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EACH U.S. SOLDIER'S SACRIFICE MUST BE
REMEMBERED --
Editorial from the Billings, Montana Gazette.
Story here...
http://www.billingsgazette.net/
articles/2006/12/31/opinion/gazette/30-gaz.txt
Story below:
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Gazette Opinion: Each U.S. soldier's sacrifice must be remembered
Montana buried two of its native sons last week. Both died far from home
- serving their country in Iraq.
On Friday, family, friends, neighbors and dignitaries filled Harrison
High School's gym to honor U.S. Army Sgt. Scott D. Dykman. Dykman, 27,
was killed Dec. 20 by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in
Baghdad. It was his third tour of duty during the 3½ years of war. He is
survived by his parents of Harrison, his wife and two children, ages 5
and 3.
On Saturday, the people of Great Falls held flags along the funeral
procession route for Marine Lance Cpl. Nick Palmer. The 19-year-old
Great Falls native had deployed to Iraq in July. He was fatally wounded
by gunfire on Dec. 16 in Anbar Province.
40 years of military service
U.S. Army Pfc. Shawn M. Murphy, 24, of Butte
was killed Dec. 10 when an improvised explosive device detonated in
Baghdad. At a funeral Dec. 22 with full military honors, his father, Air
Force Lt. Col. Mark Murphy, said his son chose to join the Army before
going to college. "His country needed him now and he wanted to be
closest to the fight," Col. Murphy said. Shawn Murphy was one of three
U.S. soldiers who died when a roadside bomb destroyed their Humvee east
of Baghdad.
Another recent casualty of the Iraq War, U.S. Army National Guard Sgt.
1st Class Theodore "Ted" Spatol, 59, of Thermopolis, Wyo., became ill
while serving in Iraq. He was sent home, but died of the illness on Dec.
14 in Thermopolis. Spatol and his wife operated businesses in
Thermopolis and he had worked for six years as a recruiter for the
Wyoming National Guard. A 1966 high school graduate, Spatol enlisted in
the Navy Seabees, served three tours of duty in Vietnam and then joined
the Army National Guard. His active duty and National Guard service
spanned 40 years, ending with his death. His survivors include his wife
and three daughters.
100 December casualties
These four men were among more than 807
Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in the Iraq
War during 2006. According to an Associated Press count, 100 U.S.
military personnel were killed during December alone. Contrast that with
the losses of 40 U.S. military personnel in December 2003. It's
painfully obvious that the assignment given to our troops hasn't gotten
any easier as this war continues.
Each time our Montana/Wyoming region suffers a loss, The Gazette and
other newspapers editorialize about these heroes. Individually, each
fallen soldier is a tremendous loss to his family, community, state and
nation. Montanans and Wyomingites mourn with them.
Bright, energetic people, these fallen soldiers would have contributed
much in a longer civilian life had they not answered a call to serve
their country. Their spouses, children and parents are left with proud
memories and great voids in their lives. Dykman, for example, was a
volunteer firefighter and a rodeo cowboy. As Shawn Murphy's uncle, Terry
Schultz of Butte, said of his nephew: "His life was bright, short, and
it lit up our sky."
Americans need to hear the stories of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and
Marines in the battle, including stories of the nearly 3,000 who have
died. The U.S. military has performed well, but the victory President
Bush has sought isn't a military victory. Democracy cannot be installed
with guns. Ancient religious and ethnic feuds won't soon be settled by
foreign occupation, even one with noble intentions. The political,
cultural and economic complexities of the strife in Iraq won't be
untangled with military might alone. Politicians and diplomats have
failed in this mission while the U.S. military bears the burden of their
failures.
President Bush has promised to speak to the nation in January about his
new plan for Iraq. When the president and his top advisers talk about
the idea of a "surge" in U.S. troop strength, they ought to be thinking
about the sacrifices of heroes like Sgt. Dykman, Pfc. Murphy, Cpl.
Palmer and Sgt. Spatol.
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Larry Scott
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