The Face of Number 4,000 in Iraq

When George W. Bush flew with great fanfare onto the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003 and announced from the flight deck that the war in Iraq was all but over, I'm sure there were sighs of relief among America's military families. I'm sure they believed that what he had said in feverishly promoting the Iraq invasion was true -- that this would be a quick victory, with little loss of military life and that his team knew what they were doing in the occupation that would follow.

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended," declared Bush, in a nationally televised address, backed by a giant banner proclaiming "mission accomplished."

With that statement, the president who lied the country and the U.S. Congress into the Iraq quagmire was again deceiving the American people, but this time the deception was that the toughest times in Iraq had past.

Of course, everyone now knows the truth.

We know that 96 percent of the Americans killed in Iraq have died since Bush boasted that our mission was accomplished and we know with sickening assurance that we have hit the hideous milestone of 4,000 of our own dead in the Bush administration's war of choice.

We arrived at that number on Sunday and we've seen it replayed in all its sterility throughout the media this entire week.

And to be sure the numbers of dead and wounded while astounding in generalities have sadly begun over the last five years to lose their specificity, to render us unable to grasp the individual stories of lives lost for no reason and so many families left with interminable grief.

But I want to tell you about number 4,000, because he has a name and he had a wonderful life to come.

His name is Christopher M. Hake. He was a U.S. Army Staff Sargent. More importantly, he was a husband to wife Kelli and a father to 1-year-old son, Gage.

He was from Enid, Oklahoma -- and he was 26 years old.

We can't say for sure that Hake was number 4,000 of our Iraq dead because Pvt. George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, Calif., Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger, 22, of Festus, Mo. and Spc. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez, 24, of Mission, Texas all died in a horrible blast earlier this week when, according to the Defense Department, "their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive" in Baghdad.

But as a Veteran myself, I can tell you that these men were brothers until the end and that, because more early news and details are available on Chris Hake than his buddies, we can tell his story and hope all Americans understand the identical preciousness of every life we have needlessly lost in Iraq.

Hake, a graduate of the Oklahoma Bible Academy (OBA), who lived with his wife and infant son near Fort Stewart, GA, was described by grieving family members as a man devoted to his belief that he was helping the Iraqi people and, more than anything, the men with whom he served.

"He was 100 percent sure we should be there, and he talked of the love of the Iraqi people for him and his guys," said his father, Peter Hake, who also said his son loved the men in his command. "He said they would die for each other, and they did,"

And he had made a quick decision to sign up. The boy described by his father as an "energetic, rambunctious kid" simply went to the military recruiter's office after he graduated from high school and returned home having enlisted in the Army.

"He got out of high school and didn't know what to do. I mentioned the service, and I was thinking the Air Force," Pete Hake said. "He went down to see his recruiter that day and came home and told me he had joined the Army."

The 26-year-old, who was on his second combat deployment to Iraq, was remembered by his former high school principal as respectful and quiet.

"We saw him go on after graduation in 2000 to show his true heart as a kid who is very devoted. He still had strong ties here at OBA," said Principal Mark Shuck of the young man who graduated in 2000. "He was an all-American kid. He was 'yes sir,' 'no sir' and very respectful. I would use him as an example to other kids as they grow up. He always fit that mode very well."

"He was quietly compassionate. He generally cared for people."

Chris Hake had been married for just under three years and his father said going on the second tour of duty in Iraq was an enormously difficult choice -- made all the more painful by having to leave his baby son.

"It literally tore his heart out to walk out on that boy," said Peter Hake. "It made him wish he could be done with the war."

As do the vast majority of Americans.

We should not forget either that tens of thousand of Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. invaded in March 2003. And as the 2008 elections draw near and we contemplate the enormous importance of selecting a new president and a larger Democratic majority in Congress, we must remember every day our own loss of 4,000 vital, important human beings who had a lot of living left to be done.

These were our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, who because of the policies of the Bush administration will never hug their spouses or parents again and will never see their kids grow up.

And near or on number 4,000, we should remember the face of Christopher M. Hake, who died at only 26 years old.

The soldier's MySpace page is still up and still holds pictures of him, his young wife and his beautiful baby boy. And his last post, from January 9, 2008, is a haunting reminder of an American full of hope, trying to do the right thing but who ultimately only wanted to return home to his family.

