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Old Enough Now to Ask How Dad Died at War

nytimes.com — In a marker of the Iraq war's longevity, children too young to remember losing a parent in action are growing up.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 21, 2007

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  • zappa717, on 10/22/2007, -2/+48I think we are breeding an angry generation. What happens when they find out that their parent died because of lies and greed?
  • rebelcommander, on 10/22/2007, -1/+34I can't imagine what it would be like to have to come to terms with the loss of a parent at such a young age; especially in such an abrupt manner as receiving a notice from the armed services that they are no longer alive.
  • Groovemaster, on 10/22/2007, -7/+32The real kick in the teeth is gonna come when they find out their fathers died for no better reason than to make 4% of the population richer.
  • RockMyMonkey, on 10/22/2007, -1/+24Sad statement indeed.
  • tomboy501, on 10/22/2007, -5/+26ahem....Reg? Did you just dupe me? Well...yours is already doing better than my 7-hour-old post. It's a great story....hope it gets to the FP one way or another.
  • ddizzle, on 10/22/2007, -2/+18funny how top digg users care when they dupe other top users submissions, but nobody else's
  • chase001, on 10/22/2007, -0/+15Hopefully these children will be angry enough to learn about politics and never elect another neocon and maybe even run for office themselves.
  • leexy, on 10/22/2007, -3/+17I said it before, and will say it again: The US army is not gonna get out of Iraq. At least, not in our lifetimes.

    For those who think these kids have a good reason to be angry (despite their parents enlisting in all free will) , think about the Iraqi generation growing up. Mahmudiya, Abu Ghraib, and other massacres courtesy of the army and Blackwater left a lot of orphans. Don't think for a second that they'll all be forgiving.
  • Groovemaster, on 10/22/2007, -2/+16Yeah, when you put it like that, war for profit is actually a great idea!

    Cretin.
  • kuragami, on 11/13/2007, -0/+11That was heart wrenching to read. I lost my mom when I was 17 and was left with only my grandparents.

    This is what one hero had to say about why he was fighting wars.

    "I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints."

    -Major General Smedley Butler U.S. Marine Corps
  • HPCELarry, on 10/22/2007, -1/+11wtf?
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -4/+14Didn't mean to, I missed your post. Sorry :(
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -0/+9I lost my mother, and father to a car crash when I was 4.
  • ATH025, on 10/22/2007, -1/+9Eh.. it's worse if you're older seeing how you have had more time to develop a relationship with them, though of course it's terrible either way.
  • depro9, on 11/13/2007, -0/+7Once she understands her father died for greedy oil men I think she will be outraged over the pointlessness of it all.
  • Smight, on 10/22/2007, -1/+8We'll go bankrupt long before these kids are even close to grown up if we continue this war.
  • ozid, on 10/22/2007, -1/+7You say that like it doesn't happen to most kids somehow in their lives. My grandpa died when I was 4 and I started asking questions later. It made my parents extremely sad, and they had expected his death. Yeah it's wrong to "pass" the grief off to your kids, but these people aren't. They are being sad along side of their kids, and there isn't anything wrong with that, IMHO.
  • skulljar, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5All war is based on lies and greed.
  • Fuze07, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5Yes, great idea, kill people to make others rich.

    I cannot believe Americans are this stupid.
  • kuragami, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5It would need to be a very large group of kids and sadly everything is stacked against them. They, like truth, is in the minority.
  • TyR88, on 10/22/2007, -0/+5I'm feeling kind of sad after reading this :/ Touching article if you ask me..
  • gak001, on 10/22/2007, -2/+7***** you, man. ***** you.
  • bkings, on 10/22/2007, -8/+12Dude shut the ***** up. They are just little kids. Faith in something doesn't hurt. All of us Christians are not giant douche bags
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -0/+4I dont believe in god's but think the care bear thing was an outstanding way to handle it. For any of you who ever dealt with a small child, what exactly would you say? Sorry your dad is never coming home?
  • allan17, on 10/22/2007, -0/+4Leexy is completely right. The US still has bases and forces stationed in Japan from WW2. Again in South Korea, etc. They will be in Iraq for a very long time.
  • bkings, on 10/22/2007, -3/+7Oh I am stupid because i believe there is a higher power than man? See I love how you just lump all of us into the same category you don't know the first thing about me and yet you judge me. People like you are no different than religious extremists why cant be all just get along?
  • tomboy501, on 10/22/2007, -3/+6Hey man. Relax. The point is to try and keep the site clutter free. Dupes add to the mess in upcoming. Common courtesy to the community is to digg the original story if dupe check shows it to you, cancel your sub and move on. Zaibatsu already said he didn't see it. Dupe check is broken sometimes. It happens.
  • fuzzmeister, on 10/22/2007, -2/+4Sorry, but the war just can't last for too much longer. We simply cannot pay for it. At some point, we will have to draw down or withdraw, no matter what the situation is.
  • troye, on 10/23/2007, -0/+2OMG, shut up!
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -0/+2Many Americans had family members killed in World War 2 but they didn't all try to end it. They realized that you can't just pull the e-brake on a war. Yes, it is horrible that our soldiers are dying in Iraq, but I'd rather not make their sacrifices worthless.

