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by Carole Rydberg, W A M M
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Until Labor Day, my great-granddaughter, Kailey, was as lucky as any almost-four year old could be. She was loved and adored by two special men in her life, her father (“Papa”) Jason, and her step-father (“Daddy”) Brent. Brent is an Air Force pilot and is frequently deployed in Iraq. However, “Papa” Jason had returned from Iraq last fall and was safe at home in Maple Grove. He was surrounded by a large circle of devoted friends, a loving family, the custom motorcycle he was creating, the job at Comcast, and he was eagerly anticipating his next visit from Kailey, “Papa’s Angel.” Above all, he was safe. But, on Labor Day night he locked his doors, text messaged a friend that he was going to kill himself and hung himself in his closet.
Jason had been a mechanic in Iraq. He had spent most of his time safely inside a large base. Sometimes he had to go out on the roads to get auto parts and he confided to me that this had been very scary. He also said that he would probably have to go back. But he was “doing fine.” His friends, his family, all who knew him believed that Jason was “doing fine” until Labor Day evening.
On the day of his visitation, the flag over our State Capitol flew at half-mast in honor of a different Minnesota soldier who had died in Iraq; there were no flags at half-mast for Jason. When the 3000th soldier was lost in Iraq, we held a candlelight vigil and read the names of the Minnesota military members who had died in Iraq or Afghanistan and, sadly, we will probably be doing that again, but the names of the Jasons of the world will not be among them.
I am writing now to ask that you also remember the unnamed and uncounted victims of this senseless war. Remember the members of our military who may be so damaged that they take their own lives after they return “safely” home. Remember the dead and suffering Iraqis; think of the millions of mothers, fathers, children, siblings, and friends throughout this world who are in pain because of this ill-conceived war. Please, do all you can to help our returning soldiers and their families and then work like Hell for peace. |
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© 2007 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete October 2007 Index - click here
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