October 22, 2007
by Robert W. Barker

The latest Lancet report and other research points to ongoing troop and civilian death toll cover ups. A visit to a family that paid the ultimate price for the Bush war machine, reveals the sacrifice we rarely see. Meanwhile the Iraqi and American service families pay while we watch with stoic indifference this spectacle unfolding in Iraq.

Flag draped coffins surreptitiously return in the dead of night, as if we are ashamed of the fallen returning home from the bellum in the Cradle of Civilization. Many Deaths in Iraq are not counted in the US official fatality toll, because they depart this life in a helicopter above Iraq, or on the way to Germany for surgery, and not on Iraqi soil.  An administration worried about the American fatalities political impact, yet not the loss of people; means they strive to keep the numbers low and the fallen hidden from media or public attention.

Far from the death, confusion and destruction of Iraq, forlorn families wait hopelessly for the homecoming that never occurs. Future of children unrealized remains dark reminders of the loss and pain of absence. As the Iraqi war drags on and the death toll rises; we are bond by civic duty and social requisite to stop and consider the "Andrew Osborn's" of the world.

The Visit

Dreams of another moment in time runs through her mind, an instant when she could feel his arms around her neck. His first tooth, his initial steps, the sound of his voice and laugh, his peaceful rhythmic breathing as he slept, all recalled in vivid recollections.

I could see the pain ingrained on her brow long before we spoke, and her love for her son was evident as she gazed on his photo and spoke of his life.

The pain of Andrew's absence is abated by nothing the Doctor prescribed, or the wine her husband drinks, nor even reminiscing on her son's life. Although the latter is one of the more effective diversions, yet even that it is temporary. I could see her mind revert back to the wounded space she occupied most of her waking hours with every pause in the conversation.

Martha Osborn was a mother, and a mother never relinquishes the sorrow of a child's loss, no matter what the circumstances of the death.

Andrew was a vivacious and active child, every sport and all the activities Middle class America could offer. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Eagle scouts, hunting, football, camping, kayaking, scuba diving, swimming and auto mechanics, and every thing he tried he loved and excelled at it.

Varsity football, more then decent grades, but not good enough for a collage scholarship in academia or sports, so he chooses the Navy and ended up in the Marine Corp. Andrew's ultimate dream was to get a B.S. degree in engineering and coach High school football and the GI bill guaranteed him the funds for the university experience.

The family was therefore proud of him on his graduation from boot camp, so handsome and mature in his dress blues.  He was 19 years old and prepared for a brush with America's enemies anywhere they send him.

His face reflects the innocence of youth an intense warrior training resting in a common union in that fine color portrait, well placed on the family fireplace mantle.

A small alter erected in memoriam to Andrew's short but eventful life, erected in the hub of the living room. The picture is the central point, striking in his dress blues, his white hat, thick neck and intense green eyes, looking so undefeatable, a quintessential young Marine.

There was a trophy he won in high school football, his medals for track and another picture of Andy proudly holding the small mouth bass he caught when he was 15.

John Osborne Andy's father has the look of the Irish, red cheeks, blue eyes, angular pleasant face, this thick shock of gray hair stood out, a stocky man with the gate of a hard working man, he reflects with a certain sadness in his eyes on the day he caught that record making fish.

"That Andrew could catch a trout with old worms, he was some kind of fishermen that boy." Mr. Osborne's eye's at first grew proud then turned sad again as he glances longingly at his lost son's picture.

Slightly overweight matronly and pleasant Martha carried firm wisdom, yet sorrow hung on her back like a weight she could not release. Bags under her eyes newly formed from weeping, a sadness permeated her face even when she smiles, the cost of this war displayed in deep melancholy and carried on her brow.

They offer me a cup of coffee and a tray of cookies.

Ms. Osborn was famous for her chocolate chip cookies and I smile and accept the sweet smelling treat even though my Dr may not approve. Warm and sincere were the Osborn's, one could see how they raised such a fine lad as Andrew.

Andrew and I met on the Internet; we came in contact with each other before he shipped off to Iraq on a political chat site on AOL, while he was on Christmas leave from Boot camp.  I rarely go to such sites; but that night was boring and I started to chat with Andy.

