A Madison soldier's family grieves while seething at military brass

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=51596&ntpid=0

Every time the wound begins to heal at Ray and Diane Maida's house, something comes along to rub salt into it.

First came news that their son, Mark Maida, a 22-year-old Army sergeant, was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb on May 26. Then, a week after his death, the Army gave only hours' notice that the body would be arriving at Gen. Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, forcing the grieving family into a frantic scramble to retrieve it for a funeral two days later.

Letters and packages to Mark from home arrived for a time almost daily, marked "Return to sender." Then a slow trickle of possessions arrived from Iraq and his unit's base at Fort Irwin, Calif. To top it off, despite repeated efforts, Army officials failed to provide details of Mark's death. More than two months later, the Maidas finally got the details of his death, not from the Army, but from the Washington Post.

"It's just been one wound after another," Diane said. "And just about the time you think you're on the upswing, then you get shut down again with another incident."

[meganmonkey]

1. This is heartbreaking

How can a family recover from this in the best of circumstances, let alone when everything is handled horribly like this?

:cry:

[Roland99]

2. They can rest assured knowing that * is getting on with his life

[Coexist]

6. which is, of course, more important than some plebe's life

(heavy sarcasm intended)

I hate that man.

[Bo]

12. ....and biking with Lance

[calimary]

14. Yeah. Lance Armstrong. Fraternizing with the enemy. I'm thinking of

taking my yellow "Livestrong" bracelet and sending it back to him. Not sure where I'd send it, but he's not someone I feel like promoting anymore. What was he thinking? Hasn't Sheryl Crow said something to him about this?

Sorry to say that, really. But I'm growing more and more impatient with prominent public figures, who have a platform they COULD use to speak out and help set the record straight, and make a difference, and level the playing field, and give OUR side more of a voice, and they don't. They have clout, and some of them are very likely invulnerable to attack by the limbaugh/Pox "news" hatemongers. I'm afraid I regard Oprah Winfrey in the same way. She's superbly positioned to be able to make a difference, and she's already shown that she CAN do so, and touch a lot of lives for the better. If she really wanted to do good, this is one way she could promote world-wide peace, stop needless and unwanted and criminal aggression, and use her powerful platform to educate her huge audience. She reaches a staggeringly large number of potential voters. She speaks with a voice as loud as Niagara Falls. She has collosal influence and she's virtually untouchable with her power and her wealth. What could the bad guys do to hurt her? And yet, she does nothing.

[lostnfound]

3. Terrible. Signed up after 9-11, kept in on stop-loss orders.

These guys that signed up right after 9-11 really get me. This president took advantage of their HONORABLE desire to serve their country after that terrible tragedy, and sent them to the hell of an illegal war instead.

Plus driving around in an unarmored Humvee, to boot.

[Oreo]

4. I posted this earlier

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4453573&mesg_id=4453573

You have to read the Washington Post article that the parents read to finally find out how their son died.

[stillcool]

11. here's a link to the article...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/09/AR2005080901441_pf.html

[fishnfla]

5. I like the fathers quote

about the million dollar missile

[Bluerthanblue]

7. this illustrates how complicated

the process of losing a loved one isn't an easy-smooth-predictable
event.

My heart goes out to this family- as it does to ALL who grieve, especially due to bush's f-ups. I reminded a vigil disrupter who gave the tired reply "yeah, well she (C.Sheehan) already met with him, now she's changed her tune" that grief is something no one can understand until they've experienced it. The pain often doesn't really 'hit home' for quite awhile.- And when it does, it often doesn't go away. Or hides in the shadows jumping out when you least expect it.

So sad, so horribly sad. And to have bush basically rubbing in the face of every person who has loved ones at risk in this war, that "he's not gonna let up" ......

aggghhhhh...... self-censored.

[progressivebydesign]

8. I read both this article, and the WaPo one linked.. heart-wrenching.

Both of these articles are must-reads. I feel so much for the Maida family.

[UpInArms]

9. I am unutterably saddened

by the continuing sorrow that has been wrought by this maladministration.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Karenina]

10. When enough folks realize

that the *cabal that has seized your gub'mint doesn't give a FLYING FUCK about your grief, your family, your community, your health and well-being, or your relationship with the other sentient beings on this planet, maybe, JUST MAYBE, we can make a major course correction.

[Javaman]

13. These poor folks should start their own vigil.

Another family not on chimpys* itinerary.