01/18/07

Today a bitter cup was set before us.

Just a couple hours ago the Memorial Service to Honor our four fallen countrymen, and a friend of ours here from Mosul.

2LT Mark D. 23
SSG John C. 29
SPC Mathew G. 21
SGT Ian A. 22
and
Salwan S. 39 - their interpreter

2LT D. was just recently married, and so was SGT A., sadly his wife was actually working here on the FOB too, and unfortunately learned of his death overhearing a conversation of this terrible news in the DFAC.

That was a very tragic way for her to hear about this.

Also killed 3 days ago with them was Salwan S. or "Jacob" as everyone called him. He was a native of Mosul, and also had a wife and 2 children. He not only was endangering his own life, but as we sadly have witnessed here in the past, his family's just trying to make a better life for them and all of Iraq joining in this struggle.

There were many here today, many soldiers, a couple Generals, a couple folks from the State Department, many Iraqis that work with us and heads of the IA and IP from Mosul, and many civilians contractors.

There was no getting around the depth of this loss. Everyone was leaning on everyone else to try to get through.

As I looked around the room, and saw many crying, it was rough, I pushed it down, but man...it was hard. It is so sad losing so many, so young. Guys that used to come in here and were just as happy as could be, even in this hell.

Many with their whole lives still ahead of them.

It was just tearing my heart out.

I sat listening and thru it all, the saddest part that I couldn't push down or out of my mind, was thinking at that very moment we were honoring these patriots...

...5 families, and many of their friends in the states, and a family even just a few minutes away here in Mosul...had their worst fears realized, and the rest of their lives have been changed forever.

...it's gonna be hard to smile at all today.