Soon we were sending each other e mails and exchanging ideas, he loved my travel experience and education and I enjoyed his youthful exuberance and zest for life, he reminded me of my own son.

We agreed on much and when we did not, he claimed he enjoyed the logic I used. Never met Andy in person yet his personality came through even in cyberspace.

His mind and heart were as connected to life as anyone I ever encountered; he was a fine young man. A sense of humor, a quick wit, honorable and willing to face the enemies he was trained to stand against without qualms.

Something I was not sure I could do, having never served in combat.

(Article Continues Below)

Emptiness permeates the house on 211 Elm Street, Arcata Ca. as the sunshine's through the curtain lace illuminating Andrews mantle the entire scene took on a surreal atmosphere. Coffee simmers in my cup; I smile and try to shift the mood, but it falls on numbed senses, the emptiness they reside in lies beyond the mundane world.

Talk of the weather and topics of local interest or sports, dangle like an empty bucket over our heads. Every subject leads back to Andrew and his long gone past and absent future. His omitted presence was like a missing piece of a puzzle that we were trying to fit together.

They ask me about my memos and the e- mails from Andrew, I told them about his words they treasured every thing he said.  I told them again how I thought Andy was a fine lad, and was proud to have known him.  I hand the complete collected and printed correspondence over to his father John; who receives them with a solemn touch.

Mr. Osborne laid the printed e-mails on the mantle in a reverent manner and said they would read them later, when they were alone.

Tears very close to the surface and longing too deep, for the separation they felt was raw, and every word Andy wrote held private and sacred. These e-mails will be shared with each other in private moments where weeping and reminiscing can be done without the risk of fouling social etiquette.

Iraq was a topic we could not avoid and I kept my personal feelings close to my vest and let them give me a sense of the attitudes they held towards this strange war.

Martha was angry and disillusioned with the entire thing, feeling like, just perhaps, her son was sacrificed for nothing. She spit the words "Bush and Cheney" out like it held a foul taste, and shed a bitter tear in the process.

John was more conservative in his view, yet less realistic, and blamed the terrorist, and the anti American left. Like many Americans he thought the press:

"Was too all fired eager to play the blood card and not the progress."

I was not sure what progress Mr. Osborne meant, but I was not going to question his words at this time. One could sense the depth of this absence of they're only son, it became like a black hole that sucks the life from the universe.

I wanted to scream: "This bunch of asinine idiots in D.C. brought Andrew to this fate, and official planned prevarications brought your sons life to an end, for the profit of a few."

Ah, but yet as a prudent human being, this was not a moment one could use for soapbox politics, no matter how intensely one felt; they needed soothing not a fire lit under them. So I kept my activist ego under control and my sense of justice to myself and let these folks abide in the sorrow for a while; they deserve it.

Martha kissed my cheek and a tear rolled down her sad face as she told me she was glad I knew Andrew, John shook my hand and told me to call again sometime.

I departed they're home and reflected on the near 4000 acknowledged American's killed in this war so far. They have children, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and family, just like the Osborn's.

And death has created a black hole left dangling by this Iraq war that cannot be filled. How about the wounded, with missing limbs and bodies scared and damaged, lives altered forever, how is that mended?

Then the thoughts of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis that have given up life and limb for this unholy bellum; along with all the American's sacrifice and it overcomes me, and I grow angry sad and sick.

Lancet study and Iraqi Reality

Recently the new Lancet Study for 06 was released and they claim the Iraqi civilian death toll from this war is far higher then official estimates.

Mr. Gilbert Burnham headed the Lancet study and compiled research from Iraqi and American scientist with information garnered through death certificates, infant death rates, and hundreds of household interviews and they claim its "655'000" Iraqi deaths due to war; five times the estimates the Pentagon gave.

Further Steven Robinson vet and a D.C. based Veterans advocacy group leader claims that many American deaths in combat are not recorded, in order to give the impression that things are not so bad.

Mr. Robinson and many other Iraqi vets say that when a skirmish happens and the chain- reaction causes trucks to crash they do not count the people killed in the chain reaction events.

Further they claim many are not counted unless they die on Iraqi soil, or die on the way to a hospital in Germany.

These strange counting methods also leave out death from illness or suicide, multiple accidents and equipment mishaps, gun misfires or even friendly fire.

