A Pain too Great to Bear

[spooked]

What did this poor mother ever do to deserve her heart and soul being ripped open this way?


Master Sgt. Stephen Walter, front, stands at attention as Marines line up to carry casket of Cpl. Andre Williams, who was killed July 28 in Iraq, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005 in Columbus, Ohio. Williams was a member of Lima Company 3rd Battalion based in Columbus, of which nine of 14 Marines killed Wednesday in Iraq were also members.
(AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)


Mary Williams, left, and Robert Williams comfort each other Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio as the casket of their son.


Mary Williams, left, receives a flag from U.S. Marine Maj. Kirk Greiner Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005 in Columbus, Ohio during the funeral of her son, Cpl. Andre Williams.


Robert Williams, right, tries to comfort Mary Williams, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio, after she received a flag during the funeral of their son.


Williams was killed when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Cykla, Iraq, west of Baghdad.

Family friend Harry Cuccio, 28, of Columbus, said he also would miss Williams’ smile and infectious optimism.

“The way he was always smiling was so radiant,” Cuccio said. “It didn’t matter what kind of mood you were in, if he was smiling, you were smiling.”

Andre Williams leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.

[applegrove]

1. So sad. n/t

[niallmac]

2. This is real war coverage. I killed my TV..Is this stuff on the MSM?

[spooked]

6. I havent seen too much of it if it is!

This country needs to see what this war is doing to our collective psyche. It is right there for everyone to see on this mother's face.

[jonnyblitz]

7. me either. i have seen parents of the deceased interviewed

but not scenes at funerals. this is sad. :(

[Catrina]

3. There are no words to say

that could comfort her ~ I remember seeing an Iraqi mother's face with the same pain as she too tried to comprehend the death of her child.
May her son, Kirk, rest in peace, and someday, sometime soon, may she find some comfort in her memories of him ~

Goodnight sweet prince, may flights of angels sing you to your rest

[spooked]

4. Indeed, there are THOUSANDS of grieving mothers

in Iraq and the US...

WHAT RIGHT DOES BUSHCO HAVE?!

[Gemini Cat]

5. The real look of war.

Meanwhile back in some hole in Texas, there stands a chimp.
Watch him do a drive after he says the usual stupid statements: "freedom on the march," "they are trying to shake our resolve," "9-11," and thus on and thus on. Then watch him do his drive.

[Biased Liberal Media]

8. Bump

I'm in tears here.

[Talismom]

13. Me too. n/t

[SoCalDem]

9. Here's what she did to deserve it.

She lost in the "gene pool" lottery, and consequently was not born into a rich white family who could insulate her children from the slings and arrows of life. If HER child wanted to go to college, he probably saw the military as his "way out" and his "entry" into the next level of society.

Jobs are scarce for MOST middle class and poor kids. They are sometimes competing for the SAME jobs as their parents, because real advancement in employment has not happened for THIRTY YEARS.

Main breadwinners made MORE money in the late 60's than they do now.(when you adjust for cost of living and benefits lost, that now must be borne by the individual)..

THAT'S what she did..

[Biased Liberal Media]

10. There's a song by System of a Down that says it well

"Why don't Presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?"

(B.Y.O.B. by System of a Down)

[spooked]

15. And sometimes all they did was believe the LIES

Here's a heartbreaking article on three mothers of soldiers who were fed the lies...one of them being Cindy Sheehan.

http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1109

“My son in law in Iraq said they are being pressured round the clock to re-enlist or face stop loss. They are being offering $30,000 tax free signing bonus, and told if they don't re-enlist they are going to be Stop Lossed and get zero dollars. They are pushing the troops round the clock to re-enlist. Mark got only three hours sleep in 48 hours but when he got back he was again faced with re-enlisting. Mark said many guys are scared and are signing up, and their families at home are very upset -- for good reason."

Lisa Gill
Son-in-law in Iraq


"When Casey was recruited in May 2000, he was promised the moon to get him to join, and he ultimately got an early grave. He was promised a $20,000 signing bonus: he received $4,500 and was told that he could use the rest for college. Casey wanted to be a deacon in the Catholic Church, so when he enlisted in the Army, he was promised he could be a Chaplain’s Assistant. When he got to boot camp, he was told that his promised specialty wasn’t open, and he had the choice of being a Humvee mechanic or a cook.

His recruiter told him he could finish college while in the military, he could never even get approval to take one class. All of these broken promises mean nothing to me. One does, however. After Casey enlisted he knew I was upset. He told me, “Mom, you don’t have to worry, Sgt. (I forget his name) told me that since I scored so high on the ASVAB (military competency) test, I will never see combat, even if there is a war. I will only be in a support role.”

I can still hear his voice saying those exact words to me. Those words chilled me to the bone then, and have haunted me since 9/11. First of all, because I thought Casey would be sent to fight terrorists (and “terrorists”) wherever they might be, and I could see George and his warmongering band of neocons rushing us into a crazy invasion of Iraq. My premonition came true and Casey was KIA 04/04/04: a mere 5 days after his unit arrived in Sadr City, Baghdad: in combat. The most troubling thing is, though, that some recruiters are still promising young people that they won’t have to go to Iraq if they sign up. I am being told that all the time by young people who talk to the multi-level marketers working towards their bonuses…oops, I mean military recruiters."

Cindy Sheehan
Son killed in Iraq
Gold Star Families for Peace

[roguevalley]

11. There's a couple that expected to be happy. that isn't an expectation

for too many people anymore. God bless them and their family.

[Tsiyu]

12. ..

:cry:

[progressoid]

14. What a waste...