It could be you...



Specialist Mitchell Roe, 20, of Canton, Mich., was on the frontline on Wednesday with the Third Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment. (NY Times)

***

Today was a looooong day at work, but while waiting for edited video to render, I kept reading the news and I saw the above picture...

The soldier looks Asian American, probably Korean I'm thinking (I had an old Korean American kendo/kumdo homie from the UW with the last name Roh). The guy is just 20 years old, younger than me, and he's putting his life on the line for these nebulous terms we always throw around here in America like duty, honor, freedom, and democracy. It could just as easily be me in his place right now, or perhaps in the future.

I feel a bit relieved now that troops are drawing near to Baghdad and the end of the war perhaps is in sight. I'm still praying for the best, both for kids out there serving in our military, and for the millions of Iraqis caught in the middle of this.

Makes you think. I suppose economic woes seem rather insignificant compared to it all...

...and I wonder if that m4 carbine with scope and m203 grenade launcher is as heavy as it looks.

*edit update (7-10-03: Someone has informed me Mitch is Filipino. Coo. A salute to him and all our service men/women who fought in Iraq and continue to serve. May we consider carefully the meaning of duty, honor, freedom, and democracy... we cheapen their lives if we do not respect the values they hvae risked their lives for.*
posted by G at 6:08 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33