Illness killing US Marines

[brettdale]

I have no idea what to make of it.

18-Apr-2005
US Major Steven W. Thornton Camp Arifjan Non-hostile - illness - sudden collapse

17-Apr-2005
US Private 1st Class Steven F. Sirko Muqdadiyah Non-hostile - illness - died in sleep

[Wickerman]

1. Many reservists are just too damn old and out of shape to be there

the heat, the stress, etc. I know a medivac guy who said half his "business" is aging reservists. Doubtful for the provate, but certainly might be the case for the PFC.

[lenidog]

2. Well two guys dying even a day after each other isn't anything

really to make of yet. Now if this keeps up day after day then you could be looking at some kind of disease running around.

[brettdale]

3. Thats what I am thinking

It doesnt list an illness, but it has to be something bad, they must of been fit when they went over there, they wouldnt had cancer or anything, just to die suddenly is awful.

[lenidog]

4. They will probably do an autopsy since there is no apparent sign

of death. You never know though when in such places what you might pick up or it could be something as simple as heat stroke.

[politicat]

5. They're in different areas; it likely coincidence.

One's a Major; that means significantly older (or in longer) than the PFC. Sudden collapse can be anything from heat stroke to an aneurysm to a heart attack. Died in sleep can be similar, as well as include things like an allergic reaction, a staph infection, food poisoning....

Two does not a trend make, though of course I grieve for their families. It's just as bad to lose someone suddenly - as we all know, having lost two people suddenly within the past year - and apparently randomly for this as if they had been hostile casualties, too.

[bperci108]

6. Hopefully it is just a coincidence...

But remember where the Spanish Flu started in 1918?

Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas. The first victims were trainees headed for the trenches in France.

All of a sudden, healthy young 20-30 year old men started dropping like flies. From the onset of symptoms to death was usually only 2 or 3 days.

Put a lot of people in close quarters, give them a bad diet and physical and mental stress and a pandemic isn't really too hard to produce.


(I know.....I know....... :tinfoilhat:)