My sister's husband dead in Iraq - may Bush rot in hell.

[-Jrabbit]

Condolences to you and your sister, Shawnmmcc.
Terrible, tragic news.

[Japher]

I'm sorry to hear of your loss

I hope this can help your sister:

http://www.goldstarwives.org/

[Straybow]

Ughh!

[Mr. Harley]

Here is a memorial page to Brian, my sister's husband, put together by his friends.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RememberBrian/

There is a posting of his letters from Iraq. I've already seen them, they are brutally frank and honest, and definitely don't cut him any slack. He was out checking the tank treads, a problem because they neither have enough, nor the correct ones for road patrols, which is the majority of the patrols he was doing. They cannabilize from other vehicles, and thus need to conduct more frequent inspections. It seems because Rumsfeld KNEW the war would be short, not enough spares of all sorts were shipped.

He was wearing his body armor, and the bullet entered at the armpit, going through the chest and straight through the heart. What stinks is that his CO told my sister that the tank commander is supposed to check the treads in this stiutation. Many are instead sending out the crew, but Brian had to do the right thing. God bless him.

The attached infranty, rather than stay with his body, as per ops, decided to immediately go hunting and got both snipers. If you read Brian's emails, you will understand why they were pissed. He was conscientous and tried hard, even when short of sleep or people.

It's funny, now I can use his name when talking about his death, and I'm starting to be able to call my sister a widow, which still somehow doesn't sound right. I guess I'll just have to get used to it. The rest of his family is taking it hard, he was one of two children. His sister is having it really rough, as is his dad. Thank you all for the support, and I'm going to get a link to this forum put on the memorial site, if they'll take it - the title may preclude this, but I cannot change it, that's how I still feel. Again, thanks.

Shawn

[Lars-E]

Re: My sister's husband dead in Iraq - may Bush rot in hell.

Originally posted by shawnmmcc
There's not that much more to say, except he's dead. Unnecessarily (if it had been in Afghanistan that would have been totally different). Under false pretences.

Afghanistan would be safer, but there are no guarantees. A Norwegian was killed there recently - he was driving a car with a few other ppl.

My sister's husband was in Afghanistan for the military - not as unsafe as Iraq, but they must be prepared to die anyways. If his plane had been shot down he would use amphetamine and run like crazy I suppose, or hide, I dunno. The F16's were also loaded with dollars!! The almight dollar...

At least I voted against the fool, and as I've stated before I wanted McCain - after spending the length of time he did in a Vietnamese prison cell, he would not have so lightly started the Irag conflict. This is what you get when you elect a chickhawk who talks about how dangerous his practice flights out across the Gulf of Mexico were .

I would vote for Bush... I think he's a tougher stance against terrorists and a track record to prove it. Which the opposition don't. You know what you have, but not what you get... It will appear safer for average Joe to vote Bush I think. So he'll win.

I saw on tv or in the paper? an institute predicting a Republican landslide based on certain factors - they use a mathematical model.. And have predicted correctly in the past even when polls have given away nothing.

My 2 cents.

[Arrian]

Sorry to hear it, shawnmmcc.

-Arrian

[johncmcleod]

I'm sorry for your loss, comrade. Hopefully things will get better in Iraq and he won't have died in vain.

War it is a shame that many people of today think of it as cool or as a game.

[Thorn]

I knew the war would eventually touch someone personally at Apolyton, but I had hoped it wouldn't happen for a long time....

I'm sorry for the loss. I don't know if you are a religious man, but soldiers' souls tend to get stuck here on earth more often then others. So I will pray for him to be free, if that's what he wants. Just know it is isn't the end of him, there is life of some sort after death, and your sister will be reunited with him eventually. Keep that in mind and it should help some, and after all its true.

[Dominikos]

War is indeed tragic, particularly when it hits close to home.

I sympathize with your sister, and I do hope that in the future, competent and wise leaders will govern the country.

I do, however, believe that this terrorist threat is overblown and that American troops in foreign lands have died in vain. I'm not a particular fan of Mr. Moore and his films either as I think they are reactionist propaganda pieces, albeit good ones, but I'm certain there is an agenda behind Afghanistan and it's not terrorism. These wars reek of economic gain.

It seems to me that troop placements in Afghanistan are somehow connected with protecting future economic interests in a world that in the near-future will find itself scarce in resources and fighting over them.

Afghanistan and surrounding areas are incredibly rich in natural gas and whether you believe it or not, the future geo-political situation will involve confrontations with China - it is inevitable. Anyone who disagrees is as blind as gentlemen politicians were in Europe earlier in the twentieth century before all hell broke lose. American soldiers, unfortunately, are going to stay in the Near East and area and American families will sadly pay the price to satisfy warmongering and power-hungry fools like Bush and the boys.

That, my friends, is most likely the sad truth. You are more than welcome to prove me wrong.

------------------
~Dominik~

[Alexander's Horse]

very very sorry for your loss

I hope the vets support is adequate - you might want to consider putting your sister in touch with other war widows. there are support groups.

[Vince278]

Please don't give in to hatred.

[johncmcleod]

Bush is responsible for the death of his brother in law, no one can blame him for hating Bush.

The wars also reek of political gain, Bush wants to get reelected, and with things going horrible on the homefront he has fought these wars to take away attention from it and also to make him look like a visionary leader who is fighting for democracy throughout the world. Back when the war in Iraq first started Bush was very popular.

I don't doubt that the wars are also fought for economic gain. In Iraq for instance the oil fields are the most protected part of the country. Conservatives claim that this to help the Iraqi people and give them an economic base, but the oil is being drilled by American companies. It isn't helping Iraqis at all, just Americans. In Afghanistan I know there is a lot of natural gas, and I think that may have been what Bush wanted to gain from the war (besides support), but I don't have any evidence to prove it. Dominikos, if you could give me some material (arguments or information) on the situation and how America will benefit from the natural gas in Afghanistan I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

[Kuciwalker]

[cia]

I know it is not agreed on by any means but your sister's husband died as a part of a cultural war which is greater than us all which we will have to fight against the 15th century extremists versus the 21th century we live in, irrespective of the oil/natural gas rights which the French and Germans were fine to own, but not America. Bush may very well go down due to Iraq, which is not unusual considering his dad's position of winning a war but losing the election. For this I give him credit, it was political suicide to fight this war so it must have had a logical reason I know but will not go into. So even though the death sucks, which all deaths do, at least there was a reason for it.

[Vince278]

Let us continue to honour a fallen soldier, not air our political beliefs. God bless America and those who serve!