My "Adopted Soldier" In Iraq Was Killed. RIP Jennifer Hartman.

[K8-EEE]

21 years old. A goddamned shame.

If any DUers would like to honor Jennifer by going to anysoldier.com and sending a letter or small package to another soldier, she would like that. She always shared her stuff with everyone.

A lot of people don't know it but the "flat rate" boxes at the post office can be sent to military APO's, anything you can stuff in there is only $9! Although they say "domestic only" on the boxes, you CAN send them to military overseas.

They like the littlest things. It doesn't take hardly any money at all. Individual packs of KoolAid or Crystal Lite, tampons (I always choose women soldiers as I feel many service organizations forget about them,) magazines (they love People, Enquirer, etc. as they get a lot of Maxim & Muscle mags for the guys and not much for the women.)

Or even a letter saying you hope they will stay safe and come home soon. Just any little thing.

If you go to anysoldier.com and click on "where to send," you will see a picture of Jennifer Hartman. On her MySpace under "what do you fear most?" she answered, "getting blown up in Iraq." Well that is just what happened. I went to the site to see if her address was still current and instead got her obit. Devestating. I'm going to send off her package to another soldier right now, it's depressing to have it around.

Please consider remembering Jennifer by remembering another soldier. She would like that.

[Horse with no Name]

1. I am sorry for your loss.

:hug:
I pray that her family can find peace. This war has gone too long.

[K8-EEE]

4. She had two little sisters

I am so sorry for them...I never even met her but I feel awful so I can only imagine what the families go through especially the little sisters. When I think of Bush's "comma" remark, OMG. He is just totally insane. This war must end, that's all.

[John Gauger]

10. I really don't understand the 'comma' remark

I have no idea what that is supposed to mean. Everyone is so offended by it but I am just confused.

[SmokingJacket]

14. He means that the huge disaster that is the Iraq war

is just a little blip, a little pause in the grand sweep of world-changing plans he has.

:puke:

People are offended because he's implying that all those deaths and all that misery doesn't count for much at all.

[pitohui]

30. he meant he doesn't know his asterisk from his comma

but yeah what you said

but he also showed not just his total lack of heart and conscience but his total lack of knowledge of punctuation as well

the "little blip" is an asterisk not a comma

* is an all-round idiot

[BlueEyedSon]

37. The Rapture that all this death is hastening... well that's the biggie.

(for all the delusional religious folk anyways)

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[peace13]

2. I'm so sorry.

This is such a disaster. Kim

[MadMaddie]

3. I am so sorry.....

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. I'm sorry, K8-EEE

Here's a clickable link to any soldier. It's a great way to remember Jennifer and all those who've lost their lives over there.

http://anysoldier.com/

[John Gauger]

6. Wow. What a mind job!

If they are worth anything, I offer my condolences. I am very sorry for your loss; I am rather distraught over it myself. Can you imagine being killed by what you fear most?

[Systematic Chaos]

7. Two rock-solid DU-ers and now this, in two days.

Too many things going on here that make me want to break down and cry.

I'm going to do what I can when I get paid this Friday.
There is a post office only a block from home so I can have my wife walk it over and deliver it.
I'm so very sorry....

[K8-EEE]

12. Thank you, and I should mention....

that you will need one of the white customs forms, I just keep them & the flat rate boxes at home because it's easier to go to the PO with everything all ready filled out, basically I just keep a flat rate box around and during the month collect little things to put in there...

Some of the free things that they love, old magazines (from hair salon or doctor's office) and samples from the mall of any kind of skin or hair stuff for the dry conditions. I've found if you tell people it's for the soldiers they will give it to you. Some months I do that and just spend the postage, do it's really cheap.

[Bluebear]

8. Deepest condolences, K8. nt

[spuddonna]

9. Oh man...

What a loss... Her poor family! :cry: Thank you for your post and link.