"I will be going on mid-tour leave in July. Kelli, Gage and I are going to spend that time in GA by ourselves," wrote Hake in explaining to his family back home in Oklahoma. "This will be the first time in 8 years I haven't gone to OK for vacation. But our priorities have changed drastically since we had our son."

"But when I do come home for good in '09, we will see everyone. Continue to keep our little family in your prayers. We will keep all of you in ours."

You can read more from Bob at The Agonist.

Comments

[sparkandy]

In September I was getting off a plane in Dallas when the flight attendant came on the intercom and said that if we looked out the right side we'd see the coffin of one of our fallen soldiers being offloaded. It was a wooden box, painted with an American flag. An honor escort made up of military and local law enforcement was there to take it away. Everyone on the plane stopped what they were doing and stood in respectful silence while we watched someone's little girl coming home for the last time. A lot of us cried. I cried. Then I got mad. NO ONE"S little girl or little boy should die in a war. No Americans, no Iraqis, NO ONE. And I keep thinking about the song by Tim McGraw, the line that goes, "Sure wish I could give you one more kiss, and war was just a game we played when we were kids." We need to get angry and angrier still. This war has to end as soon as we can extract ourselves from the mess our current Devil in Chief has gotten us into.

[ruscle]

I found this on another HuffPo blogger post. http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1669.htm
"U.S. Military Personnel who died in German hospitals or en route to German hospitals have not previously been counted. They total about 6,210 as of 1 January, 2005. "

Can someone help me out here. Am I reading this right? Does that mean that we've really lost
10,000 US Military personnel in this occupation?

10,000? Not 4,000? Why is this number so difficult to find? What's the media doing here?

Or am I misreading something?

[researcher]

interesting could it be 10,000. would not put it past our military to lie about such things and the corp media to stand by and lie with them.

[jrockbg]

As a vet of this war, I assure you that any serviceman who suffers injuries on the battlefield in Iraq, and is transported somewhere else, then dies, is counted in the total that nears 4000 now.

US Army Specialist (Sergeant-­posthumous­ly) Seth Garceau suffered massive injuries due to a roadside bomb in Al Anbar province, Iraq around 2/28/05. He was transported to Germany, where he died with his family by his side just under a week later. -I didn't need to google that. I lived it.

I'm nearly in tears writing this. I respect anyone's opinion on the war in Iraq or anywhere else. But most of did, and still do believe we are doing a noble thing in Iraq. It's not going near as well as we hoped, but there is something in a soldier that just hates quitting something because it's hard. Just my two cents.

[LeftRight]

You know, considering the rest of what the bushco(tm) administration has said which was false, this sounds like it might be accurate. I'm not sure, but it's something to look into. Oh wait, I forgot who I was replying to, EVERYTHING THAT bush SAYS IS CORRECT!!!

[MadeinAmericaProud]

I am a veteran too.
What you have written will always be appreciated for acknowledgment of our troops lives and what their families will be going through well after this story is off this site.

It breaks my heart when I know there are more than 4000 killed, THE U.S. military didn't have the balls to count them in the official total. It hurts my spirit to know there will be more that will and will not be counted, in the future. To hide the truth is the safe way. When one or two poor souls do get the courage to stand for the truth, the mobs from all angle appear from the cracks of the ceiling to beat them into dust.

In my heart no individual in uniform should die for the these people they are not the Americans. they hate propaganda fed mob entertained by political comedy, extreme cheap shots at each other.

there are very good family values have been destroyed, killing people serving their country from heart, but they were lied to.
Again , thank you for your continued serve writing this article. GOD BLESS you and the TROOPS

[jrockbg]

If you are a vet I doubt it was of this Iraq war. And if you are a vet of this war I doubt you lost any guys like I did. Soldiers who suffer injuries in Iraq, then die in Germany are counted as Iraq war casualties. Search your soul and find what would make you spread these lies. Then apologize to the dead soldiers whose memory you spit upon when you lie.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Listen and listen if you know how.
Just because you are extremely limited in your thoughts with all your doubts of me, is very clear your knowledge and the ability to understand what has been written is also extremely limited. If just take documented facts of the counted bodies up to Germany. You refuse to count the individual who committed suicide. Well documented over 6200. If you can add those together, it is over 4000.

