last week's ambush of female soldiers in fallujah left me worried. a friend of mine (not an extremely close friend - my friend's sister, but a friend nonetheless) is a female marine, who left for fallujah earlier this year. when i heard about the attack, i feared the worst. i couldn't bring myself to call the sister to find out if she had heard anything. i checked the casualty list many times, with a temporary, shallow relief from not seing her name listed (it is horrible to be relieved that another human being has died instead).
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last nite i was able to hangout in a group which included the sister. i asked if she had heard anything. she had, and my friend was okay. but my friend's best friend in the marines was one of the female marines who was killed. the sister is debating going up to new york to attend the funeral in her honor. additionally, my friend's tour has been extended to january, when she was originally scheduled to come back in september or october.
this is about as close to home as this war has come for me. i am only a friend of someone who is serving in iraq, and i was terrified. i cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to have a relative/loved-one serving, and constantly worrying after each report of an insurgent attack - my heart goes out to you. that this war is being fought by our friends and loved ones, makes the fact that it is based on lies and deception, without a plan for success, without proper equipment, and without a detrimental effect on global terrorism, all the more repulsive to every inch of my heart, mind, and soul.