[ThomCat]

11. I'm very sorry.

:hug:

I'm very sorry, Jennifer, that we couldn't stop the republicans from putting you in that situation. x(

[wicket]

13. For Jennifer

I didn't know you, but you sounded like one amazing woman.
May your family find peace and comfort in this time of horrible tragedy.
Gid bless you. You were a true patriot :patriot:

:cry:

[K8-EEE]

15. Wow Look What Her Dad Says

in her obit :cry:

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_1hartmansep23,0,1732765.story?coll=all-hg-home-resources-hed

''When she signed up to go for schooling, the gentleman promised she
wouldn't go to Iraq,'' the father said Friday. ''If there was any
chance in hell that she would go to Iraq, I wouldn't have signed that
paper. I guess even the Army lies to get you to sign up.''

[lpbk2713]

21. Sorry Mr Hartman but there's no *guess* to it.

They lie like hell to gain your confidence. Once they get a signature they could care less. You're someone else's problem after that.

[hashibabba]

16. K8, I'm so sorry you lost your soldier. Thanks for the

address to anysoldier.com, I'm looking through it now to find people who have had no requests for contact. What a wonderful place--more people need to know about it!
May Jennifer rest in peace.

[onecent]

17. Oh how sad. And what a wonderful idea to send a small package to

another man or woman. My daughter and son served in the Marines during the first gulf war in '91. It's a devastating thing for a mother to go through.

Bless her family.

Bring them all home from Bu** illegal war.

[w8liftinglady]

18. I hope you don't mind-I sent her story to randi and Keith Olbermann.

it epitomizes what is really happening to our troops and their poor families.

[TexasLawyer]

19. Sorry about your news

but thank you for promoting AnySoldier.com. My family and I send a box every week to a group of soldiers picked at random from AnySoldier.

We've been doing this for the last year and a half, and it is very gratifying. The soldiers REALLY appreciate it. Many are 18 year old kids from broken homes who get very little mail. We've gotten the most beautiful thank you letters and e-mails.

[DinahMoeHum]

20. The Patriot Guard Riders have a confirmed mission in her honor

Sgt. Hartman's father has given it his blessing:

http://patriotguard.org/Forums/tabid/61/postid/234479/view/topic/Default.aspx

The service for her will be held September 30. Details in the link.

RIP, Sgt. Hartman

:patriot:

[K8-EEE]

24. That Is SO AWESOME!!!! WONDERFUL!

That is lovely, thanks for this news. Inspiring...beautiful idea.

[Divernan]

32. I grieve for Sgt.Hartman & her family, but disagree with Patriot Guard's

premise that US soldiers are dying in Iraq/Afghanistan "to protect my freedoms and way of life".

Quote from above link:
"To the Hartman family, I will be there, with Honor and Respect for a Young Woman who placed herself in harms way to protect my freedoms and way of life. I and my PGR compatriots can do nothing less but show all the Respect we have and all the Honor capable in our presence. We hold the American Flag high as a symbol that America stands with you, Jennifer will be remembered."

Her dad is quoted as saying he would have never signed his permission for her to enlist but for the recruiter's promise she would not go to Iraq.

I'm going to go to your link and find a female soldier from my state to send packages too, but she will not be getting any rah-rah BS from me about being there to protect my freedom and way of life - what way of life is that by the way - torturing at will? I won't preach politics at all - just wish her safe home again.

On edit:

Here's the soldier I'll be sending stuff to:
(And isn't it outrageous the US doesn't provide cold weather clothing & gear to them)
From the Marine:

24 Sep 2006:
We are helicopter squadron here in Iraq.
We live in barracks, have electricity (220) and most of the time running water.
We cannot cook here, the only things that we have are a refrigerator and a microwave.
Christmas is coming up, some of us dont have people at home to send us stuff. We would like to get some Christmas decorating things and maybe some cold weather clothes and gear.
For the females, we would like to get some lotions, body sprays, shampoo and conditioner, facial acne treatments, tampons, panty liners, Air Freshners, laundry soap.
Snacks are always welcome! Tea and hot chocolate are really good when is cold out. Thank you so much for everything you do for us.
God Bless

[TacticalPeek]

22. K&R

Bummer.



