KABUL, Afghanistan - An Army sergeant complained in a rare opinion article that the U.S. flag flew at half-staff last week at the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan for those killed at Virginia Tech but the same honor is not given to fallen U.S. troops here and in Iraq.

In the article issued Monday by the public affairs office at Bagram military base north of Kabul, Sgt. Jim Wilt lamented that his comrades’ deaths have become a mere blip on the TV screen, lacking the “shock factor” to be honored by the Stars and Stripes as the deaths at Virginia Tech were.

“I find it ironic that the flags were flown at half-staff for the young men and women who were killed at VT, yet it is never lowered for the death of a U.S. service member,” Wilt wrote.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18274805/

32 deaths do not even represent 1 percent of all the troops killed.

And the soldiers don't talk like the witnesses did at V Tech but they must be as traumatized, if not more.

Not really, all these servicemen volunteered to serve in the military. The obvious high possibilty of death, if not a highly painful disabiling injury, to themselves or their buddies had to cross their minds more than once.

Skeptical, I think that the people in the service expected that the killing would be in fire fights and it would be between other military types. They're young. They had a recruiter painting rosy pictures and probably didn't imagine that they'd see kids killed or they'd have to kill kids. They probably never realized that most of the carnage they'd see would not be in combat but blown up while going somewhere.

Here's an interesting article on the militaries use of advertising to the 17-24 year old gamers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070421/tc_afp/usitinternetgame_070421160108

mrs bug, that may be true.

One "good" thing about gun franatics and high-core gamers (into violence games) who enlist is that when they get back from a tour in Iraq, they've probably a whole new outlook on violent gaming.

And sadly, there's a "good" chance that they may have no hands to enjoy playing "Stawberry Shortcake" and "Pickachu" with anyway.

"Gosh, thanks, Mr. (P)resident! Hey, how are the twins these days? I used a poster of them to cover up the moldy dripping holes in my ceiling at Walter Reed, is there any way you can you get me a new autographed one?

I think Sgt. Wilt is right. This demonstrates the institutional callousness of our country toward servicemen and women. After all, during Vietnam, virtually every male student at VT would have been enrolled to avoid the draft.

Oregon is one of only a few states that lowers the flag to half mast to honor every one of our fallen heroes. Yes, I suppose to the rest of the nation we are all tree hugging commie faggots, but we are still more genuinely patriotic than you are, so check yourself and your flag decal.

Your flag decal.....John Prine was at the Schnitz Friday night. I missed him.

Did anybody see the show?

Speaking of Oregon's honoring of our war dead, I read that "no hands" Bush as of last week has spoken at exactly ZERO American killed-in-Iraq servicemen funerals while our own Governor Ted's (a former Marine by the way) tally is now at 73.

Our Pastor made an interesting point last Sunday. Basically he said, "Couldn't we put the flags at half-mast every day?"

That's pretty sad, isn't it? It breaks my heart.

In WWII Roosevelt didnt attent servicemen funerals, In Korea Truman didnt, etc.

A gov going to a servicman's funeral is strictly thereatics.

In most cases he isnt wanted by the family!

"In most cases he isnt wanted by the family!"

Oh brother. Do you have ANY factual basis for that comment?

Nwokie- Just curious. Where did you serve during your military days? And were you ever deployed into a combat zone?

I have a total of 7 campaign badges. Received from 3 tours in south east asia, one with air force, 2 army.

I also currently have 1 daughter in the army, and another considering enlisting.

I have a son in law who has served 2 tours in Iraq, and 1 each nephew and nephew in the military.

Nwokie, thank you sincerely for your service to our country. Without veterans like you, we wouldn't be able to post our thoughts on this board. Or if we did, it would be censored and in Japanese, German or Russian.

Herb

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04242007/news/worldnews/white_flag_harry_furor_world news_geoff_earle__post_correspondent.htm

Nwokie, thanks for sharing your military experience. I've noticed for some time that your posts make a lot of sense. Could it be that you're speaking from a lot of experience actually doing something for your country instead of sitting around bitching like many on this forum do without ever having thought of anyone other than themselves.

Ah, good old Deane, always with the uplifting comments. Makes a person feel all warm and fuzzy.

I'm feeling the love.

Really.

I appreciate your comments Nwokie and thank you for answering my questions. I wasn't looking for an entire genealogy but obviously you are very proud of your service record and those in your family.

For those of us who have never served or were never asked to serve, there are many other ways to be patriotic. First...vote. Particularly if you're a woman. That right has only be around since 1920 in this country. The women and the men who fought for that right deserve our same praise.

To our medical people who take years of schooling thank you for your service to not only American's but in many cases choosing to go beyond our own borders and being ambassadors in many ways carrying for the those who don't have the means to be cared for.

For the many that volunteer their time and talents in a variety of ways, making this country and this world a better place. You are the unsung hero's.

Firefighters and police officers. They see us in many ways at our worst. Thank you for choosing to risk your lives for mine.

To the clergy. For carrying for our spiritual needs whether one has faith or not.

To our teachers, professors and those who teach from experience....thank you for making us smarter. May we learn to pass that along.

To parents. Who simply have the toughest and most important job of all.

You can serve this country without being in the military. You can fight without using violence. You can speak without words and you can sing without a voice.

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention. Oscar Wilde

NW OKIe, while we appreciate your service to the country, please do a bit of fact checking. You're dangerously sliding into WW territory.

You said: "In most cases he isnt wanted by the family!"

I believe the total number is 3. I could be wrong since I'm doing this from memory, but either way, the usage of the word "most" is incorrect. "Few" is the word you're looking for.

Deane, unlike Nwokie, I only had one tour in Vietnam and I came away from that with a hatred for war, but then Nwokie was an officer and I was an enlisted grunt, so I may have received a different perspective on things. Nwokie, though, has my full respect and I salute him each time he is here.

"In most cases he isnt wanted by the family!"

I take it that the "he" in this case refers to the President or other political figure at a military funeral.

I find it a bit odd that there is such an outcry over this Army video game because the concept of presenting a sanitized view of combat to young people, where everybody is a hero and nobody gets killed, has been around for generations. If this in itself is a problem, then something should have been done about it years and years ago.

I will also add that this example of using a video game as a propaganda device is probably just the tip of the iceberg.