Sorry to be a downer on a Friday afternoon but it found this article today and felt the need to share.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/

Hopeful local papers all around the country follow their lead.

I agree with the sentiment, but I wonder: will they post pictures of soldiers who don't die in combat, like the ones who die stateside in accidents, etc.? Will there be a day when the papers stop posting pictures of soldiers who die?

Does anyone remember if any papers were doing this during Gulf War I? Did they start posting pictures of the soldiers who died in Iraq starting in March of 2003? Did they start posting pictures of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan starting in October of 2001?

I know, lots of questions that don't have answers. I think the paper deserves points for doing this, but they're also part of the same media that should have been pointing out inconsistencies to us _before_ the war. I'm just as pissed at them as I am at our politicians (from both parties) who brought us to this point.

Better late than never is my reaction. The Bush administration has consistently tried to supress any effort to put a human face on the toll that we are paying. I can't help but also think of the countless Iraqis who have died not only due to the two wars but also the innocent citizens and their babies who died between the two invasions due to sanctions placed on the country, which hurt the citizenry and did nothing to bring Hussein down.

My nephew Adam served for a long time in Afghanistan and is now in Iraq. I pray I never have to see his photo on one of these sorts of sites. Anyway, kudos to the Post for doing this even if it's a bit late in the game.

The ultimate sacrifice for this country and my family. Thanks to every soldier or individual that fought for my freedom....

Now lets honor the dead by not letting your leaders destroy the very foundations of your democracy.

Dick's thoughts on casualties. What a Dick.

it's an all volunteer force.

risk of death is the most obvious factor when volunteering to be a soldier.

its like becoming a firefighter and then not wanting to deal with fire.

and yes, I am a veteran and served. and got shot at.

I don't think anyone is disputing that these casualties were volunteers and they knew that they could possibly die.

The reason behind their deaths is the issue here. Their lives are being wasted.

What are you reacting to?

a fighting soldier doesnt want pity he wants 100% support no matter the cause. those guys are fighting and dyng mainly FOR EACH OTHER and any 'negative' stuff back home sucks for them. even if this shit in Iraq is dead wrong SUPPORT THE TROOPS 100%.

THAT is what I am reacting to.

I hear you Frank, and I agree that pity won't do a damn thing to help those guys, and knowing that they are supported certainly can't hurt. I just think it's a shame they're over there and wish they could all come home without a scratch (both physically and mentally). Yeah, I know, I'm an idiotic pacifist.

I didn't see the online memorial as being about pity for fighting soldiers. Besides, if they're fighting for anything, it's ideally a more democratic Iraqi society, or so we've been told, and a free press is a pretty important keystone of our democratic model. Anyway, as a dude from a very military family with a loved one serving in Iraq, yeah of course they want to know they're supported but again I didn't happen to see this thing as being negative or pitiful but more like a reminder of the price being paid in human terms, which tends to seem less real when you just read about some daily IED incident with a bunch of numbers.

I don't think anyone in this thread, or the content in the original link, is detracting from supporting the troops.

I think a great way of supporting the troops is not putting them in harm's way for a worthless effort, and bringing them back home.

It's not the troops we have a problem with, it's the decisions of their Commander-in-Chief.

Well said Roger.

Agree on the comments re: Commander in Chief.

BUT, that being said, the military's job is to execute on orders, period. Is there a problem with the politics behind who is actually giving those orders...yes.

I travel all the time for work, in and out of airports, especially in the south and southeast, and I see the young men and women of our country in their uniforms, headed off into harm's way, while I am headed off to another bullshit corporate meeting, blackberry in hand.

I couldn't be more proud of our men and women in uniform, and support them 100 fucking%. They make me proud to be an American.

George W. Bush does not.

From today's NY Times, a photo by Nina Berman:

Wrenching, wrenching photo...