You found a blog site, to spread your message, your should have look for one that will keep you informed that the soldiers who return to their homes and die also count in that number. It should not stop in Germany.

[LeftRight]

I *AM* a vet from this war, though luckily I was not in theater. When you can come out and say something like this about another vet, after claiming to be worthy of respect.... I can't even say it. I'm now officially disgusted by you!

[aphid]

This really makes you wonder about those Democrats who say they will vote for John McCain in November rather than vote for the "other" Democratic candidate.

The story of this man's death for nothing is criminal first and soul-crushingly depressing second.

[villastrangiato]

Your article is touching Bob. But on the other hand, it has also reenforced my concern about the vast ignorance of Americans in general (aided by a corrupt US media) and unfortunately those in particular who elect to serve in a misguided and dishonorable military endeavor. Clearly, the Iraqi people don't want us there. Save for a few ethically challenged opportunist political exiles at the beginning - there was no significant cry for our invasion and overthrow of the Iraqi government. The average Iraqi who hasn't already fled his/her country must not only concern him/herself about rival sectarian groups with their kidnappings, extortion, bombing, and murder - but he must also contend with trigger happy US supplied mercenaries and overstressed American soldiers who are constantly trying to separate the "good" guys from the "bad" ones - as if any real distinctions could be made in a confusing urban war zone. The soldier's insistence that Iraqis "love" us when taken in the context of the reality of this war can only be characterized as farce or complete misapprehension. The fact that this young man lost his life and worse yet, his 1 year old lost a father - doesn't erase the possibility that he may have unintentionally or mistakenly killed dozens of innocent Iraqis in the course of carrying out his "duty". More importantly, it doesn' t erase the fact that his claim regarding the overall positive viewpoint of most Iraqis towards the US is utterly and completely devoid of reality.

[thirdbee]

First of all, I would like to state; Everyone has a right to their opinion. Second, If they are going to bash the media for basically leading on Americans; they shouldnt be one of them! I am sorry to sound so harsh, but obviously you havent been to baghdad lately. The majority of the people in Iraq want us there! Now the media makes it look like they dont b/c that is what they want America to believe...its called editing!
I have been there and I can have a first hand opinion. The people of Iraq have been killing each other over this religious bs for centuries now. These people really do need us; in a more Big Brother or Parent kind of way. Think of this country as a bunch of tweens. Tweens know the basics of taking care of themselves...but would you leave your 12 or 13 year old unsupervised for a long period of time? No.(Side note: there is over 6million people in Baghdad alone, & some are highly educated.) They need guidance, wisdom, EXAMPLES! I am not saying that America is the best example, but its better than what Saddam has given them! And besides if we do leave abrubtly then all of those soldiers that have given their lives and limbs would have lost them in vain! Just because we are in a war we cant "win" doesnt mean we shouldnt be there!

[LeftRight]

"...The majority of the people in Iraq want us there! Now the media makes it look like they dont b/c that is what they want America to believe...its called editing!..."

So where the hell do you get your "facts" from? Because the fact of the matter is that they don't want us there. You know how I know? Not only are there MANY polls showing the exact opposite of what you're claiming, but the very fact that they are FIGHTING AGAINST US shows that they want us out of THEIR country!

[thirdbee]

(more to my other rant.) :)
My other vent is that too...."winning" the war in Iraq? How can we win? Its not our war? There is no winner or loser. I think our Politicians need to get that straight first. How can we "win" if the "bad" people keep changing? Our lives were changed that day at the WTC! That is a fact. But terrorism cant be won. There will always be people upset at a President or public official somehow, someway. And there will always be radicals that believe violence is the way to fix it or just get their point across. Read our history books folks! Thats how we got where we are today! Radicals. Thats us...American Radicals. And we will always need our military to take care of us! So let the people do their jobs. They chose this line of work. Its honorable, you know?
Chris Hake was an example of good character, a great father (even if for a year), a great husband, and of complete honor! He chose to go to Iraq b/c he believed in the cause and he believed that he and his men could help. How dare you talk about a man that I know and talk about his kills in the line of "duty". Its his job. Period. Everyone is affected by this war. Dont judge. Its not your job!