Not only are they fudging on death tolls they also misrepresent the wounded list.

In fact Harvard research professor Linda Bilmes and Joseph Stiglitz a Nobel economics laureate both claim the American injury toll is close to fifty thousand. In a study to estimate the cost of medical help for the injured Iraqi vets they determined the number much higher then the twenty three thousand the Pentagon claims, in fact more then double.

Evidence of the cover up of the casualty rates should come as no surprise to Americans that have watched the credibility in DC go from zero to minus in six years. WMD, Sadaam- Al Quada connections, Niger yellow cake acquisitions, Mission accomplished show, and the nuclear threat, Amad Chalabi 's popularity, all proved to be lies, so why not troop injury and casualty rates?

Further Blackwater and other mercenary casualties are not counted as they are not public service men so another large group left out of the accountability factor for the Pentagons magic numbers method of tallying the death tolls.

Refugees from this Iraqi war now reach millions, as they pour forth into any place that will accept them. They flee to Iran, Syria and all the places Bush refuses to speak to or negotiate with, and the lack of communication exacerbates the problem.

Civil war rages on and we deny its presence and impact, the Iraqi forces are divided in sectarian tribal loyalties and cannot form a coherent united force and may never accomplish that goal.

American disconnect..

We are not as connected to this all volunteer bellum, no draft, no commitment from the populace like in WWII or even Vietnam, this so called war is for most Americans {except the troop's families} a part time television war that does not affect our lives.

Pass the popcorn and watch the Iraqis kill each other and a few of our boys too, while Viva Viagra blares from the screen. Bush Administration Neo Cons prefers Americans disconnected and out of the loop, therefore as we ignore it, we become accomplices to this horrid reality in Iraq.

The promised Surge becomes more death and destruction, a few military goals met but the larger goals of a democratically united Iraq able to stand on its own is far from realized. Government formed by US weapons is tentative at best, Malachi cannot keep a cabinet or parliament in one unit, trust dies as the entire process is suspected by locals as American controlled.

Iraqi troops are not dependable and sell out at a moments notice or join forces with insurgents after training. We distributed weapons and explosives to our enemies in gross neglect of the responsibility to our own people.

And we send our Andrews and Andreas over there for this?

Andrew and so many other's like him pay with their blood for a war that is the brain child of Cheney- Israel- Saudis and the Project For a New American Century, and the rest of the Neo Con Straussians that profit from oil and constant bellum.

As I watch the bellum unfold, I feel compelled to ask myself daily:

"Did my friend Andy die for the Bush Cheney "Corporatism" we all inherit?"

And the constant unwavering horrible answer is "Yes".

May God Bless Andrew, and may all future Andrew's be sent to war with more then personal wealth, petroleum and war profits as a consideration.

Our military people like Andy are brave and willing, that means it is up to the American civilian population to make sure they are used in a necessary and well thought out manner.

Congress does not seem to care about the Andy's or Iraqi people or they would cut the funds to this death for greed conflict.

Only the American people can change the path we trod on.

Yet the American people are very distracted with two jobs to make ends meet, a family to manage; a minister to give tithe to, and of course reality TV or misbehaving starlets from Malibu.

The election last November was suppose to be a referendum to change direction in Iraq, and a slight surge is all we have accomplished. We all thought the American people spoke quite clearly, except Cheney- Bush and the Neo Cons. The PNAC Bush- Cheney group interpreted the mandate as the opposite and stepped up the rhetoric for surging war, only this time they added Iran in their hawkish cross hairs.

The death does subside in the areas where the Sunnis make deals with the US against the other tribes, yet we exercise scant control in most of Iraq and the Iraqis are not stepping up to the plate.

Not one more Andy should leave our shores for that death trap of corporate profits.

"We the willing dissidents" are almost helpless to stop it, yet as long as I can write, read, shout, protest and register my dissent; it is my solemn duty to try.

Editor's note: While the events and people are herein actual people and places, the names and places in the Andrew section have been changed at the request of the family. 

Robert W. Barker [send him email] is a writer, professional photographer and travel aficionado from Eureka Ca. His work is carried on many web sites around the globe, a first novel recently copyrighted in the library of Congress, is soon to be published.