I was very upset at a news item this week.There was a segment devoted to the unfortunate loss of Major Alexis Roberts in an IED explosion in Afghanistan. Major Roberts principally garnered his own news spot because he was the former platoon commander of Prince William.
In the MOD, our intranet web service has almost daily notifications of our boys and girls who lose their lives in operations around the world. In Afghanistan alone, 82 servicemen have died since 2001.
So I felt that the wide news exposure on the loss of Major Roberts was inappropriate given how many of his comrades had gone before him.
So please spare a thought for the following servicemen. From 18 to 49, death is the eternal leveller.
Pte Darren George 23 09/04/02
Cpl John Gregory 30 17/08/02
Sgt Robert Busuttil 30 17/08/02
Pte Jonathan Kitulagoda 23 28/01/04
L/Cpl Steven Sherwood 23 29/10/05
Cpl Mark Cridge 25 22/03/06
L/Cpl Peter Craddock 31 27/03/06
Capt Jim Philippson 29 11/06/06
Sgt Paul Bartlett 35 27/06/06
Capt David Patten 38 27/06/06
L/Cpl Jabron Hashmi 24 01/07/06
Pte Damien Jackson 19 05/07/06
Cpl Peter Thorpe 27 05/07/06
2nd Lt Ralph Johnson 24 01/08/06
L/Cpl Ross Nicholls 27 01/08/06
Capt Alex Eida 29 01/08/06
Pte Andrew Cutts 19 06/08/06
Pte Leigh Reeves 25 09/08/06
L/Cpl Sean Tansey 26 12/08/06
Cpl Bryan Budd 29 20/08/06
L/Cpl Jonathan Hetherington 22 27/08/06
Ranger Anare Draiva 27 01/09/06
Marine Joseph Windall 22 02/09/06
Sgt Benjamin Knight 25 02/09/06
Cpl Oliver Dicketts 27 02/09/06
Flt Lt Steve Swarbrick 28 02/09/06
Flt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore 28 02/09/06
Sgt John Langton 29 02/09/06
Flt Lt Steven Johnson 38 02/09/06
Flt Lt Allan Squires 39 02/09/06
Flt Lt Gareth Nicholas 40 02/09/06
Sgt Gary Quilliam 42 02/09/06
Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie 42 02/09/06
Flt Sgt Gerard Bell 48 02/09/06
Flt Sgt Gary Andrews 48 02/09/06
Flt Sgt Adrian Davies 49 02/09/06
Pte Craig O'Donnell 24 04/09/06
L/Cpl Luke McCulloch 21 06/09/06
Cpl Mark Wright 27 06/09/06
L/Cpl Paul Muirhead 29 06/09/06
Marine Gary Wright 22 19/10/06
Marine Jonathan Wigley 21 05/12/06
Marine Richard Watson 23 12/12/06
Lance Bombardier James Dwyer 22 27/12/06
Marine Thomas Curry 21 13/01/07
L/Cpl Mathew Ford 30 15/01/07
Marine Jonathan Holland 23 21/02/07
Marine Scott Summers 23 21/02/07
Lance Bombardier Liam McLaughlin 21 03/03/07
Lance Bombardier Ross Clark 25 03/03/07
Marine Benjamin Reddy 22 06/03/07
Warrant Officer 2nd Class Michael Smith 39 08/03/07
Guardsman Simon Davison 22 03/05/07
Pte Chris Gray 19 13/05/07
L/Cpl George Davey 23 20/05/07
Guardsman Daniel Probyn 22 26/05/07
Cpl Darren Bonner 31 28/05/07
Cpl Mike Gilyeat 28 30/05/07
L/Cpl Paul Sandford 23 06/06/07
Guardsman Neil Downes 20 09/06/07
Drummer Thomas Wright 21 24/06/07
Capt Sean Dolan 40 30/06/07
Sgt Dave Wilkinson 33 01/07/07
Guardsman Daryl Hickey 27 12/07/07
L/Cpl Alex Hawkins 22 25/07/07
Guardsman David Atherton 25 26/07/07
Sgt Barry Keen 34 27/07/07
L/Cpl Michael Jones 26 29/07/07
Pte Tony Rawson 27 10/08/07
Capt David Hicks 26 11/08/07
Pte Robert Foster 19 23/08/07
Pte Aaron McClure 19 23/08/07
Pte John Thrumble 21 23/08/07
Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge 20 30/08/07
Pte Ben Ford 18 05/09/07
Pte Damian Wright 23 05/09/07
Pte Johan Botha 25 08/09/07
Sgt Craig Brelsford 25 08/09/07
L/Cpl Ivano Violino 29 17/09/07
Pte Brian Tunnicliffe 33 20/09/07
Colour Sgt Phillip Newman 36 20/09/07
Major Alexis Roberts 32 04/10/07
This post is dedicated to all our boys and girls, who are dying for an ideal of world peace, and their families and friends.
