Silent. Nothing.

Silent. That’s the sound a person makes when they are no longer alive. Nothing. Nor more thoughts, no more words. No more laughing. No more crying. No more nothin’.



This is also the sound our news media has for our troops who die in war everyday. Silent. No words of the losses our troops suffer everyday.   Maybe a few numbers.  If you look on page 8, you might find some names.  But, pretty much, Silent. 

America’s First Sergeant, http://castrapraetoria1.blogspot.com/ reported the loss of another US Marine in Afghanistan. He died in what I consider a heroic manner. He’s still dead, but he died trying to save another human, and that is a friggen’ hero in my book.

Still, the press was silent. No headlines. No mention on any TV news. Nothing. Silent like the hero Marine.

Maybe a few weeks from now, or a few months from now, the media will catch up. But, if there is some famous movie star having marriage problems, that may bump the story off the media’s daily event. Maybe someday when the news is slow they’ll tell this story:

The Department of Defense announced the death of a Marine who was supporting

Operation Enduring Freedom. Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

It doesn’t matter that it was a river that killed this lad. He’s just as silent as if a bullet or bomb had done it’s deed. It was his actions and as “Top” said:

“Upon hearing what happened on July 18 nearly every one of us that knew him immediately thought: "But Wrightsman can't swim!" Fortunately, America still breeds men with a bias for action who don't dwell on what they can't do. I imagine Cpl Wrightsman thought to himself: "I can't let this guy down!" Then he heedlessly went after a man who wasn't a fellow Marine or even an American.”

Many good citizens don’t get it. Why would anybody risk their life to help somebody else. Soldiers, Saliors, Airmen and Marines do it everyday. Cops and Firefighters do it everyday.

Why?

Because we’re supposed to. WE CAN’T DWELL ON CAN’T!!!

Semper Fi Joe.  I never knew you, but I'd be glad to have you on my team anyday! 

Yeah "Top" is tough.  A bunch of us are tough.  But when we loose a friend of ours... it hurts.  Most will never admit it.  But it hurts.