April 29, 2007
by Lonnie D. Story

The excerpt below is a small piece of the new book I'm close to finishing, "Without a Shot Fired: The Dustin Brim Story."  This is a heart-wrenching true story - about Dustin Brim - a 22 yr. Old U.S. Army soldier that died shortly after being deployed to Iraq - and some stuff called Depleted Uranium.  It is not my nature to share my writings premature of the final draft.  However, due to personal reasons, I have made the decision to open a crack into the book so that no one forgets what has happened and what is important.   It is my genuine hope that your heart is touched, your spirit inspired, and your will ignited.  --Lonnie

Little more than 15 months after Dustin closed his eyes in that bed at ICU, Cancer Ward, Walter Reed Hospital, his death and passing had become an event that took a new life of it's own.  This new life was set to be one no less different than life itself for any mortal being.  Just like life for most people, the life of the death of Dustin Brim had a birth, an infancy and a tumultuous adolescence.  Though, at the time of this writing, the life of the death of Dustin Brim remains to be seen as to how old it will grow, it does, never the less, still grow, age and develop daily.
 
I can't adequately say that Dustin's death was, or is, some descriptive word such as an issue or controversial subject, although it is indeed both of those things.  I have to call it a "life" because of how it has come to breath on it's own in words, conversation and infamy whether good, bad, argued, hated, despised, glorified or memorialized.

Although Dustin's physical body has long since been buried, his spiritual body and his memory lives on indefinitely.  I could not imagine that this is the way Dustin would want to be remembered.  Who of us would want to be remembered in such a way?  Known only to strangers for a name attached to a horrible, violent and controversial subject.  That is definitely no way to live, that is not a life, it is living, existing and eternally set to touch the mind and thoughts of a new person each day, like it or not.
 
It is more the name than any other thing that has now become such a living thing, palpable, beating, groaning and aching in argument, a name incarcerated by another: Depleted Uranium.  All that Dustin was, in his relatively short life, his words, his laughter, his tears, his hopes, his dreams, his friends and his family are only living in memories.  Yet, his name is multiplying, affecting, aggravating and inspiring. 
 
There are some people who cry out and crave for immortality.  They want anything but the curious and inevitable taste of death.  As if living on in this life, this earthly body and this physical form for all eternity has a utopian hope.  How false and deceiving.  Such a request would most certainly become a prison of anguish and anxiety if the wish were granted.  One would only need to read the book or watch the movie "Interview With A Vampire" to get a glimpse of what torment it might be.  Yes, we should all be careful what we wish for, we just might get it.  Again, Dustin didn't ask for this new life for his name, he had no choice and it was not his decision, the die was cast before he was even born.
 
As with his past life, will his name ever die?  Will there be "rest" for his name as even to the rest he now has in his spirit and soul?  That is a question that cannot be answered here.  However, because the name has been written and cast upon the sea of literature and media, it would be foolhardy to think it to be less than immortal how ever quietly or loudly existing.  The name Dustin Brim, the life of the death of Dustin Brim has already reached immortality, like it or not.  Dustin Brim and depleted uranium have become synonymous and eternal.

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Lori didn't bring life to this thing or give birth to it, this controversial subject, any more than she gave life and birth to Dustin but for any other reason than the hope in her heart and the desire to see something good from the grace of God with her own eyes.  Lori did see Dustin born and live his life before her eyes.  She cherished every moment and savored the memories.  The very memories that sustain her in each long day of grieving, recovery and yes, hope.  Although dead to the world, her only son lives inseparably from something she had no control over: The evolution of mankind's insatiable appetite to create, invent and satisfy.  People digging deep in curiosity, however innocent it may be, trying to get answers to questions eternal.  What we call science in the end is nothing more than curiosity and questions because we lack the infinite mind and ability to be satisfied with creation as it is and fail to know when some things should not be known.
 
While it is altruistic to seek answers to questions that are for the betterment of mankind as a whole, whether in physical body or quality of living, dangers do lurk in corners unforeseen.  Delving into the mysteries of matter can take a toll and does have a price.  Madame Curie can attest to that truth.  Her own life taken by the very thing that brought her fame, fortune and even some answers to her many questions.  Yet, all the while she tinkered, tampered, mixed, matched and "played" with her precious fascination, the product was silently, slowly and methodically answering questions she didn't have and it was killing her. 

Just like as in so many other things the curiosity killing the cat and not always does the "cat" have nine lives as fabled.  Indeed, scientist delve in dark places for good reason but not necessarily with good results.  There is a limit set by God as to what bounds we dare to walk and venture.  The crossing of those lines have disastrous results if not heeded.  It is one thing to seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding, that is good and well, but, to seek things for the purpose of power, control and fame it is another thing; folly.
 
When men use science for the purpose of gaining power and control over others, whether through "modernized" weapons or tools of manipulation God's jealousy will always prevail.  It leads only to evil doing and evil results.  Whether the arguments over the use of depleted uranium in weapons is ever settled or not, the fact remains: There is a very high price of accountability when one gains knowledge.  Will the issue ever be resolved?  Will Dustin's name die its own death?  Will life of Dustin's death ever become a moot point of argument?  Only time will tell.  The remaining question now is: What will we learn from all of this?

"Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.  There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it.  But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom.  Yet no one remembered that poor man.  So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength."  But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.  The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (evil) destroys much good."  Eccl. 9:13-18

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Lonnie D. Story [send him email] is the author of "The Meeting of Anni Adams" and is working on "Without A Shot Fired: The Dustin Brim Story"  Write Mr Lonnie D. Story at 1339 Center Avenue, Holy Hill, FL 32117.