Why do I get a very bad feeling about this?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/256/story/43902.html

Posted on Friday, July 11, 2008

Father who joined after sniper killed son deploys to Iraq

By Chris Vaughn | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH — In a few days, Francisco Martinez will land in Iraq. When Martinez steps off the airplane, he will be in the country that took his only son, a 20-year-old skateboarder and budding graphic artist whose loss is felt every single day of his father's life.

Joining the Air Force Reserve, after a 17-year break in his military service, was Martinez’s way of making sense of and coping with his son's death, a way to remember him by being around young men his age serving their nation. Nobody forced this on Martinez, except maybe the sniper who put one well-placed bullet in Spc. Francisco G. Martinez on March 20, 2005, in Ramadi.

[notadmblnd]

1. classic case of misdirected anger IMO

[Danger Mouse]

2. I worry that we'll see this name again...for doing something heinous.

...but I hope I'm wrong.
Maybe what he said is true...this is the way he is trying to make sense of it.

[NNN0LHI]

4. That last sentence in the second paragraph worries me

[Deja Q]

3. 'budding graphic artist'? Piffle, those $30k/yr jobs are too expensive in America and get offshored

Never mind the $40k+ needed for an Associates degree in that field... totally off kilter.

I'll cut off the cynicism here.

Best wishes to Francisco, turning his fellow soldiers into a surrogate family.

[SmileyRose]

5. Looks like they plan to keep him on the base

As a member of the security forces responsible for protecting the combined Army and air base, he will work in a guard tower, perform searches, work the gates or patrol the fence lines, possibly all of them. He doesn’t know yet.

The full article is really pretty good.

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/753969.html

[frogmarch]

6. "he will be in the country that took his only son"

Iraq isn't responsible for his son's death. Bush is.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. Misguided machismo

Poor man has no idea what to do with his anger, when, in fact, it should be directed at the fuck in the Oval Office who sent his son to his death. He'd be far more effective here, as a spokesman for bringing our kids home, than he will be over there.

This is just plain tragic. No branch of the service should have allowed him to join. He is, I daresay, not mentally competent.

[hlthe2b]

8. ditto on the bad bad feelings....

I think the grieving father should have been offered support, counseling, maybe a stateside posting, but not a revenge mission in Iraq. Perpetuating a tragedy, if you ask me.