of injuries sustained from, a non-combat related incident in Kirkush, Iraq / November 4, 2009.

Spc. Jonathan M. Sylvestre / age 21 / Colorado Springs, COL / Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Kut, Iraq,/ November 2, 2009.

Sgt. Cesar B. Ruiz / age 26 / San Antonio, TX / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / October 31, 2009.

Spc. Christopher M. Cooper / age 28 / Oceanside, CAL / Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Babil province, Iraq / October 30, 2009.

Pfc. Lucas C. Hopper / age 20 / Merced, CAL / Died of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover southeast of Karada, Iraq / October 30, 2009.

Spc. Adrian L. Avila / age 19 / Opelika, AL / Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related accident in Khabari, Crossing, Kuwait / October 29, 2009.

Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley / age 21 / Rosanky, TX / Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan / October 28, 2009.

Frank R. Walker / age 66 / Oklahoma City, OK / Died of non-combat related medical causes at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan / October 28, 2009.

Spc. Joseph L. Gallelos / age 39 / Questa, NM / Died in a non-combvat related incident in Talil, Iraq / October 28, 2009.

Pfc. Brian R. Bates Jr. / age 20 / Gretna, LA / Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan / October 27, 2009.

Spc. Robert K. Charlton / age 22 / Maiden, MO / Died on October 27 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Wardak, Afghanistan / October 23, 2009.

Sgt. Fernando Delarosa / age 24 / Alamo, TX / One of seven soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their Stryker armored vehicle with a roadside bomb in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan / October 27, 2009.

Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez / age 27 / South Ozone Park, NY / One of the seven killed in the same attack as Sgt. Delarosa of a roadside bomb in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan / October 27, 2009

Thoughts on Veteran's Day

On this Veteran's Day I remember a poem by Sigfried Sassoon. Sassoon, an Englishman was one of the great poets of the First World War. I don't know a better way to ponder the meaning of the day than the words of this poet.



"Does it matter ?-- losing your legs ? . .

For people will always be kind,

And you need not show that you mind

When the others come in after hunting

To gobble their muffins and eggs.

Does it matter ? -- losing your sight ? . . .

There's such splendid work for the blind;

And people will always be kind,

As you sit on the terrace remembering

And turning your face to the light.

Do they matter ? -- those dreams from the pit ? . . .

You can drink and forget and be glad,

And people won't say that you're mad;

For they'll know you've fought for your country

And no one will worry a bit."

A Salute to our Troops

I’ve been on a war-reading kick recently. The Good Soldiers which I recommended in my blog week’s ago has nudged me along. I’ve followed that book with Tim O’Brien’s splendid novel about soldiers in Viet Nam. He calls it The Things They Carried. My, my what a book. He zeroes in on one Infantry Company in the Viet Nam war. He begins with the human things the soldiers carried with them. Letters from girlfriends, pocket knives, can openers, dog tags, candy, cigarettes, matches, sewing kits and canteens of water. There are photos of girlfriends and houses and cars back home. One boy-soldier carried a Bible and one night so tired opened the Bible and put his head on it as if a pillow and went to sleep.

Less than one percent of our 300 million people wear the uniform today. Without the draft we rely on those that volunteer. I wonder if we brought back the draft how long this war in Iraq and Afghanistan would last. But I want to salute all those who serve and all those veterans who have served.

Waving flags and slapping “Support our Troops” signs on cars is simply not enough. Most of us at home—except for those who sent their loved ones away—have not sacrificed one whit. Our lifestyles have changed little if any by this war.

Which leads me to Veteran’s Day 2009. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day November 11. This day marked the signed of the Armistice that ended World War I. Major hostilities ended the war at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This is why November 11 was chosen as this time of remembering. During the ensuing years Armistice Day evolved under President Eisenhower to include all veterans of all our wars. He added the name “Veteran’s Day” in 1954.

We are told that 30% of those returning combat veterans, many having served two-four combat tours are in need of counseling for PTSD—post-traumatic stress disorder. Many returnees will never be whole again.

Let us stop and this day and remember those that have sacrificed time, energy, years and sometimes lives for the rest of us. I keep thinking of that wonderful title, The Things They Carried. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for them to know that one of the things they carried and they found when they returned was an authentic gratitude for all these service men and women have done for all of us.

Joe Galloway’s article on this year’s Veteran’s Day is worth a read.