Two central Illinois soldiers killed in Iraq

[Padraig18]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/0/A06...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The only child of a Springfield couple who began his tour of duty in Iraq less than a month ago and another central Illinois soldier from Lincoln who dreamed of being a veterinarian have both been killed in Iraq. snip

David Palmatier, a computer programmer, said his view of the United States has changed following the death of his son.

Every day since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he and his wife Margaret have flown an American flag in front of their house.

"But after my son's funeral, I will take it down," he said. "I no longer feel the same way I did after 9-11. We shouldn't be in Iraq...."

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

1. The only child

how horrific...

[displacedtexan]

2. So sad!

I lived in that area for 20 years, and I can tell you that the rightwing population's learning curve was ponderously steep, indeed.

(Note: my liberal circle of friends not included in this posted observation)

Most of my students there had never been to either Chicago or St. Louis (unless you count passing through St. Louis on the way to Bransom).

I found it fascinating that most people I dealt with there never understood empathy until something bad happened to them personally.

[Radical Activist]

3. One of them went to my small high school

He graduated right before I got there so I never knew him. I'm sure most of the parents of the students there voted for Bush.