A Poem That I Wrote In A High Fever

You who are lengthening your lives
with the best doctors and the best medicines
remember those who are shortening their lives
with the wars
that you in your long lives are not
preventing.

You who are again screwing
the younger generations
and winking at each other
the winking of your eyelids
is like the chill of the swinging shutters
in an empty house.


-- Yehuda Amichai

[Leopolds Ghost]

25. K8, There was a Thread on her Death here on DU. Anyone have the link?

It was very sad. I thought I bookmarked it, but I can't find it.

[RamboLiberal]

26. I'm so sorry to hear that Jennifer was your soldier

She's from my home state of Pennsylvania, where we have lost far too many good men and women like Jennifer. I posted about her death in the thread about the death of West Point graduate 2nd Lt. Emily Perez in Editorials a couple of days ago. Two beautiful and wonderful women lost to all of us.

I sent packages to soldiers for nearly 2 years back in the time when the soldiers were short of food and going hungry. I foolishly let that lapse when my last soldier came safely home(though who knows if he's been deployed again).

In honor of Jennifer and this post I'm going to go to anysoldier and get a package together to send to a female soldier using your suggestions.

[K8-EEE]

36. Very cool.

That is awesome, I'm off to the P.O. right now. I know it doesn't FEEL like you are doing much but nothing brightens their day like a package and shit it makes me feel like I'm DOING something, I'm so sick of the despair that's enveloped us all in these horrible BushCo years.

[RamboLiberal]

27. Using Online Ordering I picked a female soldier and

sent two packages - One of personal care moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, and wash and another of teas.

This site has a good deal on yummy sounding instant soups and teas. They'll throw in extra packs for military shipments.

http://www.ed-foods.com/militarycarepackages.html

[wildflowergardener]

28. anysoldier.com

I sent some packages at Christmastime - I think it's a great cause and they seemed to really appreciate them.

I have deliberately not looked cause I don't want to know if any of the people I sent them too have been hurt or killed. Hope that doesn't sound cold or anything - I'd just rather not know (head in the sand I know).

Meg

[RamboLiberal]

29. I'm going to try to send a package a month

I spent over an hour tonight reading many of the female soldiers requests. You'd think by now they'd be well-supplied with the basics, but so many are asking for things like blankets to stay warm, sheets, pillow cases, toiletries, socks, underwear, pj's, microwaveable snacks, healthy snacks, treats, batteries, writing materials, DVD's, video games, stationery and writing materials, etc. Looked like hundreds of names there.

[Reverend_Smitty]

31. Dammit this is so tragic

I hate seeing people that I could have went to high school or college with die in this stupid war. These last two deaths are hitting me hard because these women were both my age, it's just so sad.

This past Saturday I met two soldiers who were about to be re-deployed to Iraq in a few weeks...they went out to the bar with me and a group of my friends and we all had such a good time together. When we parted ways I gave them both hugs and told them good luck and stay safe over there. I never got their last names and on some level I didn't want to know just in case I ever come across an obituary like this. But those two guys will definitely be in my thoughts while they are over there

[GreenPartyVoter]

33. I am so sorry. *hugs and prayers*

[shadowknows69]

34. That sucks K8-EEE

I'm so sorry. Another wasted life in this travesty our "King" has visited upon us. Every drop of blood falls on your doorstep George and in this life or in the next there will be a reckoning.

[kelliebrat]

35. My condolences to Jennifer and her family

Thank you for the link. I asked both of my kids teachers if they could have their classes make cards and or letters for me to send to the soldiers in Iraq. They will go out with a couple of boxes I'm getting ready to send. It's the least I can do to honor Jennifer and all the other brave souls who have died in this needless war.