thedrifter
03-11-07, 07:36 AM
Where are accolades for slain GI?
March 11, 2007
BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist
It is a never-ending story during a time of war. A young soldier dies. A family mourns. A mother implodes. And in many cases, the soldier's step into the military was forced by a career path rutted in poverty and lack of opportunity.
On Feb. 27, Pfc. Daniel Zizumbo, 27, of Chicago, became the 307th member of the U.S. military killed in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001. He had been a Marine. Then he joined the U.S. Army when job hunting proved fruitless.
Zizumbo was killed by a homemade bomb explosion outside the gate of the U.S. air base in Bagram, Afghanistan. Vice President Dick Cheney was forced to stay at the base overnight due to heavy snow, and a suicide bomber reportedly seized the opportunity.
Last Thursday, Zizumbo was buried in a Catholic cemetery in Chicago after a modest service attended by family, friends and three elected officials, none of whom was Mayor Daley or Gov. Blagojevich. The casket was closed because the military said he'd suffered severe physical trauma.
The church choir sang "America the Beautiful."
The Army paid its standard, flat fee of $4,850 for funeral expenses -- far less than the cost of an average service.
In an almost schizophrenic contrast, Daley proclaimed Tuesday Jennifer Hudson Day in honor of Chicago's 25-year-old Academy Award-winning actress and squired her to the Chicago Theatre in a major celebration paid for by the city.
Two days later, Zizumbo was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.
Hudson won a highly prized film award; Zizumbo won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart and took a fatal blast from a homemade bomb.
Although Hudson is absolutely deserving of the accolades of a proud city, so was Zizumbo, who died serving his country on a cold, snowy day in a place he probably had a hard time spelling.
"Daniel may not have approved of what brought us to war, but he believed it was necessary to protect our country," said Senior Airman Erica Crim, Daniel's girlfriend. "He was a soldier. He did as he was told and tried to excel in everything his job required.
"He was very giving. His parents were hard workers, and Daniel took care of his four siblings when they were young," added Crim.
It is impossible to ascribe a monetary value to the life of a soldier who died in defense of his country, but this is known:
The U.S. Army affixes a flat burial fee of $4,850 to cover all funeral expenses if a soldier's family opts for a private service, which costs more than burial in a military cemetery.
Additional funeral expenses have to come out of the $100,000 death gratuity check they get from the U.S. government within 48 hours of their loved one's death. If the soldier leaves behind a wife and children, the money doesn't go far.
To cover the cost of the $7,850 Zizumbo service, Jonathan Siedlecki, funeral director of the Szykowny Funeral Home, gave the family a discount, and 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke paid $2,100.
The cemetery where Zizumbo was buried does not offer a discounted rate for soldiers killed in the line of duty.
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani attended almost every funeral for policemen and firemen killed in the line of duty on 9/11; our state's version is Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who has attended funerals for 140 of the 159 Illinoisans killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ald. Jim Balcer (11th) is also a frequent attendee.
"The Zizumbo funeral was heartbreaking," said Quinn.
"Daniel joined the Marines after graduating from high school and served honorably for four years. But when he came back home, he couldn't get a job despite his outstanding record. So he enlisted in the U.S. Army. These men shouldn't have to come back home to fight for a job. These are our heroes!"
Zizumbo's mother, Julia, is from Mexico and speaks little English.
"My mother said he was a loving child," said Daniel's sister Licci, 24. "He was a little bit shy, but we'll never forget all the good times we had with him and how he made us laugh. He played games with us ... video games. And he never wanted to worry us. He never indicated there was a problem [when he was in Afghanistan].
"He had 2½ months to go before coming home for good," she added.
"It's a sad commentary on American values today when the whole town gets excited about Jennifer Hudson and has a big celebration at the Chicago Theatre, and [two days later] there's a funeral for a young Mexican American recently killed in the line of duty and there's only three public officials who attend," said an observer at the funeral.
"It speaks for itself."
The ring tone on Daniel Zizumbo's cell phone was the melody from the song "Ain't No Sunshine."
