Memorial Day

There actually was a comic book story about the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing in Lebanon. It was told in issue #7 of Semper Fi'. I liked this particular comic series because it didn't sugarcoat the Marines wartime experiences and because Semper Fi' told a story about an event that happened in my living memory.

There were so many lessons that were learned from this act of terrorism, but sadly they were all forgotten in the current climate.

When it comes down it, you have to remember that no matter the war or military action, there are families that didn't have a son or daughter, husband or wife, or mother or father come home. That's a powerful thought. Everyday should be Memorial Day.


-Swinebread

Memorial Day

I try to be very light and fun on this blog but I really couldn’t come up with anything like that for Memorial Day especially with this horrible mess in Iraq going on. On Memorial Day we are supposed to remember those who have died. Well, when it comes to Iraq, I keep thinking of Sgt Donald Walters for some reason. Maybe it’s because he lived in Oregon for a while and his death was local news, or maybe it was the whole Byzantine nature of the events surrounding his death and Jessica Lynch/507th story. Perhaps it’s because he was a cook from a maintenance unit who fought to the bitter end. I don’t know. But I keep thinking of him now and again. From wikipedia;

During initial reports after the Lynch rescue, it had been stated that a blonde soldier, presumably Lynch, had fought until she ran out of ammunition, although she later refuted this; although there has been no official investigation into this matter, it has been widely speculated that this soldier was Walters, who is also blond. Donald's mother, Arlene Walters, appeared on the CBS Early Show, making this claim, on May 28.
Army reports from 2003 state that Walters died in the fighting during an ambush that left 10 others dead; with no American witnesses to his death. It has now been suggested that Walters was separated from his unit; several gun magazines were found near the location of Walters' capture, suggesting that he may have, indeed, fought until he ran out of ammunition. Before capture, Walters was shot in the leg, and stabbed twice with a knife in the abdomen, had a dislocated left shoulder, shot twice in the back.

here's link to a vid with his parents
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=620123n

-Swinebread