Sad News

“We have received word that a friend of our family's was killed on Wednesday in Iraq by an IED. His name was Josh and was my sister's boyfriend years ago. Out of all of her boyfriends, he was the one we liked the best, just an all-around good guy. He was her first love and they remained friends even after going their separate ways. My parents and his parents are friends as well. His dad is a park ranger at the state park where my dad hangs out all the time.

His is a close-knit family, and my heart goes out to them. I cannot even imagine how his mother is feeling.

Anyway, it's the first time I have personally known someone who has been killed, even though I can't claim to have known Josh well. I was a little surprised at how strongly I responded to the news. With Jon's current military service it really hits home for me. Of course, I also right away think about our friend Randy who is serving in Iraq right now.”

“Sorry, Ruby... prayers go all who knew and loved Josh. And a "thanks" for his service.”

“Ruby, my thoughts are with you, your family and his.”

“Sorry to hear about your sad news. Good luck bearing it.”

“Sorry for your loss Ruby. It all comes very close to home and makes things very real for those of us here at home. I have a cousin who may be getting called back up after doing a tour in both 'ganistan and Iraq and my little niece is in the green zone now.

I hope both the families healing is swift.”

“Does anyone know the name of the group of bikers that goes to military funerals specifically to shield the family from the goofy anti-homosexual church group that demonstrates at military funerals?”

“That's very sad news, thanks to his family for his service.

They call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders.

http://patriotguard.org/
last edited: 9/01/06 8:44:46 AM”

“I am sorry Ruby, I have a couple of my firemen who are with the Reserves and headed to Kuwait then Iraq. I lost my freshman year roommate in the first Gulf War. If it makes a difference there was a really neat letter written by an Iraqi to a mother who lost her son in the war. Basically it says while we mourn the loss of our son or daughter they mourn the loss of a hero who rescued them from a 35 year nightmare.”

“I lost my brother in Vietnam. The pain never goes away, it just becomes more managable with time.

Blessed are those who die while performing duties with the Armed Forces.

I am sorry for your loss.”

“Sorry, Ruby.”

“Thanks for the link, Bison. My parents were with his parents last night and they expressed concern over the "bikes and leather" that might be there. I don't think they know exactly who they are or what they are there for.”

“Ruby, Birch is a Patriot Guard member and has been to one funeral in Michigan so far. The guys dress accordingly, in dress shirts and pants. They all simply stand at attention with American Flags and are quiet, blocking the view of the protestors. The only time the motors were rev ed was when the funeral procession passed the protesters from that whacked out church in Kansas. After the family passed out of earshot of the vile crap they were spewing the motors were cut.

I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family and Josh's family are in my thoughts and prayers. I can relate to how difficult it is to lose a friend in such a horrific way. If you want to talk I'm here.

My oldest brother is sitting in a lawn chair in Kuwait acclimatizing right now. He'll be in Iraq within a few days. I'm tired of war.”

“Ruby my heart breaks for you and Josh's family. There are no words that can ease the pain.

There have been several guys that have lost their lives from Asheville and it suprised me (even though I didn't know them) how much it impacted me.”

“Very sorry, Ruby.

I have a young friend who just sent me an e-mail about disarming unexploded ordinance in Afghanistan and it makes me worry.

Doug”

“I'm so sorry Ruby. I'm sure the support of your family and others will provide some comfort to a family that has lost such a fine young man.”

“My dad (goes by the trail name of "Pake")hangs out at a different forum for canoe enthusiasts. He posted this which I think tells very poignantly how some of us are feeling right now:



Pelican Rapids is a small town. Something just over 2000 people. But in the summer, our population swells by tens of thousands. People come to this area from all over the midwest to escape from the heat of the city, or the pressures of their lives, and they try to relax by the many lakes that our county is known for.

But Thursday around noon, there were visitors of a different sort in the area. The car they arrived in was an �official� car. The two uniformed men who came into our quiet little town were here because their jobs required them to �personally deliver� the news to our friends, Bob and Kathy, that their oldest son, Josh, had been killed in Iraq on Wednesday.

