California man killed in Iraq after losing 150 pounds to enlist

[UpInArms]

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/192/nation/California_man_killed_in_Iraq_:.shtml

WILDOMAR, Calif. (AP) When Justin Hunt initially tried to join the Marines, the recruiters didn't have a scale that could weigh him.

Instead, they estimated the hulking athlete just two years out of high school was more than 150 pounds too heavy to join the service.

Hunt didn't let that stop him. He worked out, changed his diet and shed the pounds so he could enlist.

<snip>

That involved a lot of early morning runs through his semi-rural community in Riverside County, sometimes accompanied by a recruiter, Staff Sgt. Zach Delellis, family members said.

''Any time he would get down and feeling like he might not want to do it, that recruiter was down here getting him out of bed,'' said Hunt's father, Tom.

...more...

Got to keep that enlistment up! /sarcasm

[PartyPooper]

1. Such a waist of time!

Sorry, pun intended.

:-(

[MidwestTransplant]

6. Not a waste of to join the Marines. Just that Iraq is.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. This is very sad

A friend of my two sons' lost about seventy pounds in order to join the Navy. He will be shipping out to Iraq soon.

I hope he comes back safe and sound.

[Fovea]

3. I hope that he was happy before he died.

Even if he had a goal that killed him, I am happy
he made the effort to lose all that weight.

[soleft]

4. I'd rather look like Michael Moore and be alive

[T Bone]

5. Sounds like his motivation for weight loss was a death wish

the case could be made, I think.
Stranger things have happened.

[RamboLiberal]

7. What the heck is "Jesus Hellfire"

''Nothing will happen to me because I got my 'Jesus hellfire' around me,'' he wrote from Iraq.

So sad these kids believe in this stuff and are so gung ho to go be cannon fodder in Iraq for AWOL. Wish they'd get educated what AWOL and his chickenhawks did to avoid serving in Vietnam. AWOL was having a good time during his TANG service doing booze and drugs.

Semper Fi Lance Corporal Hunt. RIP.

[Reciprocity]

8. 'Jesus hellfire' around me,''

Blind faith is like that. It is my opinion that is why so many so called “Christians” are Repubs.

[The Zanti Regent]

9. They think "Jesus Hellfire" is a Star Trek Deflector Screen

I have nephews and nieces who believe the bullshit that because they are in the Assemblies of God or Southern Baptists, that there is a spiritual deflector screen which will protect them.

My nephew Jon actually believed that until his spinal cord was severed by a bullet and he now lies in Walter Reed a quadraplegic for life...

[NMDemDist2]

12. OMG i'm so sorry for your family

my thoughts and prayers are with you. :hug:

[shanti]

14. sounds like a fundy

socal is inundated with them...:-(

[daleo]

10. Here's hoping everyone has given enough to this mad Bush venture

''I understand why we're there, but I think I've given them enough,'' she said, her voice breaking."

Yeh, some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give,
oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh,
- John C, Fogerty

[Name removed]

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[belle]

17. Yuck. The poor guy was sold a bill of goods.

I don't feel the need to gloat over his death for god's sake.

[Mika]

29. WTF?

Posted by Carolab-->"Sorry, but IMO, this just improved the gene pool."

:puke:


So, I guess that you support w*'s war, since it is doing a good job of 'improving' the gene pool?

[biscodawg]

39. takes my breath away

thats pretty f'd up!!! I guess this whole war is actually for good then?

[Dr Fate]

13. RIP, big fella.

The sad times just keep rolling on.

[Colin Ex]

15. Sorry to hear this.

I hope his family finds peace.

Every time someone from either side dies in this fuckin' conflict, it's a tragedy, and this is no exception.

-C

[Rex]

16. Why do people still enlist for Bush's War?

I dun git it.

[belle]

18. Sounds like the poor kid was trying to please *somebody*...

"Hey look, Mom, Dad, everybody, I'm thin, I'm a patriot, I'm a Christian, and I'm a soldier. *Now* am I okay?"

[saigon68]

19. Because they are KILLERS Bums and Bullies

I knew guys like that in the service who loved to KILL, and loved to hunt other human beings. They are always with us. Between wars some of them assume the mantra of serial killers. Just buy or rent Platoon or Full Metal Jacket, to see a few examples.

A lot of these killers ended up doing "Life in Leavenworth" because their sport went over the top and they did unauthorized KILLINGS.

These guys are loved by the military because, "they will follow any order no matter how ridiculous" a quote by the Colonel played by Harrison Ford at the beginning of "Apocalypse Now"

[Name removed]

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[doreme]

27. Not in this case.

"Our troops in Iraq are there because the president and Congress sent them. Not because they choose to be. While I do not support the war in Iraq I hope that our troops remain safe and are able to return home."


This guy chose to go to Iraq and participate in this illegal war. He joined after the war had begun knowing full well he would be going to Iraq to probably kill Iraqis.

[UVAlaw]

31. Not illegal

What makes you think this war is illegal? While I don't support it Congress authorized the action. And this kid may have known he was going to Iraq but that doesn't mean he knew he would be involved in combat. Do you realize how many non-combat positions there are in the US military? And assuming he did know he would be going into a combat situation that doesn't give some jackass from the earlier post cause to say it improves the gene pool. Regardless of why he went he was (1) an American and (2) a human being. All life should be valued. While I don't support the war or the abuses engaged in by troops in Iraq I find it disgusting that anyone would revel in the death of our troops.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[UVAlaw]

44. Done with you

You have no clue, do you? Do you know what happens to the troops over there who refuse to fight? Court martial and prison. I feel pretty sure most of the troops in Iraq had rather not be there. Not like they have a choice.

