Mary Sanchez: It's too easy to forget conflict's human cost (get out the tissue)

Dallas Morning News ^ | October 28, 2006 | Mary Sanchez

[pwatson]

Mary Sanchez: It's too easy to forget conflict's human cost

08:11 AM CDT on Saturday, October 28, 2006

The day Pfc. Shane Austin flew home was an ordinary day, as far as life at public airports go. The pilot broke the routine with an announcement.

A special flight, he advised. Please do the honor, wait to deboard.

Wait because Pfc. Austin, a 19-year-old from the tiny town of Edgerton, Kan., boarded the flight in a casket. He was below the passengers, as cargo. He died in early October in Iraq, trying to throw an enemy hand grenade from his tank.

Posthumously, Pfc. Austin was given a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Posthumously, Pfc. Austin silenced a planeload of people. He made them pause in a way that all Americans should, daily. (cut)

The pilot of Pfc. Austin's flight, a former Navy man, addressed this in his intercom remarks to the passengers. He noted that people's lives cross all the time, intersecting in ways that most of us are unaware. He asked his passengers to be aware that day. By boarding the flight, they became a part of a young soldier's final journey.

When the plane landed, the passengers complied. They waited as the military escort for Pfc. Austin got off the plane first, along with the captain. Then, instead of rushing for their baggage, nearly all lined up along the glass wall of the terminal and looked down to the tarmac. They watched as the uniformed color guard unloaded the casket off the conveyor belt. A U.S. flag draped it. Pfc. Austin's mother hugged family members. Some passengers saluted. Some put their hand over their heart. Many cried.

Pfc. Austin's funeral was held in the auditorium where he attended high school.

[AprilfromTexas]

Thank you for your service, Pfc. Austin. Rest in Peace.

Prayers for his family.

[inottawa]

very powerful

[Axhandle]

Pfc. Austin's death raises the question, "What if we were aware of every soldier's casket?" A nation at war should feel more at war.

No, it shouldn't. If this country felt like it was at war, there would be even more cries for us to pull out of the mideast and allow that craphole to continue festering. To say that we should feel more at war assumes that people in this country would give a damn about contributing to the effort and that people would care about the outcome. Most people would only hop on the leftist defeatist bandwagon of whining and griping about mistakes made 3 years ago and focusing on what domestic political opportunities arise from it.

[RWB Patriot]

You hit the nail on the head. With the liberals turning every soldier's death into a political ad for pulling out of Iraq, such an action would only help the terrorists.

Man, what I would give for the Greates Generation to be around nowadays to support this war wholeheartedly, just as they supported WW2. Instead, we have to see leftists and anti-American freaks do everything they can to make America lose.

[hsalaw]

May God bless and keep the soul of this brave hero, and give strength to his courageous family. I was on a flight bringing a hero to his final rest about a year ago - we all stayed on the plane while the casket was taken off, and we all wept. I was in the last row of first class, so someone farther forward had the privilege of giving up his seat to the Marine escort. Now I'm crying again, just remembering it - the combination of heartbreak and deep gratitude to one who sacrificed for our safety and freedom.

[Melinda]

Easy to forget? Hardly. But we (and Bin Laden) understand that if that's all we dwell upon, we will be living under sharia law in no time.

[Huevos Rancheros]

God must have a very special place in His Kingdom for his fallen soldiers.

[armymarinemom]

Sad to say that you are right. It's hard not to become angry in a big way at lot of American's who buy in to the left wing garbage that comes out of a lot of politicians and medias mouths. There are a lot of idiots out there who behave as if my son in Iraq is serving a prison sentence of is the victim of a crime. It's getting more difficult by the day to keep a civil tongue when I'm approached by these jerks. They think they are giving sympathy when they are only helping the enemy.

[lilylangtree]

Salute to a fallen hero! God bless you Pfc. Shane Austin!

[hsalaw]

Please know that there are literally MILLIONS of us who DO care, we DO appreciate the courage and sacrifice, and we WILL NOT FORGET, and we pray for the safety of our troops and the success of their mission.

[armymarinemom]

My big worry is with the family of Pfc. Shane Austin. They do not deserve to be used by the left. A lot of families are thankful for FR, PGR, and many others who do speak up in support of our troops.