After son's death in Iraq, father embeds with unit to tell his story

Sarah Creech

This article is about a fallen solider in the Iraq war, and the troubles his father has been

through since his death. The boy was writing a book about his war experiences before he was killed because he wanted people to know what war was, what it truly encompasses. His parents said that when he came home on leave before he died, they could tell a drastic change in him. He was still fun loving but with a hardness to him. The son, Skip, waned to write this book to show the world that war is bad. It hardens people. When Skip was killed, he had not finished his book, so his father, decided to take on the challenge of finishing the book for him. He did this by joining his son’s troop, getting to know them, and ultimately becoming what his son was. Through this experience the Father was able to finish his son’s book. The book is called “Last Journey: A Father and Son in War Time.” The book was met with good reviews. 

I liked this article because it really shows what actually happens in war. These

days we hear statistics about how many people have died, and the news fills us in on what’s going on. But none of it seems real until you can focus on one individual. By doing this you are able to connect with him and his loved ones and truly grasp how they were affected by the horrendous events of the war. I think a book written by a soldier is a fabulous idea. Because of this book, the American soldier becomes more than a number, he becomes a real person. I think it’s important for all of us to not lose sight of that. Human lives are in danger and people need to be aware of that. While I stated that I believed we should be staying in Afghanistan in my last current event, I take an opposite stand on this war. I believe that too many lives are being lost for a cause, that we lost sight of long ago. This soldier’s story is the reason I take this stand.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/09/16/iraq.soldier.book/index.html?iref=newssearch