November 10, 2004

• I live in Wilmington, just down 74 from you. My secretary's husband is in Iraq right now. She has not heard from him in two weeks after hearing from him almost daily. She is a mess. She literally was just prescribed prozac yesterday. My absolute condolences to you and those who knew him. It is an amazing task and sacrifice that people like Bryan perform. I am thankful for people like him that are able to do that kind of work. I just wish that he never had to go. And I wish that the rest will be able to come home soon.
• NONE of the soldiers deaths have been getting the attention they deserved.
• So true drivingmenuts, it just makes me feel so sad. Whether your for the war or against the war, you have to agree that it's a sad thing that soldiers getting killed in Iraq are now on Page 7 of the local news section right after a story about a squirrel.
• Branden Ramey, my father's best friend's son, was killed on November 8th. He was 21 - six months older than me. I've got pictures of us playing together as kids. The only place that even mentioned his name as of yesterday was the local paper - and them, only in a "form letter" basic story. These deaths are rapidly becoming statistics instead of truncated lives.
• Oh - now they actually have a really good story about it. You want to know what this war's about? It's about kids dying who are only a couple years out of high school, who want nothing more than to come home and get married to the girl they dated in high school. http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041110/NEWS0101/411100322
• That's a terrible thing, LokiSpeak. My (sincere) condolences to your wife.
• "Your silent tents of green We deck with fragrant flowers; Yours has the suffering been, The memory shall be ours." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• Fallen service men and women of all nations will be remembered in our hearts and prayers tomorrow, November 11th and 11:00. http://canada.kos.net/remembrance.html
• They're getting a damn sight more attention than the Iraqi civilians being killed.
• We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie  In Flanders fields.
• Condolences.
• musingmelpomene's link leads to a story about a marine who was killed days after he called home and urged everyone to vote for GWB. I am now experiencing irony overload.
• "Last Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq premieres, appropriately, on Veterans Day 2004: Thursday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In an effort to reach as many Americans as possible with this tribute, HBO and participating cable affiliates will open its signal during the telecast, making the program available to almost all cable households, not just pay-cable subscribers." surfacing from deep lurkdom to make first comment -- hope this works
• Another death, another family who is filled with sorrow. We never really think, there will be no tomorrow. Our hearts bleed for those who are falling. Some, truly believed it was their calling. Who is there to sooth their buddies wounded hearts? As they watch their dead and dying brothers hauled away on carts? Sorry for the bad poetry, it just had to come out. My condolences to those who knew and loved your friend Brian. Although I do not agree for the reasons behind this war. I support all the men and women who serve. I hope daily for the safe return of our soldiers. I am saddened by any and all of their deaths. I have no faith in the media. Under reporting is their thing. Has our president attended any of their funerals, or contacted famiies to express his appreciation for their sacifice? Seems I heard he doesn't.
• I graduated in '91 as well. He was exactly my age. Makes it more real, somehow. My condolences.
• Condolences... To all those who have lost someone close. Also for those uncounted who have returned injured and are scarred physically and mentally. These are true heroes who get even less attention than those who have given their lives. They have bold struggles ahead of them. I speak to ALL the soldiers and civilians on ALL sides of this God foresaken turmoil. Ironic that the election was won on "values"...Whatever your faith, truly ponder the rightuousness of any war.
• rogerd has a point.
• God rest his soul.
• God? What's he got to do with it? If he even exists, he's asleep at the switch. Hypocritical talk of god is what got this poor chump killed, along with all the others.
• This was written for fallen US soldiers in WWI and WWII. Still seems appropriate for Bryan Freeman and his comrades in arms... PRAYER TO ST. PETER (Edwin McCain) Let them in, Peter For they are very tired Give them couches where the angels sleep And light those fires Let them wake whole again To brand new dawns Fired by the sun Not war-times bloody guns May their peace be deep Remember where the broken bodies lie God knows how young they were To have to die You know God knows how young they were To have to die Give them things they like Let them make some noise Give dance hall bands not golden harps To these our boys Let them love Peter For they've had no time They should have bird songs and trees And hills to climb The taste of summer And a ripened pear And girls as sweet as meadow wind And flowing hair And tell them how they are missed But say not to fear It's gonna be all right With us down here Let them in, Peter For they are very tired Give them couches where the angels sleep And light those fires Let them wake whole again To brand new dawns Fired by the sun Not war-times bloody guns May their peace be deep Remember where the broken bodies lie God knows how young they were To have to die You know God knows how young they were To have to die And tell them how they are missed But say not to fear It's gonna be all right With us down here It's gonna be all right With us down here