Soldier dies the death she said she feared

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_1hartmansep23,0,1732765.story

Jennifer Hartman, a Tamaqua high grad, is among three killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad

By Wendy Solomon and John J. Moser Of The Morning Call

Jennifer Marie Hartman, an exuberant Tamaqua High School grad who loved four-wheeling on all-terrain vehicles and all things that go fast, never expected to end up in Iraq.

But she was making the best of it, four years into her five-year commitment to the Army. She signed up right out of high school to get schooling to go into the medical field, said her dad, David Hartman of West Penn Township. snip

''When she signed up to go for schooling, the gentleman promised she wouldn't go to Iraq,'' the father said Friday. ''If there was any chance in hell that she would go to Iraq, I wouldn't have signed that paper. I guess even the Army lies to get you to sign up.''

Jennifer refused to talk to her family about what she was doing in Iraq. Instead, the Army sergeant would change the subject to four-wheeling on all-terrain vehicles — her biggest passion in life. snip

Her fear? ''Getting blown up in Iraq.''

[Benfea]

1. Man, how do people fall for that lie?

I mean if you've been paying any attention at all, you know the military is stretched near to the breaking point, and mostly because of Iraq.

[Bucky]

3. Signed up four years ago. 9/11 was in her senior year.

There was buzz about Iraq four years ago, but lots of people were still assuming it wouldn't necessarily go thru, that the agenda was to scare Saddam Hussein into complying with inspections. That was a very long time ago.

[Kingshakabobo]

2. Recruiters lie like rugs......

My best friend was PROMISED he wouldn't get sent over seas. He spent two years in a South Korean hell hole.

"Say anything - put nothing in writing"

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. For what?

Our "freedoms"? LOL.

[Erika]

5. We have kids desperate for college funds

So they enlist. Any Bush kids over there?

[Bozita]

9. and college costs are outpacing wages -- the pool grows larger

The military loves the soaring costs of post-high school education.

[samsingh]

6. impossibly sad. i hate bush for all the deaths he's caused

[Erika]

7. W's used our low income and middle class kids as canon fodder

Only 17% of upper income have enlisted.

[TahitiNut]

8. "... the gentleman promised ..."

Well, in three words there're two mistakes. (1) He wasn't a "gentleman." (2) He wasn't "promising." Only officers are "gentlemen" by acts of Congress and commission by the President. Recruiters can't "promise" but they can lie. And they cannot be sued.

Four years ago, in 2002, there was no "Operation Iraqi Freedom." No matter. Hundreds of thousands of us marched in (fruitless) protest, knowing there would be.

[lpbk2713]

10. Recruiters are snake oil salesmen.

They will lie their asses off to get a signature. After that the enlistee is someone elses problem, so they don't worry about it.

[Rageneau]

11. HOO-AH! Shock and Awe! USA! - USA! Glorioius, Noble War!

Smedley Butler had it right. War -- virtually all war -- is nothing but a racket.