Below the fold I have pasted in a message sent out on the Christian Peacemakers Team distribution list, and widely redistributed on other lists. It describes what the author, Doug Pritchard, calls
IRAQ" Tom's Last Journey Begins
I will add no comments to the end of this diary. We at Langley Hill, Tom's home Meeting, have been inundated with messages of condolences, via email, phone, letter. Many are incredibly moving. Of all I have received, this is what I most wanted to share. I will offer an explanation for covering Tom's casket with an American Flag -- officially he is a retired US Marine, having served more than 20 years in the US Marine Band, although he was a musician who never fired a weapon. But I agree that Tom would not be uncomfortable with reclaiming that image - it should represent the best of our nation, and making peace is part of that best.
updated at 8:25 with another CPT Message
CPTnet
13 March 2006
IRAQ: Tom's Last Journey Begins
by Doug Pritchard
Our brother Tom has begun his final journey home.
He left Anaconda military base at Balat, Iraq, at dawn on Mar. 13 (9 p.m. EST, Mar. 12), and is expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 1 a.m. EST, Mar. 14.
CPT Toronto was originally informed by Canadian authorities at 1:30 p.m. EST Mar. 10, that a body had been found in Baghdad which was likely that of Tom Fox. An hour later, when the CPT Iraq team asked officials at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad if they could come to identify the body, they were told that it had already left on a military transport for Dover. Officials had repeatedly assured the team over the previous three months that CPT would be able to accompany our colleagues home "if at all possible." They now said that their only focus was getting the body back to the USA as soon as possible. At 8 p.m. EST, the U.S. State Dept. confirmed the identity as Tom Fox based on fingerprints.
The next day, Mar. 11, at 10 a.m. EST, CPT Iraq learned that Tom's body was still at the Anaconda base at Balat. The U.S. Embassy arranged for Beth Pyles, a member of the CPT Iraq team, to travel to Anaconda, and she was able to keep vigil with Tom for the next 36 hrs. until his departure. Meanwhile, CPTers Rich Meyer and Anne Montgomery travelled to Dover, and have been in the vicinity since 5 p.m. Mar. 11, keeping vigil and awaiting Tom's arrival.
Pyles was present on the tarmac at Anaconda as Tom's coffin was loaded onto the plane for Dover. She reported that his coffin was draped in a U.S. flag. This is unusual for a civilian, but Tom may not have been uncomfortable with this since he had always called his nation to live out the high ideals which it professed. Iraqi detainees who die in U.S, custody are also transported to Dover for autopsies and forensics. On this plane, right beside Tom's coffin, was the coffin of an Iraqi detainee. So Tom accompanied an Iraqi
detainee in death, just as he had done so often in life.
At Tom's departure, Pyles read out from the Gospel of John, "The light shines
in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it" (1:5). In honour of Tom's Iraqi companion, she spoke the words called out repeatedly from the mosques of Baghdad during the Shock and Awe bombing campaign in March 2003, "allah akhbar" (God is greater). She concluded the sending with words from the Jewish scriptures, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).
Dawn broke. The contingent of Puerto Rican soldiers nearby saluted. The plane taxied away. Venus, the morning star, shone brightly overhead as the night faded away.
Godspeed you, Tom, on your final journey home to your family and friends.
update - from yesterday's CPT net message
CPTnet
14 March 2006
IRAQ REFLECTION: "Tom, we will greatly miss you."
by Peggy Gish
"If I understand the message of God, we are here to take part in the creation of the peaceable Realm of God. And that is to love God with all our heart, our mind and our strength and to love our neighbors and enemies as we love God and ourselves," Allan Slater read during our memorial service for Tom at a local church in Baghdad. We selected the reading from a reflection Tom Fox had written days before he was kidnapped. At the front of the church was a large picture of Tom, a bouquet of fresh flowers and lit candles.
"Tom was very clear that if any harm came to him he did not want anyone to act out of revenge or ill will. He calls us to follow Jesus' example of loving and praying for those labeled enemy," I said as part of the beginning tribute to Tom. When it came to the part about Tom's captivity for over 100 days and his death, the words were harder to get out.
It was rewarding to see in the church the caring faces of so many Iraqis that had loved Tom. There were members of the congregation, some Christian neighbors, and Muslim friends and colleagues.
The assembled sang a version of the song, "Be Thou My Vision," that Tom had liked.
Maxine read excerpts from another of Tom's writing. He spoke of his struggle to not let rage take over, become numb, or turn away from the pain he encountered, but to learn compassion while staying with that pain.
On Friday, the day after we learned of Tom's death, we had to decide whether to go ahead with or cancel two meetings scheduled at our apartment. One was to link leaders from the Muslim Peacemakers Taskforce (MPT) in Najaf with a Sunni human rights organization in Baghdad. They were forming a coalition between Shi'a, Sunni, Christian, and Kurdish organizations to work to prevent sectarian violence. The second was to link MPTers with Palestinian
Iraqis whose lives are under daily threat and are asking for accompaniment to travel to one of Iraq's borders. While emotionally it was very hard for us to host these meetings, it seemed important to do so.
The news of Tom's death hit us hard. We grieve--especially for Tom's family. We also continue to celebrate Tom's life as we remember his words and his work to end all forms of violence. It does not take away the sorrow, but it helps remind us why we are here and why Tom kept returning to Iraq and was willing to give up his life.
Our memorial service tribute to Tom ended with the words we heard expressed by so many Iraqis in the past three days: "Tom, we will greatly miss you."