Everytime Bad news comes from Iraq

I get a call, or an email, of a smoke signal or something. People always ask me if I know the people or if I was there or something like that. If I do or don't I never say. I mean when I get the calls I'm not sure if family members have been notified and even then what is there to talk about?

Whenever Marines or Soliders die there is a noticeable pall around the base. It's like every Marine has a bit of personal reflection as if to say "that could have been me". However I've rarely seen that pall last more than a day. It must be the training because they are back at it the next day. Marines tend to say things like "I have a job to do" that's how they look at the situation. This is their job and this is what they do. Nothing more nothing less.

It's part of that coping mechnism, like I said that pall doesn't last long the Marines have a job to do.

What I tend to find bizzare is that people back in the states (and usually those that have nothing to lose) are all gung-ho about sending troops into harms way and then seem all shocked and abhored when they die. This make no sense to me, I think Americans no longer grasp the concept of sacrifice.