Pvt. Benjamin Freeman, 19 years old, hometown, Valdosta, Ga.  Land of the Vadalia Onion.

I went on a mission trip to Florida in 1985 with my church to rebuild houses destroyed by a tornado.  I slept on the floor of a church in Valdosta, Ga.  This dead soldier would have been around 2 or 3 years old at the time.  Younger than my son is now.

Nineteen years just isn't old enough to die for your country.  It used to be...when I was a kid and thought that 19 was ancient but now that this kid's lifetime has passed in what feels like just a few short years...this war seems all the more criminal. 

It doesn't look to me like this was a combat related death but still, if we weren't there on this "mission" he'd be "kickin' it" in Colorado, living the life of a 19 year old. 

Spc. Kyle Thomas, grew up about 30 miles from me.   He got blown up a long way from Topeka, KS. 

Sgt. Donald Walters, Went to school in KC Missouri.  Graduated HS the same year as me.

Sgt. Jacob Butler,  Wellsville, KS...tiny town south of Wichita, about 30 miles north of the birthplace of my father.  Home of country singer, Chelle Wright.

Ok...pick four people randomly, preferably folks that live near you who are children and go inform their parents that in order to support your personal political beliefs, you will need to sacrifice their children.  Not that their deaths will provide any greater level of security, but it will certainly make a re-election that much more plausible as part of the infrastructure for a war no one wanted.  Look into their eyes as you tell them that their kid is an exceptable casualty to help battle the evil do'ers (that no one can find) and the enemys of freedom. 

Not my son,

PRH