Read Mark Harris at Preludium:
As of this 4th of July 4,321 American service personnel and 318 other allied personnel have died in Iraq - 4,639 in all. In Afghanistan 719 US personnel have been killed, and 488 other allied personnel, for a total of 1,207.
These two wars have now cost 5,040 American lives. The number of US wounded in Iraq stands at over 31,368, in Afghanistan 3,023. Total wounded over 34,391.
For those in the Armed Forces of our Country
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 823)
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 815)
I have seizures from a traumatic brain injury I suffered in the U.S. Army. I also have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am on the Department of Defense email list and I receive casualty reports. Each name is very painful to read. The last four casualties (all from the same North Carolina National Guard unit) died June 29 in Baghdad from an improvised explosive device planted by the roadside. Their names: SFC Edward Kramer, SGT Roger Adams, SGT Juan Baldeosingh, SPC Robert Bittiker. These men were all in their 30s. I posted a pic of me in uniform taken when I served as a United Nations peacekeeper:
ReplyDeletehttp://kaieuthus.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_340.html
Amen, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteMark has become the face for me of all who serve and have served.
Prayers ascending!
ReplyDeleteAmen.
ReplyDeleteMy younger brother is serving in Iraq.
Another cost of war (especially from wars which have gone on much longer than WWII) is the maiming and death of countless civilian children of God (including small children, cancer patients, people with developmental disabilities, the mentally ill, people who cannot hear or see, pregnant women, the elderly -- bombs and cruise missiles don't pick and choose). The population of Baghdad is approximately the same as Atlanta, Georgia. Imagine if someone did such evil to a member of your own family. But wait, as followers of Jesus, ALL people are your family members. Think about what the March 2003 "shock-and-awe" bombing by the USA and the UK meant to the 5.5 million civilians of that city. Innocent civilians always suffer the most from urban aerial bombardment. The idea that such bombardment is carried out via precise "surgical strikes" is a cruel myth. It is also a myth (a lie actually) that this warfare sows the seeds of democracy. We only sowed the seeds of revenge and generations of anger.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, I pray your brother stays safe.
ReplyDeleteYes, Mark, the civilian casualties weigh heavily on us, and "surgical strikes" often produce collateral damage that includes the killing and wounding of real people. Violence breeds more violence, not democracy.