Fort Hood division suffers heavy casualties in Iraq

[leftchick]

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4386340&nav=Bsmh

<snip>

The 4th Infantry Division moved into Iraq in force in late December for another year-long deployment, and in less than a two-week period, 11 of its soldiers were killed.

<snip>


The first of those casualties came on Dec. 26 when Chief Warrant Officers Richard Salter of Cypress and Isaias Santos died in Baghdad when their Apache helicopter crashed after a collision with another aircraft.

In the next two days, three enlisted soldiers were killed in Baghdad by improvised bombs while on patrol.

The worst toll to the division came on Jan. 5 when two officers and three enlisted men _ among them Sgt. Johnnie Peralez of Kingsville _ were killed in Najaf when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee.


Francey said sustaining so many casualties so quickly makes clear that U.S.-led forces still have a lot of work to do in Iraq.

.... That is intersesting. To me, sustaining so many casualties so quickly makes it clear the US needs to get the hell out of there!

[HereSince1628]

1. This is why the "short" never wanted to be around "nugs"

in Vietnam.

The learning curve is steep, and the tuition costs can kill you.

[acmejack]

2. Fact

Today is Ron Kovic day & here is a piece by him, if you missed it yesterday. http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/forgotten_wounded_20060117/

[saigon68]

3. Here is one paragraph

They are alone in their rooms all over this country, right now. Just as I was alone in my room in Massapequa. I know they’re there—just as I was. This is the part you never see. The part that is never reported in the news. The part that the president and vice president never mention. This is the agonizing part, the lonely part, when you have to awake to the wound each morning and suddenly realize what you’ve lost, what is gone forever. They’re out there and they have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives and children. And they’re not saying much right now. Just like me they’re just trying to get through each day. Trying to be brave and not cry. They still are extremely grateful to be alive, but slowly, agonizingly they are beginning to think about what has really happened to them.