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thedrifter
07-24-06, 08:46 AM
Posted on Mon, Jul. 24, 2006

There’s no need for more Marines to die in Iraq war

By James P. Fenton

On April 26, my nephew, Matthew J. Fenton, a 24-year-old Marine sergeant, was mortally wounded during combat operations in Fallujah, al Anbar Province, Iraq. He died of his wounds May 5 at Bethesda Naval Hospital, his family by his side. His funeral was in his hometown of Little Ferry, N.J.

My brother John lost his beloved only son, and he remains brokenhearted to this day. I honestly do not know how he summons the strength to go to work or to go on with something resembling a normal life. And Matt’s death has also left a large extended family in various stages of grief.

This tragedy is multiplied 2,500 times for the families of each of the soldiers fatally wounded and thousands times more for each of the families of the maimed and brain-damaged veterans who have survived the Iraq war.

Matt, five years a Marine, was deployed to Iraq nearly three years to the day after the toppling of Saddam’s regime, and he was wounded just six weeks after he arrived.

He was the machine gunner atop a Humvee in a convoy through the center of Fallujah, when suddenly an automobile emerged from a side street traveling at a high rate of speed and aimed straight at Matt’s Humvee. Matt’s comrades believe he got a bead on the driver and might have gotten off a couple of shots, but I am told that suicide bombers are trained to detonate early when there is a risk that they may not get a chance to detonate at all.

This insurgent’s intention was to ram the Humvee and then detonate, killing perhaps four or five Marines. When instead he detonated prematurely, he flipped the Humvee, but thankfully the occupants survived. Unfortunately, the shrapnel from the exploding vehicle struck Matthew in the forehead, immediately destroying his brain. According to the Navy doctors, Matt never knew what hit him, and we take some comfort from that. We also take pride in the fact that in doing his duty, Matt saved the lives of several of his Marine comrades.

But why was Matt in Iraq three years after the “Mission Accomplished” speech? It is difficult not to see the logic of Rep. John Murtha’s position that our troops have done all they can or should be asked to do and should now be withdrawn. The Iraqis have some difficult issues to resolve, but those are for the Iraqis to settle.

Murtha, D-Pa., is beloved at Bethesda for his frequent and unpublicized visits to the wounded troops and for his kindness toward the families there who are struggling with great personal loss. The congressman spent time with my brother during the last hours of Matt’s life, and John will never forget his kind words and consoling sentiments. John, as well as Matt’s entire family, are appalled that this very distinguished member of Congress, himself a decorated Marine, should now be subjected to a smear campaign by this incompetent administration and its media lackeys.

But attacking the messenger will only get you so far. Murtha is correct. No more fathers should have to suffer, as my brother John is suffering even now, because of this administration’s failure to foresee the disastrous position in which it has placed our brave soldiers and Marines. And this administration should call a halt to its disgraceful smear campaign against Murtha.
James P. Fenton is a Fort Wayne attorney. He wrote this for The Journal Gazette.

Ellie