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April 28, 2004
MORE PERSPECTIVE ON DEATH IN WAR
With so much attention rightfully paid to the heroic sacrifice of Pat Tillman, a few military folks have been concerned that the sacrifices of the average soldier are being overlooked. One officer who was concerned is a man named Robert L. Bateman. Eric Alterman turned over his "Altercation" column to Mr. Bateman today so that Bateman could remember one of his soldiers who has paid the ultimate price in Iraq. His moving tribute to Sgt. First Class Bradley Fox concludes with the lines,
Pat Tillman was a great football player, and he was doubtless a good soldier. I honor his service. But it takes nothing away from him for me to say... he was no Bradley Fox.
Only one who's been there -- and honoring one who died there -- has the right to say anything like that. But after reading the piece, I think you'll mourn Fox's loss as much as or more as Tillman's... and once again you'll understand the horrible cost of war. Further insight into what this war is like can be found in this Washington Post piece on the doctors who are caring for our wounded soldiers -- and how hard it is for them to deal with the horrific number of brain injuries that are resulting from this war. It's a very, very sad story -- if you're not at least somber and pensive after reading this, if not choking up -- then there's no emotion left in you.
We all know that there are sometimes wars that, sadly, must be fought -- and that the fighting must be done by trained professional soliders and Marines and sailors and airmen, whose skills make us all safer even as we pray they never have to use them. But even when the times come for these wars, even when we face a war that must be fought ... we ought to approach them somberly and with sadness rather than exploit them for political gain, or diminish them with cowboy-like tough talk and swagger into little more than proxy ours-are-bigger-than-theirs contests.
Bless the soul of First Sgt. Bradley Fox -- and thank you.
