The terrible loss of our young people
originally created June 2005, updated 7/12/2006, adding 8 more

Since the start of this sickening war in Iraq, I've searched for ways to get Americans to really realize just how tragic it is. Because it occurs so far away, it can seem abstract to many of us. It is NOT abstract... it is all too real, and bloody, and deadly... deadly to this date to ~~ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE AMERICANS~~ TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE, and many thousands of Iraqis. It's hard to imagine 1,685 people; in terms of deaths, it's overwhelming. I occasionally go through the CNN website of U.S. & Coalition Casualties, which has information about every individual casualty, and photos of most.

I've pulled together those casualties who were only 18 YEARS OLD when their lives ended... EIGHTEEN... lives that had hardly even started to develop... young people with so many years to look forward to, until this damnable war was thrust on them (There are many times as many NINETEEN year olds). Yes, they were volunteers, and proud to serve their nation, because we inflict that attitude on them. I'm proud of them, but I am thoroughly ashamed of being party to their lives having been wasted on a war that should never have been waged.

Look carefully at these faces. Try to remember being that age. Try to remember feeling immortal and ready to take on the world. Try to remember believing that you had all the time in the world and that you were going to make your life exciting and productive. Recognize how hard those youngsters were trying to be strong and responsible young adults... to make the rest of us proud of them. These young people, and many, many more like them, lost all those hopes and dreams. These are people we might have known later but they no longer exist except in the memories of the few people who knew them during their short lives.

I hope these young people died believing that they were performing a needed service for their nation, but I do not. In my opinion, our government WASTED these young people. Until most of us can understand and acknowledge that fact, we will continue to sacrifice more of our future citizens.

Take some time and study these few faces. Look into the eyes of these young people and try to explain to them why they will never have all those experiences that they were looking forward to... and that the rest of us just take for granted.

Peter Wagler	Charles Sims	Stephen Snowberger
Jonathan Flores	Kelan Turrington	Christopher Kilpatrick
Andrew Aviles	Paul Didsbury	Sergio Escobar
Marcus Cherry	Kyle Crowley	Christopher Dixon
Ruben Estrella-Soto	David Evans	Cory Geurin
Sam Huff	Leslie Jackson	Ryan Jerabek
Andrew Kelly	Bradley Kritzer	Matthew Milczark
Michael Mihalakis	Daniel Parker	James Pirtle
Anthony Roberts	Dustin Sekula	Ryan Thomas

Not all those who have lost their lives in Iraq were young. Here are the two oldest American casualties, gone at a time when they were undoubtedly thinking about retiring and enjoying the good life.

William Chaney (age 59)
Illinois Army
National Guard

Barbara Heald (age 60)
Department of the
Army civilian employee

I've just shown you 29 individuals. Now imagine ~~SEVENTY-NINE~~ EIGHTY-EIGHT more websites just like this, each with more unique individuals who are gone.

When are we going to demand
that such insanity must stop?

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