casualties at home

From the Tallahassee Democrat (requires registration...I'm Robert Smith of the Cure myself):

On Tuesday night, Mike Barwick was the grieving but gracious stepdad, speaking proudly of his 22-year-old stepson who was killed in Iraq.

"He was a hell of a man, I'll tell you that," he said of Lance Cpl. Charles Hanson Jr., killed a week ago when a bomb went off as his patrol passed by. "I just hate that he had to go that way."

Barwick, pacing around his home in rural Crawfordville, shared stories about the young Marine who was nicknamed Catfish Junior and loved to read. On Friday afternoon, that's where Barwick ended his own life.

Last month 136 American soldiers died in Iraq, more than any other month, an average of 4.67 deaths per day. Let us not forget that it's not just the soldiers that suffer, but their families and friends as well.