Dying

It becomes tougher and tougher to read my Afghanistan related news feeds as it is becoming filled with reports of NATO and American casualties:

• Britain, which lost 8 of its soldiers in just a few days, has been doing some of the toughest fighting trying to capture Taliban-controlled districts in Helmand Province.  Though there has been talk of these recent string of deaths causing distress and possible thoughts and calls for retreat, a new poll suggests that Britain is at the very least maintaing support for the war effort.  Though the margins are near 50-50 for those who ‘oppose’ and those who ‘support’ the war effort there.
• It appears 6 Ukrainian NATO soldiers died when their helicopter went down on Tuesday.  Even sadder is that it has been reported that a young child was killed by the crashing copter.  According to icasualty.org, 43 foreign soldiers have been killed so far in July, and the previous record of high of 46 will surely be broken.
• Americans, who have joined the British forces in trying to take control in Helmand, have taken the greatest losses.  Just like in the beginning of the Iraq surge, many American soldiers are losing their lives during the opening of the Afghan surge.  Lance Cpl. Pedro A. Barbozaflores, 27, of Glendale, Calif., and Master Sgt. Jerome D. Hatfield, 36, of Axton, Va, are just two of the many who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

May all of these soldiers rest in peace.

Source: Icasualties.org