For the Zizumbo family, the sun may not shine for a long while.
Ellie
March 11, 2007
BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist
It is a never-ending story during a time of war. A young soldier dies. A family mourns. A mother implodes. And in many cases, the soldier's step into the military was forced by a career path rutted in poverty and lack of opportunity.
On Feb. 27, Pfc. Daniel Zizumbo, 27, of Chicago, became the 307th member of the U.S. military killed in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001. He had been a Marine. Then he joined the U.S. Army when job hunting proved fruitless.
Zizumbo was killed by a homemade bomb explosion outside the gate of the U.S. air base in Bagram, Afghanistan. Vice President Dick Cheney was forced to stay at the base overnight due to heavy snow, and a suicide bomber reportedly seized the opportunity.
Last Thursday, Zizumbo was buried in a Catholic cemetery in Chicago after a modest service attended by family, friends and three elected officials, none of whom was Mayor Daley or Gov. Blagojevich. The casket was closed because the military said he'd suffered severe physical trauma.
The church choir sang "America the Beautiful."
The Army paid its standard, flat fee of $4,850 for funeral expenses -- far less than the cost of an average service.
In an almost schizophrenic contrast, Daley proclaimed Tuesday Jennifer Hudson Day in honor of Chicago's 25-year-old Academy Award-winning actress and squired her to the Chicago Theatre in a major celebration paid for by the city.
Two days later, Zizumbo was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.
Hudson won a highly prized film award; Zizumbo won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart and took a fatal blast from a homemade bomb.
Although Hudson is absolutely deserving of the accolades of a proud city, so was Zizumbo, who died serving his country on a cold, snowy day in a place he probably had a hard time spelling.
"Daniel may not have approved of what brought us to war, but he believed it was necessary to protect our country," said Senior Airman Erica Crim, Daniel's girlfriend. "He was a soldier. He did as he was told and tried to excel in everything his job required.
"He was very giving. His parents were hard workers, and Daniel took care of his four siblings when they were young," added Crim.
It is impossible to ascribe a monetary value to the life of a soldier who died in defense of his country, but this is known:
The U.S. Army affixes a flat burial fee of $4,850 to cover all funeral expenses if a soldier's family opts for a private service, which costs more than burial in a military cemetery.
Additional funeral expenses have to come out of the $100,000 death gratuity check they get from the U.S. government within 48 hours of their loved one's death. If the soldier leaves behind a wife and children, the money doesn't go far.
To cover the cost of the $7,850 Zizumbo service, Jonathan Siedlecki, funeral director of the Szykowny Funeral Home, gave the family a discount, and 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke paid $2,100.
The cemetery where Zizumbo was buried does not offer a discounted rate for soldiers killed in the line of duty.
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani attended almost every funeral for policemen and firemen killed in the line of duty on 9/11; our state's version is Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who has attended funerals for 140 of the 159 Illinoisans killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ald. Jim Balcer (11th) is also a frequent attendee.
"The Zizumbo funeral was heartbreaking," said Quinn.
"Daniel joined the Marines after graduating from high school and served honorably for four years. But when he came back home, he couldn't get a job despite his outstanding record. So he enlisted in the U.S. Army. These men shouldn't have to come back home to fight for a job. These are our heroes!"
Zizumbo's mother, Julia, is from Mexico and speaks little English.
"My mother said he was a loving child," said Daniel's sister Licci, 24. "He was a little bit shy, but we'll never forget all the good times we had with him and how he made us laugh. He played games with us ... video games. And he never wanted to worry us. He never indicated there was a problem [when he was in Afghanistan].
"He had 2½ months to go before coming home for good," she added.
"It's a sad commentary on American values today when the whole town gets excited about Jennifer Hudson and has a big celebration at the Chicago Theatre, and [two days later] there's a funeral for a young Mexican American recently killed in the line of duty and there's only three public officials who attend," said an observer at the funeral.
"It speaks for itself."
The ring tone on Daniel Zizumbo's cell phone was the melody from the song "Ain't No Sunshine."
For the Zizumbo family, the sun may not shine for a long while.
Ellie