Very sad news....out of 30 Marines killed in the Jordan helo crash, 27

[opihimoimoi]

came from KANEOHE, Hawaii...right across the Bay from my home.

Our people are so distraught and sad...its pathetic.

My heart goes out to the families and friends......

Bush has got to go.....nuff said.

[FrenchieCat]

1. I am so very, very sorry about the needless deaths.....

I also pray for all of those to give them strength after losing loved ones in stupid elective war that didn't even have to happen.

[zann725]

2. Like Ted Kennedy said, it's time to bring our troops home.

I'm so sad for all the families.

[roguevalley]

3. Its been said that is the largest loss of life of Hawaiian based

soldiers since Pearl Harbor. I am so distressed. Hugs to you all there.
I am sick for this. He has to go.

[marcologico]

4. very sad. n/t

[Nordmadr]

5. My fiance is a

biology teacher and one of the marines killed in the helicopter crash was a cousin of one of her students. Apparently he had just called over the weeekend to talk to family and let them no they were trying to be very careful, because according to the cousin, they were scheduled to come home in a few weeks.

Is it really possible for blood to boil? Not sure how much I can take of all of this.

Olaf

[Eloriel]

6. OMG.

That is just barbaric. A tsunami of another type.

I'm really sorry, opi -- and I don't know which is greater, my sadness and horror, or my rage.

[frogbison]

7. Hard to imagine the loss.

One of the boys, Jon Etterling, was a classmate of my daughter, here in Ohio.

I keep thinking of Leon Russell's song, Beware of Darkness:

Watch out now - take care, beware of greedy leaders who take you where you should not go.

Beware of darkness.

The song is 30 years old and just as true today.

[rainbow4321]

8. At least six Texas Marines among dead in Iraq crash

Brings Texas' total to 129....


http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D87SVJOO2.html


A journey by Marine Corps helicopter in preparation for Iraqi elections was to have been Lance Cpl. Rhonald Dain Rairdan's final mission before his unit rotated out of the war-torn country. But he died in the Super Stallion's crash that also claimed at least five other Texas Marines' lives.

Rairdan called home on Monday, two days before the U.S. military's deadliest crash of the Iraq war.

"He told us that they were getting ready to get on a helicopter to go someplace for the (Iraq national) election," said his father, David, on Thursday afternoon. "Then they were going to go back to their ships."

"We're looking at their positive things, that we had as much time with him as we did," the father said. "Of course it all hasn't sunk in. We haven't seen the coffin yet — that's going to be a terrible thing. ... But sometimes bad things happen to good people."

[paineinthearse]

9. I was discussing this with my teenage son yesterday.

He has not come right out and said it, but I sense he is concerned about this illegal war and the possibility he will be drafted. Over the years I have taught him details of history that are not covered in the public school curriculum. Yesterday we talked about this parallel to the Civil War.

Because of *'s reliance on the National Guard and Reserves, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Units come from one county or state, so when they are injured, the effect is concentrated locally. The Civil War parallel is companies were formed locally and brigades by state. For example, the Massachusetts 54th took heavy losses at the battle of Fort Wagner (popularized in the film "Glory"). The entire soldier-age population of Deer Island, Maine, was lost over the course of the war.

Bring the troops home now!

See my post in Politics about tonight's NIGHTLINE program, 11:30PM ABC. (Rep. Meehan, Richard Pearle & Amb. Joe Wilson).

[opihimoimoi]

10. Sorry, I did not mean tro imply they ALL came from Kaneohe... they were

based here..... the Marines come from all over America. But still, most of their wives and kids live on base.....the Commander of the Base had gone to all of the homes to offer condolences... a sad mission in it self but nothing compared to the families. What I saw on TV last night brought tears to my old eyes...A ouple of them were to come home in a week or two....

Come, we go cry