Rendell Now Says Five Local Guardsmen Killed In Iraq

[jhain]

http://tinyurl.com/9up4e

(We're really making progress ths week, ain't we?)

"To have this -- seven guardsman (killed) in less than four days -- it brings home the crushing reality of this war ... and the incredibly high price we pay for what we're trying to accomplish," Rendell said at a Capitol news conference on an unrelated topic.

A Guard spokesman, Capt. Cory P. Angell, would say only that a Pennsylvania Guard unit suffered casualties that included both dead and wounded. The unit had been performing stability and support operations in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, Angell said.

Angell declined to say whether the unit was one that came under attack late Tuesday in Beiji.

The deaths of Gennaro Pellegrini Jr., a 31-year-old Philadelphia police officer and aspiring boxer, and John Kulick, a firefighter in Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, were announced by local officials Wednesday.

more...

[Ilsa]

1. Nine dead today?

Omigod. "...incredibly high price for what we're trying to accomplish..." Yet no one seems to know when we'll have finished, do they?

[uppityperson]

3. 1843 this morning, was 1838 when I went to bed last night

[Ilsa]

6. Nevermind. This is part of the group announced this morning

that was killed north of Baghdad.

[malachi]

2. Uh, just exactly what are we trying to accomplish, Ed?

Spoken like a true fuckin' politician, Ed being the master of the non-committal statement.

[leftchick]

9. no shit!

Just what is the Mission Ed?? Now would be a great time for all Democrats to turn Anti-War and ask for the troops to come home! NOW!

[malachi]

12. I have a better chance of being the starting QB for the Eagles than

Democrat actually doing something that demands courage.

[Roy]

4. The unit had been performing stability and support operations

"The unit had been performing stability and support operations in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad"


Instead of renaming the 'War On Terror', they should be looking for a new name for these insane excuses for sending these troops out for the insurgents to use for target practice, and for honing their bomb detonation skills.

Somehow the term "stability and support operations", just ain't doing it for me.

[RamboLiberal]

5. All the media focus is on Ohio but PA just passed Ohio

in total number of dead. All but 3 after President Top Chickenhawk did his USS Lincoln flight deck strut.

[rodeodance]

7. sad. that is all i can say at the moment.

[leftchick]

8. bush** is killing off our First Responders in the Reserve and NG

at an alarming rate. Ans we are so fucking safer! :(

[mtnester]

10. GUARDSMEN..not regular army or marines...NATIONAL GUARD

proportionately higher numbers of guard being killed. This, beside being incredibly sad, is unbelievably unacceptable. Guard units ought to be HOWLING their outrage of their lack of equipment, proper training, or WHATEVER it is that is the problem (besides the lies told by GW, of course).

PA, I am sorry for your losses....we just raised our flags here yesterday...they ought to be down all the time.

I better stop, I am beyond pissed.

[Straight Shooter]

11. No one has a clue what we're trying to accomplish anymore.

It's FUBAR to the nth degree.

[High Plains]

15. FUBARed beyond all recognition eom

[dancingme]

13. The death of a contender

http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002304.html

[hallc]

14. This makes me sick

5 more from PA? Everytime i hear that a soldier from PA has died, my stomach goes into my throat and i have to hold back tears. Is it going to be my friend Tom (who was actually my first boyfriend and first kiss...), or my friend Mark, whose wife just had a baby 1 week before he left for Iraq. Will it be Troy, who always made me laugh all throughout high school...I never know, and its so hard to deal with the fear of losing some very important people to me. I already had one scare...my friend Jordan had both his legs almost blown off in a roadside bomb. I don't need this...No one needs this. Fuck * and all his fucking stooges. May he rot in hell.

[jhain]

16. T. O's leaving wil get WAAAAAY more coverage

than the 'noble' deaths of young people from PA today.

[dancingme]

17. Philly is going to give Pellegrini a police officer's funeral

Gennaro Pellegrini was a good friend of mine. The Philadelphia police officer and Pennsylvania National Guardsman serving in Iraq the last 13 months was killed in action on Tuesday by a roadside bomb.

The 31-year-old was a four-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police department where his father had served before him. Gennaro had dreams of becoming a professional boxer. In fact before he was deployed to Iraq, he trained for 2 weeks and turned pro at the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. Click here to see what he called “the greatest night of his life.” As I was ringside to report on what turned out to be a magical evening.

Gennaro was scheduled to return home in 30 days. He had just e-mailed me 14 days ago after I send him photos of my new daughter Bella. He told me she was beautiful and he couldn't wait to see her. He also hoped to go back to Philly to meet a nice girl and start a family. Gennaro e-mailed me monthly to tell me of all the close-calls and things he was witnessing in Iraq.

Upon returning he planned to get back in the ring and asked me to fly back to Philly to be in his corner. I was honored.

Gennaro Pellegrini Jr. was a good man, a good cop, a good soldier, a good boxer, a good American…..and a good friend.

He will be greatly missed!! My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

God Bless you Gennaro!!!

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=3707383

[jhain]

19. Thank you for sharing this...

I am so very sorry for this loss...

There are many police officers in my family; I had been thinking of *this* family all day.

And my great grandfather was a boxer in Philly around the turn of the century...

So much of this fine man's life resonated with me.

He WILL be greatly missed.

[Divernan]

20. That will mean a huge crowd and very moving ceremony.

There will be police delegations from all over the state, I'm sure.Let's hope all the state TV channels show it in its entirety.

[Robeson]

18. Yes, America has lost a number of men and women today who were...

...fighting for our freedoms in bringing democracy to the World. This loss really saddens me, my administration, and all Americans - now, get your camera's ready, and watch this drive....

:sarcasm: