The Price We Pay

In the year since we last celebrated Memorial Day eight more soldiers from Oregon have lost their lives in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Oregon has lost a total of 128 soldiers in this "war on terror." 

At the start of the conflict in Iraq Oregon's former governor, Ted Kulongoski, pledged to attend the funerals of Oregon soldiers who died in the war effort.  When I was a school administrator I remember receiving notifications from the governor's office to fly our school's flag at half staff when Oregon lost another soldier, and I remember reading in the newspaper that Governor Kulongoski was attending another funeral.  Some months it seemed that our flag was always flying at half staff.  I don't think our current governor attends the funerals, but he does maintain a website that shows the faces of Oregon's fallen soldiers.  You can view it here.  So many young faces.  So many fathers who will never see their children grow up.  So many young lives lost to war.

This Memorial Day take a moment to mourn those we have lost.


Oregon's Casualties in Iraq


Tobler Brandon S. Portland Ore. U.S. Mar 22, 2003


Contreras Aaron J. Sherwood Ore. U.S. Mar 30, 2003


Stever Robert A. Pendleton Ore. U.S. Apr 8, 2003


Bradach-Nall Travis J. Portland Ore. U.S. Jul 2, 2003


Kesterson Erik C. Independence Ore. U.S. Nov 15, 2003


Blickenstaff Joseph M. Corvallis Ore. U.S. Dec 8, 2003


Wesley Christopher J. Rivera Portland Ore. U.S. Dec 8, 2003

Nakis Nathan W. Corvallis Ore. U.S. Dec 16, 2003


Moothart Travis A. Brownsville Ore. U.S. Jan 27, 2004


Ramirez William C. Portland Ore. U.S. Feb 11, 2004


Rogers Philip G. Gresham Ore. U.S. Apr 4, 2004


Van Leuven Gary F. Klamath Falls Ore. U.S. Apr 17, 2004


Whitham Chase R. Eugene Ore. U.S. May 8, 2004


Roberts Bob W. Newport Ore. U.S. May 17, 2004


McCrae Erik S. Portland Ore. U.S. Jun 4, 2004

Eyerly Justin L. Salem Ore. U.S. Jun 4, 2004


Linden Justin W. Portland Ore. U.S. Jun 4, 2004


McKinley Eric S. Corvallis Ore. U.S. Jun 13, 2004


Huston James B. Umatilla Ore. U.S. Jul 2, 2004


Kelly Bryan P. Klamath Ore. U.S. Jul 16, 2004


Leisten Ken W. Cornelius Ore. U.S. Jul 28, 2004


Weisenburg David J. Portland Ore. U.S. Sep 13, 2004


Isenberg Benjamin W. Sheridan Ore. U.S. Sep 13, 2004

Johnson David W. Portland Ore. U.S. Sep 25, 2004


Mitts David A. Hammond Ore. U.S. Dec 4, 2004


Moore James L. Roseburg Ore. U.S. Jan 26, 2005


Warren Mark C. La Grande Ore. U.S. Jan 31, 2005


Plumondore Adam J. Gresham Ore. U.S. Feb 16, 2005


Davis Kevin D. Lebanon Ore. U.S. Apr 8, 2005


Thornton Steven W. Eugene Ore. U.S. Apr 18, 2005


Wessel Kevin S.K. Newport Ore. U.S. Apr 19, 2005


Kent Aaron A. Portland Ore. U.S. Apr 23, 2005


Rockholt Ricky W. Winston Ore. U.S. Apr 28, 2005


Simpson Jacob M. Ashland Ore. U.S. May 16, 2005


Troyer Tyler J. Tangent Ore. U.S. Nov 19, 2005


Zyla Michael S. Elgin Ore. U.S. Dec 13, 2005


Walker Ryan D. Stayton Ore. U.S. Jan 5, 2006

Nettles Marcques J. Beaverton Ore. U.S. Apr 2, 2006


Loveless Jeremy M. Estacada Ore. U.S. May 29, 2006


Jones Robert L. Milwaukie Ore. U.S. Jun 17, 2006


Tucker Thomas L. Madras Ore. U.S. Jun 16, 2006


Pate Christopher T. Portland Ore. U.S. Jul 21, 2006


Lee Marc A. Hood River Ore. U.S. Aug 2, 2006


Newman Randy L. Bend Ore. U.S. Aug 20, 2006


Henkes Richard J. Portland Ore. U.S. Sep 3, 2006


Haag Chase A. Portland Ore. U.S. Oct 1, 2006


Bright Dean R. Roseburg Ore. U.S. Oct 4, 2006

Jones Derek W. Salem Ore. U.S. Oct 8, 2006


Gibson Brennan C. Tualatin Ore. U.S. Dec 10, 2006


Hill Ryan J. Keizer Ore. U.S. Jan 20, 2007


Fennerty Sean P. Corvallis Ore. U.S. Jan 20, 2007


Browning Brian A. Astoria Ore. U.S. Feb 6, 2007


Windsor Nathanial D. Scappoose Ore. U.S. Mar 13, 2007


Lightner Nicholas J. Newport Ore. U.S. Mar 21, 2007


Walton Brett A. Hillsboro Ore. U.S. Apr 9, 2007


Vaughan Michael L. Otis Ore. U.S. Apr 23, 2007


Peterson Dale G. Redmond Ore. U.S. Apr 23, 2007


Rodriguez Dominic N. Klamath Falls Ore. U.S. Jun 22, 2007


Kenny Joseph P. Veneta Ore. U.S. Jun 23, 2007


Schill Juan M. Garcia Grants Pass Ore. U.S. Jul 2, 2007

Stacy Steven A. Coos Bay Ore. U.S. Jul 5, 2007


Wiens Kory D. Independence Ore. U.S. Jul 6, 2007


Leckel Daniel A. Medford Ore. U.S. Jul 25, 2007


Elizalde Adrian M. North Bend Ore. U.S. Aug 23, 2007


Jensen Drew N. Clackamas Ore. U.S. Sep 7, 2007


McMahon Graham M. Corvallis Ore. U.S. Sep 19, 2007


McBride Zachary W. Bend Ore. U.S. Jan 9, 2008


Young Joshua A. R. Riddle Ore. U.S. Jan 28, 2008


Miller Mikeal W. Albany Ore. U.S. Jan 27, 2008


Ellis Jessica A. Bend Ore. U.S. May 11, 2008


Eggleston Cody J. Eugene Ore. U.S. Oct 24, 2008


Johnson Robert L. Central Point Ore. U.S. Dec 20, 2008


Tillery Joshua M. Beaverton Ore. U.S. Jan 26, 2009



Oregon's Casualties in Afghanistan


Jeffries Joseph Allen Beaverton Ore. U.S. May 29, 2004


Lucas Jeffrey Alan Corbett Ore. U.S. Jun 28, 2005


Baum Tane Travis Pendleton Ore. U.S. Sep 25, 2005


Stump Adrian Bovee Pendleton Ore. U.S. Sep 25, 2005


Blake Joseph Robert Portland Ore. U.S. Aug 17, 2006


Paul Robert Joseph The Dalles Ore. U.S. Sep 8, 2006


Lindsey Nathaniel Bradley Troutdale Ore. U.S. Sep 10, 2006


Nguyen Long Ngoc Portland Ore. U.S. Feb 10, 2007


Bertrand Bryan Pahl Coos Bay Ore. U.S. Jan 9, 2002


Henderson Christopher D. Hillsboro Ore. U.S. Jun 17, 2007


Brennan Joshua C. Ontario Ore. U.S. Oct 26, 2007


Ngo Tan Q. Beaverton Ore. U.S. Aug 27, 2008

Wiley James L. North Bend Ore. U.S. Sep 18, 2008

Nana Remembers

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George Santayana

The spouse likes to watch the History Channel.  Around our house it's called the Hitler channel because every other program is a documentary about the second world war.  On a lazy Sunday afternoon we found ourselves watching yet another documentary, The Third Reich: The Fall.  The program told the story of the the fall of the Third Reich through home movies taken by Germans both civilians and soldiers. 

At the start of the program there were warnings about graphic images, but the beginning of the documentary focused on the lives of civilian Germans. There were home movies of families on holiday and children's birthdays interspersed with footage taken by German occupation soldiers in Paris.  Beautiful, smiling families watched toddlers take their first steps and Nazi troops looked like tourists at the Eiffel Tower.  In the early part of the war life in Germany was little changed.  There were no shortages of food or goods and the population enjoyed prosperity fueled by the profits of war from neighboring countries. Both the German civilians and the military were unaware of the death, destruction, and misery that lay ahead.

It was at this point in the documentary that I remembered the quotation about the lessons of the past.  I wondered if we are at that same point in our history.  We enjoy the highest standard of living in the world.   We want for nothing.  Yes, we'd all like to earn more money and pay less taxes, but most of us do not go to bed hungry.  We are safe and our children are educated.  Yet, we are fighting wars on three fronts.  We are at war, but our everyday life in unchanged. Most of us are untouched by the current military actions.  Most of us do not have an immediate family member in the military.  We have rained death and destruction on three fronts, but our lives are unaffected.

I was unnerved by the parallels of history.  How many of us have home videos of toddlers taking their first steps?  I bet our soldiers home on leave are taking videos at amusement parks.  I wonder if we are blind to the consequences of war because we have not learned from the past.

I voted for Obama in part because of his anti-war stance.  Three years later the war has expanded.  When will we ever learn?