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Thursday, June 12, 2008

THIS is why it IS "important", Senator McCain
Posted by Jill | 7:05 AM
You callous bastard. This is why the idea that how long soldiers stay in Iraq is "not important" is so repellent:

Maj. Lance Waldorf took pride in what he did during two tours in Afghanistan as a civil affairs officer, helping villagers build schools, roads and hospitals.

And, his wife said, he was looking forward to a third tour in Africa in the coming months. As she prepares for his funeral, set for Saturday, Lana Waldorf is comforted by the good her husband did while deployed and her deep Christian faith.

Lance Waldorf, 40, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head Monday at the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township. A note, his will and family photos were nearby. While he exhibited signs of depression, Lana Waldorf, 51, said her husband seemed to be doing better in recent days. He was in the U.S. Army Reserves.

"The appeal of being at peace in heaven was greater than the thought of enduring the pain he was in," Waldorf said Thursday from her Bingham Farms home. "I know Lance is at peace with the Lord. I'm not angry with him. I have forgiven him."

Waldorf said she supports military efforts in Afghanistan. And one of her husband's proudest moments in Afghanistan came in 2004, at the end of his first tour, when he was with a group of soldiers feted by villagers.

They feasted on a whole cow, an honor, and a village elder gave Lance Waldorf his ring.

"The man wept openly," Lana Waldorf recounted. "He said his children and his children's children would remember what Lance did for his people.

"He made a tremendous difference there."

But while her husband shared positive stories of his time in Afghanistan, he kept the darker, more difficult tales to himself.

"I saw some symptoms" of depression, she said. "But what I didn't know were the details of what he was experiencing emotionally or psychologically."

Officials from the Michigan State Police said a handgun was found near Lance Waldorf's body. Waldorf, who was part of the 414th Battalion out of Southfield, was wearing a camouflage military uniform.

His struggles are not unique. Last month, U.S. military officials released a report that there were 115 suicides in 2007 by active duty and reservist troops, a 13% increase over 2006.

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1 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Thank you for posting about this particular case. Americans need to know what hidden prices are being paid by service members and their families while safe old men write their histories based on old wars and other failures.
6/12/08, 1:33 PM  
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