[Vision2020] The Human Toll

Tue Feb 27 11:29:53 PST 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

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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 March 5, 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 February 16 through February 22:

Marine Sgt. Clinton W. Ahlquist, 23, of Creede, Colorado; assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Sgt. Jeremy D. Barnett, 27, of Mineral City, Ohio; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Staff Sgt. David R. Berry, 37, of Wichita, Kansas; assigned to 1st
Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Kansas Army National Guard, Dodge City,
Kansas.

Army Spc. Christopher K. Boone, 34, of Augusta, Georgia; assigned to the
121st Infantry (Long Range Surveillance), Georgia Army National Guard, Fort
Gillem, Georgia.

Army Pfc. Matthew C. Bowe, 19, of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania; assigned to the
1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, New York.

Army Pfc. Travis W. Buford, 23, of Galveston, Texas; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Pfc. Adare W. Cleveland, 19, of Anchorage, Alaska; assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, New York.

Army Sgt. Pedro J. Colon, 25, of Cicero, Illinois; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, deployed from Fort
Hood, Texas.

Army Sgt. Shawn M. Dunkin, 25, of Columbia, South Carolina; assigned to the
1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, New York.

Marine Lance Cpl. Brian A. Escalante, 25, of Dodge City, Kansas; assigned to
3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California.

Army Sgt. Richard L. Ford, 40, of East Hartford, Connecticut; assigned to
2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Pfc. Ryan C. Garbs, 20, of Edwardsville, Illinois; assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Army Spc. Brandon D. Gordon, 21, of Naples, Florida; assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort
Campbell, Kentucky.

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Hager, 29, of Broomfield, Colorado; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd
Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Marine Lance Cpl. Blake H. Howey, 20, of Glendora, California; assigned to
2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California. 

Army Sgt. Buddy J. Hughie, 25, of Poteau, Oklahoma; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 180th Infantry, Oklahoma Army National Guard, Ada, Oklahoma.

Army Pfc. Chad E. Marsh, 20, of Wichita, Kansas; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, deployed from
Schweinfurt, Germany.

Spc. Montrel S. McArn, 21, of Raeford, North Carolina; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, deployed from Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Chief Warrant Officer Hershel D. McCants Jr., 33, of Arizona; assigned
to 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne),
Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Army Pfc. Justin T. Paton, 24, of Alanson, Michigan; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, deployed from Fort
Hood, Texas. 

Army Chief Warrant Officer John A. Quinlan, 36, of New Jersey; assigned to
2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort
Campbell, Kentucky.

Marine Capt. Todd M. Siebert, 34, of Baden, Pennsylvania; assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Sgt. 1st Class William C. Spillers, 39, of Terry, Mississippi; assigned
to the 230th Finance Detachment, deployed from Jackson, Mississippi. 

Army Pfc. Kristofer D. S. Thomas, 18, of Roseville, California; assigned to
3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Army Spc. Travis R. Vaughn, 26, of Reinbeck, Iowa; assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort
Campbell, Kentucky.

Army Pfc. Rowan D. Walter, 25, of Winnetka, California; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Sgt. Adam A. Wilkinson, 23, of Fort Carson, Colorado; assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort
Campbell, Kentucky.

Marine Pfc. Brett A. Witteveen, 20, of Shelby, Michigan; assigned to Marine
Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division,
Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Army Pvt. Kelly D. Youngblood, 19, of Mesa, Arizona; assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

February 16 - February 22
Killed: 29; wounded in action: 113

March 19, 2003 - February 22, 2007
Killed: 3,122; wounded in action: 23,530

The Defense Department also released the identities of two other service
members who died recently supporting combat operations in Afghanistan,
Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Army Pfc. Jason D. Johns, 19, of Frankton, Indiana; assigned to the 3rd
General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. 

Marine Cpl. Timothy D. Lewis, 20, of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; assigned to
Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, 3rd Marine
Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

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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 their 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.