Important: An End to War; Our Thanks to our Soldiers

I am certainly not on strike. I consider it a privilege to be able to post a diary here.  I am so grateful for the opportunity Daily Kos provides to me to write, test my opinions, express my anguish and anger, or say thanks to the people for whom I am grateful.

And tonight, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to some of the many soldiers, sailors, Marines, Airmen and National Guard I have profiled here since January 1, 2008.  These are only some of the 4,474 American men and women who have lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq during the Bush Administration.  And I am only one of the many diarists who work on the IGTNT series. And these are only some of the young men and women I have had the honor and solemn duty to profile just since this year began.

But I am reposting their pictures here tonight because we owe them (and their families, friends and communites) our gratitude and thanks.  Beyond that, we owe them an end to our internal squabbling
-- and a beginning to our renewed allegiance to ending the wars that killed them.  

Some of the soldiers. sailors, Airmen, National Guard and Maines I have profiled in IGTNT since January 1, 2008:

Capt. Mallard died Mar. 10 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. Burkett died Mar. 10 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

Staff Sgt. Frost died March 3 near Bayji, Iraq in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

Sgt. Rapp died Mar. 3 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan, of wounds suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Spc. Koch died Mar. 3 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan, of wounds suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Staff Sgt. Washington died Feb. 11 at Camp Buehring in Kuwait City, Kuwait, from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. Van Orman died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when he encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Sgt. Skelton died Feb. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade, Missouri Army National Guard, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Sgt. Osmolski died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when he encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Spc. Baez died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when he encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. He was was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Pfc. Kimme died Jan. 16 in Balad, Iraq of wounds he suffered in Balad, Iraq when he was attacked by grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Spc. Sigsbee died Jan. 16 in Balad, Iraq of wounds he suffered in Balad, Iraq, when he was attacked by grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Pfc. Sharrett died Jan. 16 in Pallouata, Iraq of wounds he suffered in Balad, Iraq, when he was attacked by grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. Drakulich died Jan. 9 in Chagali, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Pfc. Pannier died Jan. 9 of wounds sustained during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Pfc. Merlo died Jan. 9 of wounds sustained during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. Hill died Jan. 2 in Khowst Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encontered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 178th Engineer Battalion, 218th Infantry Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard, Rock Hill, S.C.

Bless these valiant young men.  Bless their grieving families, friends and commnities.

Let us dedicate ourselves to peace, from this day and forever after.