Hoosier Marine dies in Iraq (FALLUJAH,Dec.23rd)

[Ouabache]

Hoosier Marine dies in Iraq (FALLUJAH,Dec.23rd)

From Hendricks County, Lance Cpl. Hillenburg has become 42nd war casualty with Indiana ties.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/205270-2836-103.html

Lance Cpl. Eric Hillenburg, killed Dec. 23 by small-arms fire in Fallujah, has become the 42nd military member with Indiana ties to die in the Iraq war.The Department of Defense said that two other soldiers were killed in the same action as Hillenburg: Lance Cpl. James R. Phillips, 21, of Hillsboro, Fla., and Cpl. Raleigh C. Smith, 21, of Lincoln, Mont.

All three were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

"I have a good God. I have a good wife, good family. And I have a good church that loves me," Jerry Hillenburg said. "And those things are what I'll cling to."

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Just a little figuring with the calculator here. It looks like to me that Indiana has about 2% of the USA population, but is contributing about 3.2% of the deaths in Iraq for Bush's excellent adventure there. I am not sure if that is a significant difference or not. I might be off on the % of US population too??

Also I thought Fallujah was 'liberated' back in November starting shortly after the election boy*date? So these 3 marines die there on Dec 23rd. I guess the Iraqi patriots don't understand they have been 'cleared' from the city yet?

[indianablue]

1. Indiana..the most southern thinking state outside of the south.....

Indiana has 9 Congressman.

Used to have 3 Democratic Congressman now it has only 2.

Those 2 are in the heavy urban areas neat Gary and Indianapolis.

The third was in Southern Indiana and has been Democratic for 40 years till this election.

We have one Democratic Senator Evan Bayh..well if you call him democratic, but that is another story.

It is sad so many Hoosiers have to die for this President.

[DrGonzoLives]

2. Well, Iraq was supposed to be "liberated" too

and, well, we all know that's bullshit.

[salin]

3. prayers and condolences sent to each of the survivors.

They didn't choose this conflict, they didn't lie about the "reasons to go to war"... while I can never say that they fought "for our freedoms" (as there is nothing about this war that is about our freedom - and it cost actually going after those who had attacked us)... they did serve at the will of the commander in chief and thus in our name. Tragic that those in Washington so callously were willing to risk our young people to promote their political agenda.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Did you guys see/hear his preacher father on TV?

This family is fundie all the way, convinced that our soldiers are doing Jesus's work in Iraq!

The Indianapolis Star has a more subdued account of the funeral:

The Hillenburgs' military history likely inspired Eric to join the military. Rev. Hillenburg -- himself a former soldier -- said his family served in every conflict since the Civil War. His son, he said, was the first to die in combat.

Family members and those who knew him at Chapel Hill Christian School, where Eric graduated with honors, said he always planned to join the Marines.

"If anything, this has made my faith stronger," Hillenburg said. "We have (God) to cling to."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/205966-2853-103.html

[AlwaysDemocrat]

5. I saw the father on TV ... how sad

I heard this sound bites from the funeral more than once yesterday. I was shocked and saddened when I learned that it was the dead son's father defending the war and justifying his son's death. I fully expect to see the same film on national TV - but I'm not really watching much news anymore so I probably won't see it.