There were about 10 kids -

[Joe for Clark]

OF OURS killed in the last 48 hours.

Some son of a bitch knocked out the today in Iraq site - but that was not the only site for us.

Those are the numbers.

You know my kid did three tours now. If 5 kids a day knocked off - times 4 wounded - 365 days a year - you know what the odds are of any kids walking away unhurt are??

I do.

This is so f'd up.

[Vexatious Ape]

1. This is F'd up.

I don't even know how you, or anyone else with a family member over there can sleep at night. In todays national edition of the NY Times, the story of 5 soldiers killed on Sunday made it to page 9.

[Joe for Clark]

8. If it is your kid you can't sleep at night.

You seem to understand just fine.

I'll say this - you know if you get hit directly with a 60+ mm mortar round you don't die. You get evaporated.

My kid was walking to mess and the girl next to him got hit - just meat left - 2 inches around or less chunks - that is it.

Bastards that did it can and will burn in hell - but you know, she had a family.

I have many problems with the officer corps in this war - and such a great sympathy for the dog faces.

That and 50 cents will buy a cup of coffee.


Joe

[Vexatious Ape]

2. delete

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. Joe, I hope your kid is okay

:hug: :cry:

[Tinksrival]

4. You know what else is f'd up?

I heard twice today that the surge just might be working? What the hell do they base this on?!! What is different in Iraq today!

Different day=same bullshit.

I can't imagine your frustration. Are you still able to follow Troy's approx. locations? When will Troy's rotation be over?
I'm glad to "see" ya.
Wish it was better circumstances.

[Joe for Clark]

10. In the next six hours - he is supposed to be on a plane

to Burbank.

This is his "vacation" - his two weeeks off.

He better be in Kuwait City right now- that was the deal!!!

You know - he joined to do the right thing - I think - but boy he sure got detailed away from Afghanistan.

That "patriotisim gene" is a dangerous thing - control it in your kids - I didn't.

Joe

[mmonk]

15. Glad he's heading back.

I know about the two week deal. Have a relative with the same type of "vacation".

[Joe for Clark]

17. They do get a vacation -

At least they used to- and they better now. I don't care as long as my kid is on that plane.

You really should talk to the kid - we do not have the same "take" on this at all.

He is so interesting. My little "soldier boy".

I used to call my brothers that -

Joe

[Tinksrival]

21. Wow, two week vacation from hell......litterly

How does one do that? Shifting those gears has to be awfully tough. I guess there is no letting your guard down cause then your right back again.
I am so glad to hear he is on his way back(BETTER BE!!!). I truly value your sons service

My son turned eighteen on November 8th, 2000. He missed voting for the first time by one day. But the November 7, 2000 election changed him.
He knew then at eighteen Bush would be a disaster. He has been very politically active ever since. He was an Army brat but any thoughts of joining the service when out the window with the Supreme court decision in 2000. Instead we have traveled by bus to Washington together to protest. It's his way of fighting for his country, It's different, but also important I suppose.

I really hope Troy has the best vacation.

Take care Joe. I'll be thinking about your family.

Wendy

[Joe for Clark]

25. Keep him away from miltary "salesman"

They are salesmen. They are good, too.
Do not underestimate them.

You take care Wendy -

Troy is an NCO now - really cracks me up on a certain level - after all the wars and all - How many times does anyone have to prove themselves - you know??

Wendy - you and your family - you take care - you hear??

Joe

I will do the right thing.

[The Straight Story]

12. We may well hear our dems saying the surge is working soon

They passed funding for the war, and now if it starts to look bad they will look bad too.

Damn sad but I think soon lots of people in DC will be talking about how the war is going better - and then trying to take credit for it.

[Joe for Clark]

23. Depends on how stupid they are.

Joe

[AwakeAtLast]

19. Yup. I heard Scarbrough say it after KO

Could MSNBC please, please, please find something better to watch after KO? :banghead:


:we need a begging emoticon:

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. And he's gotten better

boy he was really bad...

[blondeatlast]

5. Words fail me, but this needs a kick. We need to be reminded.

F'ed up it is, indeed.

