Oak Harbor has now joined the ranks of communities all over the country who have lost sons and daughters to the war in Iraq.
Three sailors from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 11 were killed April 6. It is remarkable that the unit, whose job it is to find and destroy bombs before they can kill U.S. soldiers, has escaped fatalities until now. When it comes to bravery, skill and dedication to their country, members of EOD 11 know no equal. The number of American lives they have saved since the war started over four years ago must be in the hundreds, perhaps higher — nobody keeps track of lives saved. Chief Petty Officer Gregory J. Billiter, Petty Officer 2nd Class Curtis R. Hall, and Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph “Adam” McSween are heroes in every sense of the word.
Nor were they the first in the NAS Whidbey family to die in Iraq. Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcques J. Nettles spent time as a corpsman at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor where he was fondly remembered, although he was dispatched to Iraq with a unit from Camp Pendleton, Calif. He died in Iraq in April 2006 when he was riding in a truck that rolled over in a flash flood.
These lost sailors personify the amazing commitment by all the branches of the U.S. military during this long, frustrating war. Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Reserves, Coast Guard and National Guard have all gone beyond the call of duty in terms of courage, time sacrificed away from their families and willingness to give everything they’ve got to their country. Sen. John McCain recently said something to the effect that this generation is every bit as impressive as the “Greatest Generation” that won World War II. Americans should be humbled to be served by such men and women as our armed forces attract.
Unfortunately, members of the military are not being so well served by the government that leaves them fighting this war without a clear goal in sight. The military needs concrete objectives, not fuzzy political aspirations, to avoid becoming mired in a situation from which there is no escape. Without a clear objective in Iraq, it would be best to cut our losses and, as soon as practicable, leave Iraq to the Iraqis. The outstanding men and women in our military have given Iraqis a real chance to have a representative form of government. It is a great gift, but if the good people of Iraq won’t stand up and take it we can’t force it upon them.
