Woman Loses Dad and Husband in Iraq War

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050201/ap_on_re_us/iraq_double_tragedy&cid=519&ncid=1480

Less than a year ago, Tabitha Bonilla's father gave his life for his country in Iraq (news - web sites). Last week, her husband gave his, too.

Army Capt. Orlando A. Bonilla, 27, of Killeen, Texas, was killed Friday in a helicopter accident in Baghdad. Her father, Army Sgt. 1st Class Henry A. Bacon, 45, died last February in a vehicle accident.


Through tears and long pauses, Orlando Bonilla's wife — and Henry Bacon's daughter — tried to "do justice," as she put it, to the two most important men in her life.


"I stand behind my daddy and my husband, and I stand behind the job they had to do, and that's my take on it," she said. "I just support them, regardless of who sent them over there and why they sent them over there, no matter whether it's for right or wrong reasons."

[roguevalley]

1. She's very hurt. Give her time. She can feel whatever she wants

whether I can agree or not because she's been hurt. As for *, may the God he prays to truly be the god of vengeance that he believes he is.

[rodeodance]

2. people need/want/do believe their loved ones died for a just cause

[leftchick]

3. I agree....

I would not handle it that way but I believe many people in this fucked up war have to believe it to survive. very sad.

:(

[ninkasi]

4. That poor, poor woman

It's obvious to me, at least, that on one level she knows that this war is a sham, and that Bush lied to start it. On another level, she has to have some vindication of why the men she loved died.

Her pain is buried now, deep inside her, it's probably the only way she can go on living. Someday, though, I feel that she will be able to accept the truth, that her loved ones died to enrich a privileged few. I only hope she is able to take comfort in the beliefs she holds now, and that when the truth hits, she is strong enough to face that, too.

[Mizmoon]

5. I don't know how you make it thru that ...

How do you go on?

Jesus, what a tragedy ...

[Mend]

6. When she feels ready,

I hope she speaks out against this evil war so as to save other lives.

[cthrumatrix]

7. our prayers go out to her and all others who have suffered from this war

[wellstone dem]

8. May God Bless Her

and help her through this.

[wicket]

14. Amen.

[leesa]

9. She sounds like someone who's pissed but not saying so now out of respect

So sorry for her.

[Richard Steele]

11. Yes, look at the "no matter who/why" parts of her statement...

She knows that these were SENSELESS losses. She's just not saying so directly.

I can't imagine what she's going through right now. My heart goes out to her.

It's all such a waste.

[readmylips]

10. She'll get her 3 seconds of fame on Fox.....

stupid people. Hey...Go to College and get the highest education possible and stop drinking the elite's kool aid.

Sorry for yours and our tremendous loss. These were also our children.

[Rebel_blogger]

15. Your "go to college" remark is out of line and doesn't have anything ...

to do with her loosing her father and husband. Remarks like that give people who don't support the war a heartless image. I'll know I'll get flamed for saying that, but "talking down" to people who have lost someone in a war doesn't help anyone.

[w4rma]

16. You are not helping, readmylips. (nt)

[MADem]

18. She's 23, she may have already graduated

...not that it has anything to do with anything.

She comes from a family with a military tradition, her husband loved flying. We all love the military when the enemy is at our gate.

Blame the policy makers, the civilians, who control and direct our military. Blaming the soldiers is counterproductive, and expressing anything but sympathy for the families who are left behind to pick up the pieces is just ammo for the wingnuts who think that the left has nothing to contribute except meanness and complaints.

We need accountability with regard to this war. And that starts with the fat old men in suits who are giving the orders, not the kids at the bottom of the totem pole carrying them out.

[maxsolomon]

12. "i just support them"

'support the troops' is utterly devoid of meaning except silencing debate, critical thought, and opposition to our foreign policy.

sad to hear someone who's given this much for nothing repeating this empty slogan.

sadder still that it has effectively stopped opposition to 2 wars.

and counting.

[MADem]

19. When you say it, BE SURE TO QUOTE TRENT LOTT

...and let every wingnut you say it to KNOW that you are quoting ole TRENT: "I can support our troops but not the President."

[Ouabache]

13. Her cognitive dissonance is speaking

It would be excruciatingingly difficult for her to say anything else. Regardless of HOW she lost her father and husband within a year it would be a very sad time for her. I feel her pain. Too bad it did not have to be this way for her.

[daleo]

17. She is supporting them, but not Bush

"I just support them, regardless of who sent them over there and why they sent them over there, no matter whether it's for right or wrong reasons."

Maybe she is censoring herself, obviously having come from a military family. It must also be hard to admit your father and husband died for a lie and a liar.

[Rainscents]

20. Sad, sad story...