Within minutes apparently, I had received a call from another friend of mine, Mike, who is a Lieutenant in the Sheriff�s Department. �Rick,� he asked, �have you talked to Bob lately? There�s some talk���

Bob is the manager at Maplewood State Park. You�ve probably heard me talk about it. He also drives a school bus, as does my wife M. Bob�s wife, Kathy, works as a gate attendant at the State Park. Like I said, it�s a small town.

�No Mike,� I said, �we saw Kathy a few nights ago when we dropped the canoe in the water, but that�s all.�

Too soon we found out the truth. M called me and said, �You�d better tell Becca.� She�s our baby. She�s 24 now, and had dated Josh seriously for four years. They had mutually agreed to break things off, and since that time, his National Guard unit had been activated, first to Bosnia, and most recently to Iraq. But I don�t think that she ever really got over him.

I drove over to the salon where she operates her business, and waited a few minutes while she finished up with her client.

�Have you got a minute, honey?�

�Sure Pops.� She said with a smile that always reminds me why, I love her so much.

We stepped outside the shop, out of earshot of her co workers and clients, and I delivered with dread, my burden.

�DAD NO!� She collapsed in my arms with great heaving sobs, and uncontrollable grief.

We cried together, and I held her, and wished I could protect her from the pain that I knew she must be feeling.

Becca cancelled the rest of the day�s appointments. We knew that we had to find M; who was already out shopping, and collecting bags of groceries and household supplies for delivery to our friends. We quickly made our way over to Bob and Kathy�s place.

When we arrived, there was already an assortment of friends, family members, neighbors, and co workers standing by, dumbfounded.

As darkness fell, and after Bob related to us the details as he understood them, he said he needed to step outside and get some air. I followed him out, and along with Jim, who owns the bus company, we made our way out of the modest home, onto the deck, which ironically overlooks, Silent Lake.

And it was. There was no calling of Loons or birdsong tonight. There was no sound of children laughing or splashing in the lake, nor could you hear the usual sounds of fishermen, trolling back and forth along the shoreline.

There were just the muffled sounds. The sniffs and low groans and soft talk of a few graying heads.

�I don�t know what to do.� Bob said quietly, his voice almost pleading for direction.

�I don�t either.� I admitted through my tears.

�I�m glad you guys are here, so I don�t have to be alone.�

Joshua, his son
A member of the Minnesota National Guard,
activated for duty in Iraq;
died of wounds suffered Wednesday, August 30, 2006,
while on patrol;
when the HumVee in which he rode,
struck an Improvised Explosive Device.



One week ago, on August 22,
Josh celebrated his 27th birthday.”

“Ruby, your dads account is powerful stuff. Gods peace,healing,grace and comfort to his kin and loved ones.

A crisp salute to you Josh. Thank you for serving.”

“death sucks.”

“Gotta agree with bear, It has been 5 years and I still miss my friends from FDNY at the conferences.”

“My brother was in Beirut as a Marine way back in the day. can't really remember other spots he might have visited. After his stint with the Marines he enlisted in the Army, 101st Airborne. Saw action in Iraq with the 101st in Gulf WarI.

Gulf WarI #&%!$ed him up. He never talks about it. Got out of combat right after and retired later with full honors. He's a banker now. Used to think he was an #&%!$ and he probably thought the same.

Then we grew up. Glad he's still alive.”

“Bear, I understand, my Uncle went into the Marines in 1941, came out in 1946. You know he saw stuff on Guadacanal, Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Saipan, Okinawa......I cannot relate to it but he went through some tough times. Until his death in 1992 he would sleep on the floor at night during thunderstorms.”

“Everyone's already said it better than I can, but God bless his family and friends through this time...”

“Saddness...so hard to have someone you've known and cared about die...hugs, Ruby...”

“crazy, awful war

good luck helping your sister through this, ruby

live for the living”

“Dangit Pathman, are you trying to make us cry?! I can't listen to that, nor a twenty-one gun salute anymore w/o losing it. =(”

“Losing someone close really takes your breath away.”

“sorry sass, I think I do it to keep from becoming numb and complacent.”

“Me, too. I clicked on Path's link and had to grab a tissue right away. I almost turned it off but thought I should listen to the whole thing.”

