In many primitive societies, the moon is seen as the carrier of the dead—a sort of boat or raft to the great, presumed Beyond.  Now, paganish sort that I am, I don’t know where (if anywhere) the dead go. My experiences since building the Labyrinth incline me to think there is a somewhere; but good little Kantian that I am, I cannot presume to know the specifics of that journey.

Nonetheless, two or more times a week, I go outside to the Labyrinth with a list of names of the newest dead Americans & Coalition members in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Since the news here  only mentions names when they come from the local post or are state residents, I figure many news outlets  do the “be nice to the President and hide his bodies” thing.  So, from the founding of this website, over a year ago, I have listed those names on the associated message boards (Folder - Taps) each time I walked, and never less than four times per month–with each change of moon phase.

Since I am planning to lose the message boards next spring for various reasons, it dawned upon me that I need to list the dead somewhere.  So, brace yourselves….four times per month I will list all the names released by the DOD and hunted down at other sites by me.  It will not be as day to day as the message boards, done right before my walking.

For instance, todays entries are given you from the New Moon entries for April of 2008.   But at least, they will be listed….which is more than I can say for the national news, where they look all trembly just mentioning the numbers killed.

From the last moon phase: New to First Quarter April 2008:

Staff Sgt. Jeremiah E. McNeal, 23, of Norfolk, Va. -Army - Iraq - IED

Sgt. Richard A. Vaughn, 22, of San Diego, Calif. - Army -Iraq - RPG

Sgt. Timothy M. Smith, 25, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - Army - Iraq - IED

Spc. Jason C. Kazarick, 30, of Oakmont, Pa. - Army - Iraq - RPG

Sgt. Michael T. Lilly, 23, of Boise, Idaho. - Army - Iraq -RPG

Maj. Mark E. Rosenberg, 32, of Miami Lakes, Fla. - Army - Iraq - IED

Col. Stephen K. Scott, 54, of New Market, Ala. - Army - Iraq -enemy fire

Maj. Stuart A. Wolfer, 36, of Coral Springs, Fla. - Army - Iraq - enemy fire

In Iraq, all Army:

Pfc. Shane D. Penley, 19, of Sauk Village, Ill. - died of “wounds” while on guard duty

Capt. Ulises Burgos-Cruz, 29, of Puerto Rico, - IED

Spc. Matthew T. Morris, 23, of Cedar Park, Texas - IED

Staff Sgt. Emanuel Pickett, 34, of Teachey, N.C., - indirect fire

And Coalition TRoops (not all names for the period are released yet)

All killed in Afghanistan:

Jeremie Ouellet of Canada
Anders Storgaard of Denmark
Christian Rasschou of Denmark

Spc. Charles A. Jankowski, 24, of Panama City, Fla. - Iraq - Army - IED

Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan, 32, of Norfolk, Va - Iraq - Army -IED

Sgt. Dayne D. Dhanoolal, 26, of Brooklyn NY - Iraq - Army -IED

Staff Sgt. Travis L. Griffin, 28, of Dover, Del. - Iraq - Air Force - IED

In Iraq and Afghanistan, Coalition and American dead are now over 5,100 dead.