[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue Aug 14 15:07:06 PDT 2007

"The notion that we ought to now go to Baghdad and somehow take control of
the country strikes me as an extremely serious one in terms of what we'd
have to do once we got there. You'd probably have to put some new government
in place. It's not clear what kind of government that would be, how long
you'd have to stay. For the U.S. to get involved militarily in determining
the outcome of the struggle over who's going to govern in Iraq strikes me as
a classic definition of a quagmire." - Dick Cheney, 1991 
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Cheney_Quagmire.mp3

And Dick Cheney again in 1994
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9a8_1186873756

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"I think Rumsfeld, Cheney, and the president made a big mistake in
justifying going into the war in Iraq. They put the emphasis on weapons of
mass destruction." - Gerald R. Ford (July 28, 2004)
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Ford_Iraq_Big_Mistake.mp3

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>From the August 20, 2007 edition of the Army Times - 			

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in Iraq,
confirmed by the Defense Department from August 3 through August 9: 

Army Cpl. Juan M. Alcantara, 22, of New York; assigned to the 1st Battalion,
23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade
Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Marine Cpl. Reynold Armand, 21, of Rochester, New York; assigned to 2nd
Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, North Caroliina.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Travis S. Bachman, 30, of Garden City, Kansas; assigned
to the 714th Security Force, Kansas Army National Guard, Topeka, Kansas.

Army Spc. Justin R. Blackwell, 27, of Paris, Tennessee; assigned to the 59th
Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military
Police Brigade, and Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Pvt. Jeremy S. Bohannon, 18, of Bon Aqua, Tennessee; assigned to the
59th Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military
Police Brigade, and Fort Carson, Colorado. 

Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr., 22, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; assigned to1st
Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran, 24, of Roxbury, Massachusetts; assigned to
the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Pfc. William L. Edwards, 23, of Houston, Texas; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Gummersall, 23, of Chubbuck, Idaho; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Army Spc. Kareem R. Khan, 20, of Manahawkin, New Jersey; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Army Sgt. Scott L. Kirkpatrick, 26, of Reston, Virginia; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Andrew W. Lancaster, 23, of Stockton, Illinois; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Sgt. Bradley W. Marshall, 37, of Little Rock, Arkansas; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Army Spc. Christopher T. Neiberger, 22, of Gainesville, Florida; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Spc. Justin O. Penrod, 24, of Mahomet, Illinois; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Army Spc. Daniel F. Reyes, 24, of San Diego, California; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team
(Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Army Staff Sgt. William D. Scates, 31, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd
Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Marine Sgt. Michael E. Tayaotao, 27, of Sunnyvale, California; assigned to
7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Thompson, 26, of North Mankato, Minnesota; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry
Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Army Spc. Donald M. Young, 19, of Helena, Montana; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

August 3 - August 9
Killed: 20; wounded in action: 175

March 19, 2003 - August 9, 2007 
Killed: 3,673; wounded in action: 27,279

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in
Afghanistan, confirmed by the Defense Department from August 3 through
August 9:

Army Pvt. Alan J. Austin, 21, of Houston, Texas; assigned to the 782nd
Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division,
Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Virginia; assigned to
the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Pfc. Jordan E. Goode, 21, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; assigned to the 4th
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, of Madill, Oklahoma; assigned to
the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, of Farmers Branch, Texas; assigned to
the 345th Psychological Operations Company, 2nd Psychological Operations
Group, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command
(Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

August 3 - August 9
Killed:  5; Wounded in action: 24

Oct. 10, 2001 - August 9, 2007
Killed: 423; Wounded in action: 1,472

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National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized 
(as of August 8, 2007) 
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2007/d20070808ngr.pdf

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And the beat goes on . . . 

"Bring 'em Home"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Bring_em_home.mp3

"If you love this land of the free 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
Bring them back from overseas 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 

It will make the politicians sad, I know 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
They wanna tangle with their foe 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 

They wanna test their grand theories 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
With the blood of you and me 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 

Now we'll give no more brave young lives 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
For the gleam in someone's eyes 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 

The men will cheer and the boys will shout 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
Yeah and we will all turn out 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 

The church bells will ring with joy 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
To welcome our darlin' girls and boys 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 

We will lift our voice and sound 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
Yeah, when Johnny comes marching home 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home." 

Pro patria, 

Tom Hansen 
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." -- Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.