Posts Tagged ‘prisoners of war’

And sadly so, for the Newlove family. His body has been found. My sincerest sympathy to his family in Renton. That uniformed trio will be back at the door with worse news, flags and funeral ahead, alas.

Light a candle, say a prayer….whatever you do, even if it is only to curse angrily, give a thought to prisoners taken by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Last week, the Taliban announced it had taken two Americans who apparently wandered off their compound in Afghanistan. The two Navy men were missing since Friday, but yesterday, for the family of Navy non-commissioned officer Justin McNeley, the suspense ended: his body was found.

The Taliban says they killed him in a firefight and captured his comrade, also a Navy man. The Navy identifies the second man as PO3 Jarod Newlove, of Renton, Washington. He is now listed as DUSTWUN (duty station & whereabouts unknown), as the military searches for him.

Petty Officer Newlove joins Army Spc. Bowe Bergdahl on the very short list of Americans held prisoner. Spc. Bergdahl disappeared last summer. Now, two families have even more than the usual amount of horror and worry to endure.

Again the full moon throws shadows across funeral wreaths around the world. More and more young men laid to rest in their dress uniforms, and flags put into the hands of sorrowful women, parents, and friends. When will it be enough?

US Marine Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

US Army Staff Sgt. Brian F. Piercy, 27, of Clovis, Calif., died July 19 in , Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when an insurgent planted IED exploded.

US Marine Cpl. Paul J. Miller, 22, of Traverse City, Mich., died July 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

US Marine Cpl. Julio Vargas, 23, of Sylmar, Calif., died July 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

US Army 1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Iraq, of injuries sustained when his convoy vehicle encountered an IED.

Two US Marine pilots died in Afghanistan on July 22 when their helicopter crashed as they supported combat operations:

Maj James M. Weis, 37, of Toms River, New Jersey
LTC Mario D. Carazo, 41, of Springfield, Ohio

US Army PFC James J. Oquin, 20, of El Paso, Texas, died July 23 in Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident when he was swept away by the current when a levee broke near his military vehicle.

On July 24, four soldiers from our local Ft. Lewis died in Afghanistan as a result of IED attack:

Spc. Andrew Hand, 25,of Enterprise, Alabama
Sgt Daniel Lim, 23, of Cypress, California,
Spc. Joseph A. Bauer, 27, of Cincinnati, Ohio
SSG Conrad A. Mora, 24, of San Diego, California

US Marine Lance Cpl. Frederik E. Vazquez, 20, of Melrose Park, Ill., died July 24 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

And with especial sorrow, I must note that the body of Navy non-commissioned officer PO2 Justin McNeley , of Wheatridge Colorado has been found in Afghanistan. McNeley and another sailor left their compound last week and went missing. The Taliban announced that they had killed one and captured the other. PO3 Jarod Newlove, of Renton, Washington is apparently still a prisoner of the Taliban.

Flags courtesy of ITA’s
Flags of All Countries used with permission.



Lt. Jonas P. PlØger, 26, of Denmark (home town undisclosed), died on July 21 in Afghanistan in an IED explosion.

Cpl Matthew J. Stenton, 23, of Wakefield, England died in Afghanistan on July 21 of wounds from hostile small arms fire, while working to evacuate a wounded comrade.

LCpl Stephen D. Monkhouse, 28, of Greenoch, Scotland died while serving in the British Army in Afghanistan on 21 July of wounds from hostile small arms fire, while working with Cpl Stenton to evacuate a wounded comrade.

Sapper Brian Collier, 24, of Ontario, Canada, died in Afghanistan on July 20 as a result of an IED explosion.

And in the news for which this blog exists for—an American soldier, Bow Bergdahl, missing since June has been shown on video, in Taliban captivity and reading a statement describing American actions in Afghanistan in negative terms.

Obviously the prisoner is under duress. Obviously, this film will demoralize and depress his family and his military comrades; I hope it also angers them. I hope it spurs efforts for someone finding and rescuing him.

This is not my holy day, but it was for many decades and I understand this release date is calculated for the most bitter effect. My heart is wrung for those worrying about and loving this man, far from home and in Taliban captivity. For other pagans and/or magical practitioners like myself, I urge you to take magical action to protect this man at risk. To those of you who celebrate Christmas? I urge you to pray for this young man and the family that must be worried sick over him. I fear if his use as a propaganda prop is exhausted, he will be murdered.

And if that is not enough, a young Nigerian seems to have been recruited by Al Queda to attempt to blow up a jetliner bound for Detroit. He had powdered explosives taped to his leg, and used a syringe to inject a liquid that was meant to activate the explosion. It didn’t work quite that way, his leg caught fire and passengers and staff of the jet put out the fire with extinguishers and water.

Well, it had to come, right? The attack Dick Cheney and his friends kept prophesying? My personal bet is, they are only sad it didn’t work so they could blame the Democrats. And interestingly, although the man was on a terror watch list for a couple years, and his own FATHER reported him to the US Embassy as a religious extremist half a year ago; Homeland InSecurity did NOT have him on the no-fly list. Yeah, but we all know THAT list is reserved for people whose political views the former Administration disliked, right? It isn’t about actually keeping us safe! For that, we have to rely on brave passengers.