cq
22 comments:
The news media can work in strange and illogical ways. Sadly, that means what is meaningful is often ignored in favor of what is highest profile. Two otherwise identical stories will take very different paths if the protagonist of one is either famous or connected to fame, while the other one is not.
This reality always made me ill when I worked in a newsroom. I hated making the judgment calls.
It's incredibly sad that non-famous members of the military who sacrifice their lives are relegated to the shadows. When I wrote my column for the paper, I vowed to never let that happen.
I'm sure Michele feels the same way.
Carmi makes an excellent point here. In my own small corner of the world, two years ago we lost a young man--just 23 with a new born daughter. Before he died,he was able to see her through a cell phone transmission. But he was one of 14 killed by an IED. We lined our street with over 1,000 American flags and the family responded with letters in each of our mailboxes expressing that while they remain in shock, just seeing our supportiveness helped them make it from one moment to the next.
It's wonderful of you to take up their cause.
Amen to that. I could follow on with a host of other inequities, but that would detract from those honored here.
Michele sent me,
Mike
All of those people have gone due to this. They deserve recognition.
Michele sent me here.
All deserve recognition
News items will always be unequal. All those who serve their country should be remembered. Luckily on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we can all do that.
I am saddened beyond anything I've ever experienced before at the loss of so many young men and women in this war which should never have been started in the first place.
Michele sent me.
I visited earlier today. Most worthwhile. Michele returned me here.
michelle sent me over... For me these deaths are wasted lives that would be spared if our governments would do the right thing and bring them home
Several US candidates are promising that if they are elected I hope they make that good if they are elected
I can only echo all that has been said here...my heart goes to all the families and friends of all those lost...The injustice of their deaths is just repeated in the unfair unjust way the media choose what to publish.
Last night as I watched our TV newcast, I was appauled to hear about Britiny Spears and new visitions etc...I thought...WHY IS THIS NEWS?!... I don't care! This is something I expect on the bazillion tabloid shows..but for the love of humanity! keep it out of the news!..specially when they are NOT reporting on ALL the deaths due to war. ....
Michele sent me to vent today...Thank you for your post today...I think it has touched all of us who read it.
I didn't need Michelle to send me. Thank you for honoring those who gave their lives for a cause worth fighting for. Bless you!
This is so incredibly sobering dear CQ. And I thank you for posting all the names of these brave people...I don't know about there in Britain, but here, the Media are barely aloud to talk about the dead from this war...there was a NEWS program on our Public Broadcasting Station, and he used to show pictures of the men and women who had died that day or that week...HE was the only one. It is as if our government doesn't want us to think about this---like, if we don't see it, we will forget. The same thing with the Coffins...we never ever see any coffins...
To me, this is shameful, beyond words. Again, I thank you for posting these names.
Hi there CQ, havent visited for a while but just got prompted by Michele. Great post and I agree with you.
I will also make a point of visiting Minerva.
Everyday I pray for our troops in the middle east.
My prayers & empathy go to the families of the soldiers who have perished.
Michele sent me
We ought spare a thought for each and everyone person who has died in the name for world peace. Be it a child who has died due to bombing or a soldier. They all deserve equal mention.
I have too many disqueit thoughts. I should leave it at that.
Michele sent me here to reflect over it.
Michele sent me over, CQ.
You're quite right, of course. As Carmi points out, media coverage is going to follow high profile stories but that obscures the amount of human suffering that these wars are causing. And it's not about to change anytime soon, which is a pity.
Michele sent me and I'm glad she did. Another reminder for my daily prayer for this "war" to end.
michelle sent me again
That hurt my heart...and it SHOULD. Thanks for posting this and reminding us to...remember.
Michele sent me back, CQ, to see what others said. It is so sad.
A thought for each of them, and I've left a thought for minerva too.
Thank you for thinking of each of them.
Michele sent me,
N.
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