On July 5, The Post published a letter from Martha Gillis of Springfield, whose nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, was killed in Afghanistan on June 25, the day that Michael Jackson died. The letter criticized the extensive media coverage of Jackson's death compared with the brief coverage of Lt. Bradshaw's death. Among the responses was the following letter, written July 9 by an Air National Guard pilot and a fellow member of the crew that flew Lt. Bradshaw's body from a forward base in Afghanistan to Bagram Air Base. Capt. James Adair, one of the plane's pilots, asked the editorial page staff to forward the letter to the Bradshaw family. He and Brian Bradshaw's parents then agreed to publication of these excerpts.
Read more here.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Someone to truly honor
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2 comments:
That letter from the flight crew was pretty much what I imagined was going on during the 2+ week nonsensical marathon, only multiplied by whatever amount of soldiers have passed in that same period.
Priorities never cease to amaze me in this day and age.
Just got this from a friend via email. Since it is via the cyberworld of email and its inherent faults, I can't vouch for its veracity. But the sentiment is correct, I feel, and I pass it on in that spirit...
This is so true:
>
> This is written by a young soldier serving his third
> tour of duty in Iraq. Thought you might find his take on the
> Michael Jackson news interesting and he's right.
>
>
>
> Okay, I need to rant.
>
>
>
> I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a
> report on Michael Jackson. As we all know, Jackson died the
> other day. He was an entertainer who performed for decades.
> He made millions, he spent millions, and he did a lot of
> things that make him a villain to many people. I understand
> that his death would affect a lot of people, and I respect
> those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the
> point of my rant.
>
>
>
> Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America
> loses their minds with grief. When a man dies whose only
> contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the
> American people find the need to flock to a memorial in
> Hollywood, and even Congress sees the need to hold a
> "moment of silence" for his passing?
>
>
>
> Am I missing something here? ONE man dies, and all of a
> sudden he's a freaking martyr because he entertained us
> for a few decades? What about all those SOLDIERS who have
> died to give us freedom? All those Soldiers who, knowing
> that they would be asked to fight in a war, still raised
> their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the
> United States of America. Where is their moment of silence?
> Where are the people flocking to their graves or memorials
> and mourning over them because they made the ultimate
> sacrifice? Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more
> people saying "good riddance," and "thank God
> for IEDs?" When did this country become so calloused to
> the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can
> arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw
> themselves into mourning for a "Pop Icon?"
>
>
>
> I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence
> IN CONGRESS for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment
> of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and
> Afghanistan. They need to PUBLICLY recognize every life that
> has been lost so that the American people can live their
> callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE,
> those that are living and those that have gone on, have
> provided for them. But, wait, that would take too much time,
> because there have been so many willing to make that
> sacrifice. After all, we will never make millions of
> dollars. We will never star in movies, or write hit songs
> that the world will listen too. We only shed our blood,
> sweat and tears so that people can enjoy what they have.
> Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it. Remember
> these five words the next time you think of someone who is
> serving in the military; "So that others may
> live."
>
>
>
> Isaac
>
>
>
> P.S.-"So that others may
> live..." was also the creed of the Air Rescue
> and Recovery Service during Vietnam and is still today.
>
>
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