[saigon68]

50. What Happened?

[NickB79]

51. Illegal under international law

Resolution 1441, the very article Bush was saying Iraq was in violation of, did not give the US the right to declare war without the approval of the UN Security Counsel. We didn't get that approval, so under international law, the US and all other members of the coalition in Iraq are in violation. It's ironic in that we violated Res. 1441 to enforce Res. 1441 in Iraq.

You could possibly make the case it was legal based on US laws because it was authorized by Congress, but you could also say it could be legal for us to unilaterally attack and invade Canada if Congress simply authorized it. It would still be an illegal war under UN law though.

[jmcgowanjm]

21. Hey Saigon68, can you tell me Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun's unit?

I'm looking for him being in 2nd battalion 4th regiment, but
I can't
find his battalion or regiment.

The closest I come is 1st Marine Expeditionary.

Thanx,
James

[saigon68]

48. Looks like no one is jumping out there to claim him

I was not in the marines, but I know a little about their organization.

They are playing this War very low key.

If you are killed no one will know what happened or where.

[jmcgowanjm]

49. You're invaluable, thank you

I was thinkin'....now I'm aware,
James

[TahitiNut]

26. Yup.

Just think of all the increased "career opportunities" they have now. Not only do they have various "elite" units, they have a career awaiting them as "security contractors." When I think of some of these guys in 'Nam, I shudder to think we're nurturing this type even more these days.

[nose pin]

30. We Were Soldiers

A much better example of why people volunteer for war.

[saigon68]

47. Saw it-- Gen Moore then an LTC---- took care of his Troops.

It was a GREAT WAR </SARCASM> THE 58,000 Gold Star Mothers are still giving their standing ovation --- as the curtain is descending, and Kissinger and McNamara et AL are coming out for something like their 33 curtain call.

DISGUSTING---- THEY DIED LIKE DOGS IN VIET-NAM FOR NO GOOD REASON.


JUST LIKE THIS WAR THEY ALL DIED FOR NO GOOD REASON ----(Except Halliburton and Oil Co. Profits)

[Mokito]

22. Hope nobody told him something like...

"Go on a diet, son! It won't kill ya."

[Cerridwen]

23. Sad, it's just sad n/t

[w4rma]

24. Another patriot dead. ;-( (nt)

[TahitiNut]

25. Well, the bright side is that the pall bearers will be thankful.

:shrug:

[Obamarama]

28. There's a word for this: DARWINISM.

In other words, "survival of the fittest." He may have been fit enough to eventually enlist, but the boy was obviously not the brightest bulb on the string if he went through all that to meet certain death in an illegitimate war.

This was a CHOICE he made and one which his family apparently supported. The mother purports to "understand why we are there." Bullshit. The poor, deluded woman has no clue.

The poor kid thought Jesus would protect him ("Nothing will happen to me. I have my Jesus hellfire on.") Who filled his head with that inane line of thought?

And then the press trots these stories out and we're supposed to think "how sad" or worse yet, consider this poor, stupid boy a hero.
His choices that led to his own death are as misguided as one of his peers who choose to drink and drive and die, OD on drugs, or any other multitude of poor choices that lead to early deaths among that age group. There is nothing heroic about stupidity. If that were the case, the whole fucking administration would be super heroes.

Shame on the media for tugging at our heartstrings. This boy had choices and he made the wrong ones, and paid for it with his life. THAT'S THE HEADLINE HERE. I'd understand the article if the parents were outraged, but they aren't. I'm sorry they are grief-stricken, but what the hell did they expect?

Obviously the death of anyone this young is tragic, and I am NOT making light of the parents' grief or discounting their loss. My disdain is directed at the media for trying to make this story into something it isn't - a story about a "hero" - and using the tragic loss of a young man and the grief of his family to do so.

[UVAlaw]

33. What the hell is wrong with you people?

Look, I can understand that there are people who don't support the war. I am against the war and think we should bring our troops home. But some of the statements on here are disgusting. First someone says his death improves the gene pool. Now there are claims the war is illegal and this kid was stupid because he knew he was going to certain death.

First, what makes you think the war is illegal? While it was based on faulty intelligence (or even lies) Congress authorized the actions. No court has held it illegal and there are enough countries that support the war to give it some sort of semi-legitimacy in the international arena.

Second, none of you know why this person joined the military. It appears he joined because he felt it was his duty but there could have been any number of reasons. The fact is he went of to fight in an unpopular war and was killed while you sit over here on your ass and call him stupid. Again, you don't have to like Bush or the war to show a little bit of respect for the dead.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[DrWeird]

41. Really, who are you trying to kid?

We all know what you're trying to do.

Let me ask you something. George Bush ordered the troops to torture people. We've got a memo with his signature. And others with Rumsfeld. But when the shit hit the fan and we found out about the torture, instead of taking the blame, George W. Bush blamed it on the lowest ranking troops who he ordered to torture people.

If you really respected the troops, how on earth could you vote for this man?

[UVAlaw]

42. ????

Where do you get the idea that I voted for Bush? I already said I was against the war. How many people on this web site do you think vote for him? It the DEMOCRATIC underground. Just because I don't want our troops to get killed in Iraq (I actually don't want anyone to get killed in Iraq) doesn't mean I support Bush. Again, you make statements that have no basis in fact.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Forkboy]

35. here we go again

[Name removed]

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[Zen]

40. Wow, that sucks. If you had read my sig maybe you would've reconsidered

n/m