“Man...anyone else here get choked up at hearing TAPS?”

“Man...anyone else here get choked up at hearing TAPS?

definitely.”

“Ruby - your Dad's post had my tears flowing.
(I think I'll skip Pathman's link)”

“Ruby - your Dad's post had my tears flowing.
He sounds like a great Dad and a fine man.(I think I'll skip Pathman's link)”

“I really wanted to go home to Minnesota for Josh's funeral. It is scheduled for Saturday morning. Unfortunately, our house closing is scheduled for late Friday afternoon and there are a few other financial constraints so I will not be able to go.

My parents and sister have been calling me with updates. The outpouring of support for his family is amazing. My small home town is so torn up right now. Right about this time Josh is being driven into town. The local radio stations are broadcasting live updates. My dad just told me that the Patriot Guard is escorting him and at last check, their line of motorcycles alone was two and a half miles long. The people are lined up all along the streets waiting for Josh.

I can't even believe how much this sucks. This is really really tough.

http://56572.blogspot.com/”

“My dad just told me that the Patriot Guard is escorting him and at last check, their line of motorcycles alone was two and a half miles long. The people are lined up all along the streets waiting for Josh.

That's an amazing outpouring of support. It's great that Josh's family and friends have that at this time. Don't stress too much about your presence there or not at this time vic. They have so much to absorb, and your prayers and condolencens have surely already been felt.”

“Thanks, Hubcap.


This is so messed up. The crazy church is planning to be there. This is their press release today:



http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/sep2006/20060907_joshua-hanson-funeral.pdf

"Westboro Baptist Church

Thank God for lEDs
(Improvised Explos~eD evices)

God Himself Has Now Become America's Terrorist, Killing
and Maiming American Troops in Strange Lands for Fag Sins.

WBC will picket the funeral of Army National Guard Sgt.
Joshua R. Hanson - at 11 :45 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 9 - at
Pelican Rapids High School, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.
"For there fell down many slain, because the war was of
God." 1 Chron. 5:22. God has irreversibly cursed America.
America bombed our church with an IED made by fag
students at Washburn Univ. in Topeka. In His
retaliatory wrath, God is killing Americans with
. . Muslim IEDs: "Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and
do my prophets no harm." 1 Chron. 16:22. "For it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the
Lord." Rom. 12:19. God Almighty killed Army Sgt. Hanson.
He died in shame, not honor - for a fag nation cursed by God:
"Buried with the burial of an ass." Jer. 22:19. Thence to Hell with his soldier pals.

They turned America
Over to fags;
They're coming home
In body bags."



Mom and Dad say that the police are ready for them and have painted a perimeter line 500 feet away from the high school. If they cross the line they will be arrested.”

“Ruby,

Dont sweat the nutjobs. There are very few of em. When I saw them there were 5, we were over 450. They became a non-issue quickly.”

“It still sucks that they feel a need to intrude on the grief of friends and family of the soldiers.Someone should tell them that we do get their real message,that they're idiots.”

“I believe in the right to free speech as much as anybody.

But, as with any other power, it should be weilded in a responsible manner. Common decency should not be put aside to advance a particular cause.”

“The worst part about that WBC is that there will be little kids doing their prosthelitizing. It's too gross.”

“Common decency isn't so common.”

“YOU know...we need to get a bunch of us and go out to WBC and set up some speakers on Sunday morning and play some good rock music while they are trying to have church services. I wonder how loving and Christ like they would be if we interrupted their services on Sunday?”

“That's assuming they bother to have an actual church service. I read somewhere they while they call themselves baptist, no baptist organization recognizes them and that their "minister" is ordained or trained/taught by no one. They just hide behind the words "baptist church."


I looked at some of the pics they have on their web site. Like Sass said, their use of kids at their pickets is especially disturbing.


I really like your idea, XL. But they'd probably get off on the attention.”

“Baptists...”

“I was brought up Baptist. Didn't stick too well.”

“I think it's the clover leaf 666 birth mark on the back of your head.”

“LOL”

“WHAT, that's the meanest thing I've ever heard!”

“I was brought up Baptist. Didn't stick too well.”
StoveStomper


I think that applies to HPM as well. ;P”