Shreveport Marine Dies in Iraq Friday

[Rough Rider]

DAMN IT! I hate to hear this..

Shreveport Times

A Shreveport Marine, a 2005 graduate of Huntington High School and former co-captain of its Raiders football team, has died in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. John Edward Hale, a Marine for barely one year and in Iraq for three months, died Friday Shreveport time when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol in Anbar Province, his family says.

"John was so many things, it's hard to put into words," said his sister Paula Moreno, a Shreveport police detective. "He was in Junior ROTC all his time in high school, and he was in the hiking club. He had friends everywhere, and was active in his church."

As with many people, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, on the East Coast galvanized Hale, his sister said. "He was very moved when 9-11 happened, and that was when he made up his mind to join the Marines."

I know for many families right here in the Ark-La-Tex they have family, sons, daughters, wives or Husbands, or friends serving in are armed forces over in Iraq. I can only imagine the amount of stress this must cause. I can only give thanks to those few who give the ultimate sacrifice.

My problem is sending these young troops into a foreign country to do what amounts to "policing" a country, is crazy. They weren't trained to "police" they are soldiers trained for combat. You can't have them walking around waiting to get blown up or shot at FIRST before they can start shooting.. once you do that, there's problems. My prayers and thoughts are with the Hale family.


Rough Rider.