[Joe for Clark]

11. What is going to happpen - is going to happpen.

You don't have to do that,

Joe

[senseandsensibility]

6. Thanks for reminding us of what's really

at stake here. :loveya: RIP to all the brave young people (and old for that matter) that have lost their lives.

[Clark2008]

7. And the top story in the corporate media?

Anna Fucking Nicole Smith.

:grr:

[mmonk]

9. Out of sight, out of mind

except those of us who have someone close over there.

[Hekate]

13. Kick. Best of luck -- may he be home soon and stay safe.

:cry: :hug: I can't say any more; but my thoughts are with you.

Hekate

[Tsiyu]

14. K & R

:kick:

it's all so insane :cry:

:hug:

[Mabus]

16. That's the number of kids in my family

I have six brothers and three sisters. The equivalent of me and my siblings have died in the past twenty-four hours. I know that's a strange thought but it came up in a conversation the other day. A new acquaintance asked about it the other day and when I told them "ten" they said, "wow, that's a lot of kids." It is. At least ten more families will never be able to talk with their loved one again. :cry:

[Joe for Clark]

18. You must be catholic -

We had nine in our family.

That is a really funny post!!!

Joe

[Mabus]

20. Neither of my parents are/were

My mom was Arapaho and my dad white. We never took well to Christianity and most of us practice a form of what my mother and her family taught us.

The post wasn't meant to be amusing but I'm glad you enjoyed it. :hi:

[Joe for Clark]

22. How can one have so many kids and not be catholic??

Knew to me - And I like to learn.

I don't know how you do the smiley face thing - but back to you!!

In no way do I mean any disrespect to you - and in fact I admire you!!

Joe

[Mabus]

24. They fought a lot

and nine months later I got another brother. :banghead:


If you have smilies enabled in your profile you'll see "Smilies enabled" right above the subject line and immediately following there will be a link to the "Smilies lookup table" located here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=emotion_table

[Joe for Clark]

27. That is a good one!!

If I tried to enable smiles, I'd probably kill my computer.

Pretty damn funny though,
Joe

[mmonk]

26. I'm Catholic but we only had two.

I misplaced the manual.

[Joe for Clark]

28. HAHAHAHA -

I guess you misplaced the manual.

Joe

[Jonathan50]

29. The ratio of wounded to killed in Iraq is about 16/1

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2007/01/the_economic_co.html

The battle of Iraq's wounded by Linda Bilmes, Commentary, LA Times: The new year brought with it the 3,000th American death in Iraq. But what's equally alarming — and far less well known — is that for every fatality in Iraq, there are 16 injuries. That's ... unprecedented... In the Vietnam and Korean wars, by contrast, there were fewer than three people wounded for each fatality. In World Wars I and II, there were less than two.

That means we now have more than 50,000 wounded Iraq war soldiers. In one sense, this reflects positive change: Better medical care and stronger body armor are enabling many more soldiers to survive injuries... But like so much else about this war, the Bush administration failed to foresee what it would mean, failed to plan for the growing tide of veterans who would be in urgent need of medical and disability care. The result is that as the Iraq war approaches its fourth anniversary, the Department of Veterans Affairs is buckling under a growing volume of disability claims and rising demand for medical attention.

[Joe for Clark]

30. Great post!!

[DemReadingDU]

33. Linda Bilmes: The Trillion-Dollar War

Linda Bilmes has been talking about the costs to our wounded military for several years...

Saturday 20 August 2005
But the biggest long-term costs are disability and health payments for returning troops, which will be incurred even if hostilities were to stop tomorrow. The United States currently pays more than $2 billion in disability claims per year for 159,000 veterans of the 1991 gulf war, even though that conflict lasted only five weeks, with 148 dead and 467 wounded. Even assuming that the 525,000 American troops who have so far served in Iraq and Afghanistan will require treatment only on the same scale as their predecessors from the gulf war, these payments are likely to run at $7 billion a year for the next 45 years.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082105D.shtml


edit to add this graphic from 8/19/05:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2005/08/19/opinion/20bilmes.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Yes Joe it IS FUBAR

All Fucked Up... you know the rest