Army Pfc. David T. Toomalatai, only 19, has given his life in Iraq

[Philosoraptor]

Army Pfc. David T. Toomalatai

19, of Long Beach, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Jan 27 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during convoy operations in Taji, Iraq. Also killed were Army Pfc. Jon B. St. John II and Army Cpl. Timothy A. Swanson.

------------

Every SECOND this obscenity continues it becomes more shameful. Your 12 year old child could sign up and die there too, if the plan continues unabated. These 'men' want it to go on that long, and longer, as in always.

Only nineteen. Only nineteen.

[CatWoman]

1. "19"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PknZvalaPRs

In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war,
but it wasn't.
It was different in many ways, as so were tose that did the fighting.
In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26...
In Vietnam he was 19.
In inininininin Vietnam he was 19.


(TV announcer's voice)
The shooting and fighting of the past two weeks continued today
25 miles west of Saigon
I really wasn't sure what was going on (Vet's Voice)

Nininini Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19
19,19,19,19

In Vietnam the combat soldier typicaly served a twelve month tour of duty but
was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday
Ninininininininininin 19 nininininninin 19

Hundreds of Thousands of men who saw heavy combat in Vietnam were arrested
since discharge
Their arrest rate is almost twice that of non-veterans of the same age.
There are no accurate figures of how many of these men have been incarcerated.
But, a Veterans Administration study concludes that the greater of Vets
exposure to combat could more likely affect his chances of being arrested or
convicted.

This is one legacy of the Vietnam War

(Singing Girls)
All those who remember the war
They won't forget what they've seen..
Destruction of men in their prime
whose average was 19
Dedededededede-Destruction
Dedededededede-Destruction
War, War
Dededede-Destruction, wa-wa-War, wa-War, War
Dedededededede-Destruction
War, War

After World War II the Men came home together on troop ships, but the Vietnam
Vet often arrived home within 48 hours of jungle combat
Perhaps the most dramatic difference between World War II and VietNam was
coming home.. .none of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a heroes welcome, none of them, none of them
Nenene Nenene None of them, none of them, none of them (etc...)
None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a hero's welcome

According to a Veteran's Administration study
Half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what Psychiatrists call
Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder
Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts
Eight to Ten years after coming home almost eight-hundred-thousand men are
still fighting the VietNam War

(Singing Girls)
Dedededededede-Destruction

Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19
19,19,19,19
Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19
19,19,19,19

(Soldiers Voice)
When we came back it was different.. Everybody wants to know "How'd it
happenned to those guys over there
There's gotta be something wrong somewhere
We did what we had to do
There's gotta be something wrong somewhere
People wanted us to be ashamed of what it made us
Dad had no idea what he went to fight and he is now
All we want to do is come home
All we want to do is come home
What did we do it for
All we want to do is come home
Was it worth it

[BattyDem]

4. You beat me to it. I thought of that song, too.

:-(

[CatWoman]

7. I edited to include the You Tube video

[BattyDem]

2. How many more have to die?

:cry:

----------------------------------------

Anyone else remember this old Paul Hardcastle song?

"19"

In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war,
but it wasn't.
It was different in many ways, as so were those that did the fighting.
In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26...
In Vietnam he was 19.
In Vietnam he was 19.

(TV announcer's voice)
The shooting and fighting of the past two weeks continued today
25 miles west of Saigon
I really wasn't sure what was going on (Vet's Voice)

19, 19, Ni-nineteen 19
19,19,19,19

In Vietnam the combat soldier typically served a twelve month tour of duty
but was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday
19, 19

Hundreds of Thousands of men who saw heavy combat in Vietnam were arrested
since discharge Their arrest rate is almost twice that of non-veterans of the same
age. There are no accurate figures of how many of these men have been incarcerated.
But, a Veterans Administration study concludes that the greater of Vets exposure
to combat could more likely affect his chances of being arrested or convicted.

This is one legacy of the Vietnam War

All those who remember the war
They won't forget what they've seen..
Destruction of men in their prime
whose average was 19
Destruction
Destruction
War, War
Destruction, War, War, War
Destruction
War, War

After World War II the Men came home together on troop ships, but the Vietnam
Vet often arrived home within 48 hours of jungle combat
Perhaps the most dramatic difference between World War II and Vietnam was
coming home.. .none of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a heroes welcome, none of them, none of them
None of them, none of them, none of them (etc...)
None of them received a hero's welcome
None of them received a hero's welcome

According to a Veteran's Administration study
Half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what Psychiatrists call
Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder
Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts
Eight to Ten years after coming home almost eight-hundred-thousand men are
still fighting the Vietnam War


Destruction

19, 19, Ni-nineteen 19
19,19,19,19
19, 19, Ni-nineteen 19
19,19,19,19

(Soldiers Voice)
When we came back it was different.. Everybody wants to know "How'd it
happened to those guys over there
There's gotta be something wrong somewhere
We did what we had to do
There's gotta be something wrong somewhere
People wanted us to be ashamed of what it made us
Dad had no idea what he went to fight and he is now
All we want to do is come home
All we want to do is come home
What did we do it for
All we want to do is come home
Was it worth it?