    Btw, your post reminded me of a quote: "The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of a million is a statistic." - Josef Stalin.
  • Frei, on 10/22/2007, -0/+2One death in an unjust war is too much.
  • skulljar, on 11/13/2007, -0/+2Well it's pretty sickening to hear a four year old tell me "daddy died from a gun!" with a smile on his face and a plastic machine gun in his hand. Then his mother told him "No, daddy died from the bomb in the road, hon."
    It's pretty sickening to see all the families moving off base housing with their kids and pets minus daddy.
  • skulljar, on 10/22/2007, -0/+2No. It's different when they were killed by other people, you know- murder. It's different when someone- not something, killed daddy. On purpose. But in a way, you're right. Most of the kids will go on and adapt/overcome. I'd also add that you're wrong about relatively few dying because I don't think you're considering all the deaths and the casualties. Don't forget the contractor deaths, the servicemember deaths AND wounded, the brits etc., plus the Iraqi casualties. Don't forget Afghanistan.
  • yingjai, on 10/22/2007, -0/+2Well I hope you plan on taking action to back up your statement.
  • Fuze07, on 10/22/2007, -0/+2As usual =|
  • SoyJames, on 11/13/2007, -0/+2Indeed... Anybody that thinks America uses military force to "spread Democracy" or simply to "do the right thing" is- well... I can't finish that sentence politely.
  • wilf_brim, on 10/22/2007, -2/+4This is sad, but I'd remind everybody that a relatively few have died in this war. What these children are going through is the same as the far more common ways that men and women with children die every day. Even if your dad died in a construction accident when you were 2, or your mom was killed by a drunk driver when you were 3, the result is the same. You grow up without a parent, and have no real memories of your mother or father.
  • masterdbugger, on 10/21/2007, -0/+2not all christians do that
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -3/+5if it's an iraqi kid, it's easy. one points at the limb he misses and says, "your dad wasn't that lucky".
  • PeakAction, on 10/22/2007, -1/+3Grats, deltabourne, you're the Prick of the Week.
  • haiduz, on 10/22/2007, -1/+2small price to pay for iraqi freedom

    /strong sarcasm
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -1/+2Which is why Digg is now just MSM. Controlled by the elite top digg whores...
  • livingwater, on 10/22/2007, -1/+2It's ok everyone; Bush has everything under control...
  • SoyJames, on 10/22/2007, -0/+1OK Whew!!! For a few years there I thought he had no idea what he was doing...
  • gethane, on 10/22/2007, -1/+2*cry*
  • SoyJames, on 10/22/2007, -0/+1Sweet... blame the Democrats for Bush's ***** up. Don't mention the fact that there were no WMDs. Don't mention the fact that Iran is now destabilizing the region. Don't mention the fact that Rumsfeld's plan never had enough troops. Don't mention the fact that we HAVE to begin withdrawing troops next spring because our forces are overextended. Don't mention the fact that the Taliban has resurfaced in Afghanistan because we moved all our pieces to Iraq...
    Yup... the Republican strategy, everyone. When backed into a corner, just blame somebody else. Or scream "Clinton". That seems to get them riled up too.
  • chase001, on 10/22/2007, -0/+1Not if you count Holy Joe Lieberman as one.
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -1/+2What else do you tell a ***** 3 or 4 year old? "Your daddy died for a war that most people don't like, but don't worry, instead of going to a place of eternal happiness and peace, he'll just be dead for the rest of the time the universe exists.
  • phillymozart, on 10/22/2007, -0/+1This is a touching article about the tremendous pain and suffering a family goes through with the loss of a son/daughter on the battlefield. Not a very good argument against the Iraq war; just against war in general.
    However I know the NY Times is preaching to the choir, so please continue the anti-Bush tirades and rants.
  • inactive, on 10/22/2007, -0/+1Yeah, they were FROM World War 2 but they have changed purposes. Now, instead of keeping an eye on the Reconstruction, they are keeping an eye on Russia/China/North Korea.
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