I just learned that one of the soldiers who died in the crash of an Osprey aircraft in Afghanistan was a third cousin of mine.
I did not know him personally, but by all accounts he was a great guy, and much beloved by his immediate family and one of my aunts who was very close to his mother. I’m keeping his name out of this blog post out of respect for the family’s privacy. This is simply a horrible time for them as you might imagine.
If anyone feels so inclined, please contribute a few bucks to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America in the name of all those service men and women who have lost their lives in the course of this war. The link to donate can be found RIGHT HERE.
Regardless of what you think of the the politicians that initiated these wars with lies and subterfuge in what I and many legal experts consider violations of international law, (and you know I have a very low opinion of the members of the Bush administration who I consider war criminals), the men and women in our Armed forces did not ask to be sent to these faraway places to fight wars and risk their lives, their bodies and their sanity.
IAVA does very good work advocating for those veterans and soldiers who continue to suffer from the physical and psychological traumas they endured in these bloody and horrific wars. Money donated to them is money well spent. To learn more about IAVA and its activities please read their FAQ page.
No one can bring back my cousin to his family, but perhaps your donation can assist some other veteran who is struggling to return to civilian life after his or her experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. That seems to me to be the best way for his memory, and the memory of all the others who died in these wars, to be honored.
Thank you.