[rockymountaindem]

3. One year younger than me

I don't even feel like I can say "what a shame" because I feel comments like that aren't meant for people I could be hanging out with at the meal hall tonight. It's so strange... we're all definately old enough to die, I guess. The average age of the Marines who fought at Guadalcanal was 19.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. My oldest son's age. Crying here........ eom

[johnnie]

6. 19. Just a kid really

My friend's son is due to go on his second tour in September, the first one was 6 months of hell for her. This one is going to be 18 months from what I understand and my friend is already in tears. This mess is fucking bullshit.

He doesn't say much, but he did say that he and all his buddies are glad that the Dems have the majority.

[Philosoraptor]

11. People always say, 'our kids, fighting and dying'

Soon, many thousands more of our children will be going, because they were lied to.

[bdamomma]

8. These are Americans who are getting killed for this murderous

regime, we have to get these thugs out. PBS shows the pictures of soldiers, two nights in a row, one night 12 died and next nite they showed 17, young beautiful and vibrant people being killed for Bush's greed and abuse of power, and who shows no remorse. This has got to stop.

[bdamomma]

9. These are Americans who are getting killed for this murderous

regime, we have to get these thugs out. PBS shows the pictures of soldiers, two nights in a row, one night 12 died and next nite they showed 17, young beautiful and vibrant people being killed for Bush's greed and abuse of power, and who shows no remorse. This has got to stop.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

10. i was 13-14 years old when Tom Fox died.

Tom Fox was a popular kid in East Sac, about 5 years or so older than me. His name is on the wall down at the State Capitol in the great Vietnam Vets memorial. I am sure it's also on the wall in Washington,D.C., around the panel of '67 or '68. He was Nineteen. I can still see his face - always upbeat and energetic, a bit short but poewerfully built. Nineteen. He had brown hair and cherubic fatures and a few freckles on his upper cheeks.

"Oh as I was young and easy under the apple boughs..." Tommy was dying.

[classof56]

12. Damn. My grandson is about to turn 13.

I live in fear that he and his younger brother (10 this year) might well find themselves in the midst of Bush's latest UPW (ugly pointless war) when they are old enough to conscript. I am in despair. I see no end in Iraq and God only knows what the long-term outlook is for Iran and other oil-producing countries. I wish I could bundle my grandsons up and transport them to a place where they can be safe from all the madness. But I have a feeling by the time Bush and his Mad Minions are done, there will be no safe place on this planet.

Every day I go to icasualties.org and weep at the rising numbers of our dead soldiers and the dead Iraqis.

Eternal damnation is too good for the BFEE.

The Tired Old Cynic

[butterfly77]

13. As a little girl I lived next to a church and one was a cross the street..

from my house I remember when their were sometimes double funerals at one church and sometimes two funerals a day. I saw soldiers lining the streets and nothing was hidden, I also remember sometimes looking at the news and seeing what was really going on...A lot of guys in my neighborhood died those films bring back a lot of memories... asshole thinks he can hide what he has done...

[BOSSHOG]

14. HE WAS 15 WHEN BUSHED LIED !!!

[AllegroRondo]

15. Damn. Thats my old Division.

Rest in peace, soldier.

[Philosoraptor]

16. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Philosoraptor]

17. ..............

[Bonobo]

18. More on David Toomalatai

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/5425491.html?showAll=y&c=y

A 2005 graduate of Banning who played wide receiver on the varsity football team and lettered in volleyball, Toomalatai had hoped for a college athletic scholarship and a professional football career. But nearing graduation, he knew that dream wasn't to be, his sister said.

Attending community college and working at a pharmacy, Toomalatai decided to join the Army when he learned that Perera, his longtime high school sweetheart, was pregnant.

He decided he needed a full-time job and tuition to eventually go to college to become a physician's assistant, Perera said. The father-to-be wasn't troubled about going off to war.

Unable to be at his girlfriend's side for their son's birth March 28, 2006, Toomalatai would come to know Damien through numerous photographs sent to him at the base. In September, the Army granted him a 10-day leave.

Finally, he held his nearly 6-month-old son for the first time.

"He was overwhelmed with the baby. He didn't know how to react. (The baby) was so big now," Perera said. "He was really happy, and he dedicated his time to the baby. He didn't want to go out."

Toomalatai sang to his boy, put him to bed, fed him and changed diapers.

The Toomalatai family received word of their son's death Friday when an Army representative appeared at their door. His Air Force veteran father kept up a brave face for the family.

His mother, who took the news badly, called his girlfriend.

"It's hard," Perera said. "Sometimes I sit there and I sit there, and I think about it. I think it's not true -- they made a mistake or something."

[Philosoraptor]

19. "I think it's not true -- they made a mistake or something."

Toomalatai sang to his boy, put him to bed, fed him and changed diapers.

[Philosoraptor]

20. ..............