[EngineerBill]

One of the things that is often ignored is not only did the Main stream media aid and abett this administration into getting us into this war, they also aided and abetted the "mission accomplished" fiction. Acting as volunteer propagandists for the Bush administration until that could no longer be believable. For months after the invasion, for example, NBC Nightly news called their reports on death of G.I.s and suicide bomb attacks as "Iraq Watch". Not war but "watch". This too the media needs to answer for.

[rudyacuna]

American media gives opportunism a bad name. Phrases such as we are against the war but support the troops go unchallenged -- probably because so many reporters never saw service. Just as history has judged Lyndon Johnson -- history will judge brain damaged reporters. They are doing very little to analyze the situation. Draw a timeline. Who caused the war? It is not finger pointing to expect people to take responsibility. Troops are getting killed because someone is to blame and that person should be impeached at the very least. Supporting your troops is an inane saying. I am a Korean veteran who owed nothing to other veterans.

[BuckarooBanzai]

"So?"......Dick Cheney

[AlabamaGunn]

It can never be repeated enough: Killary Clinton supported this war, and she should not be the nominee as a result of this and this alone.
--
Forget racial subterfuge, idiotic Mccain endorsements, consistent fabrications and canards, overblown claims of experience and entitlement, and any other rotten campaign tactic Killary and Bill have employed. She supported the war, and she is responsible for over 4000 US deaths, tens of thousands of wounded, and possibly millions of dead, innocent Iraqis.
--
Resume embellisments aside, while she claims of dodging sniper fire, our brave men and women are dying from authentic gunshots and IEDs. Meanwhile, innocent Iraqis' blood runs in the street as they implode into Civil War. Hillary, simultaneously, experiences metaphoric fire from fellow Democrats to leave the race and continues to endorse Mccain and the war while defending her lie.
--
I urge everyone to watch Michael Franti's "I Know I'm Not Alone" documentary on Iraq to see the true human cost of Bush and Killary's war. After viewing this and or "Body of War," please let me know if she is still credible as a candidate.
--
She is a War Pig of the highest eschelon. and hers is the worst kind of war piggery: she uses politically expedient hawkishness to feign toughness. James Joyce once wrote "Ireland is the sow that eats its farrow." A more fitting description of Killary has never been written.

[Driver125]

It's part of life......death comes to us all, sooner or later. But it is impossible to look at a photo like that and not think about where their lives would have gone....how the years would have played out for them all. That is the worst part of George Bush's crime. He robbed these people of their future to satisfy some romantic illusion of war. We paid a lot as a nation, but they and the dead of Iraq are the people who actually payed the most, by far for his ill-founded dreams of glory.

[Arleang]

It is painfully true that the US went into Iraq for all the wrong reasons and planned for a situation on the ground that was just a neocon fairy tale. We have lost over 4,000 soldiers and have too many horribly injured. The families of our military have paid the price of the war and all of us will pay the bill, one way or another. During WWII we were buying Victory Bonds, paying taxes, supporting the war effort. The Bush administration has been hiding the costs of the war and occupation, but the truth has leaked out in the form of higher energy prices and a falling dollar.

But what about the Iraqi people? As much as I want our military entanglement to end, how do we leave without at least separating the warring Iraqi factions and providing reconstruction of their infrastructure? The Iraqi government is another fairy tale turned nightmare where the fight for dominance is producing more instability.

Joe Biden was correct. The country does need to be divided. The United Nations should provide the mechanism for distributing oil wealth and overseeing reconstruction. The United States of America is obligated to PAY -- we broke it, we need to fix it.

We focus on our dead and wounded, but there isn't much concern exhibited for the thousands of dead and maimed Iraqis, the lives interrupted, the refugees.

The biggest question is, what is wrong with us? Where is the sense of shame? How can Bush escape without

[bobo209]

Now that either could win the big race, Obama and Clinton fudge and hedge about withdrawing troops immediately from Iraq. Barack "will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda." (BarackObama.com)

After Iraqi elections on December 15, Ms. Clinton said, "We have to tell this new government we are not going to be there forever, we are going to be withdrawing our young men and women and we expect you to start moving towards stability." But, she added, "immediate withdrawal from Iraq would be a big mistake." (Votehillary.org)

Such statements make me and many millions around the world feel a sense of growing dread. Why can't an empire withdraw? Ike did from Korea in 1953 and I guess that's it.

The empire's officials seem unable to admit the truth about the US' place in the world--at least in public. The economy sinks into deeper recession while Bush and Congress piss away billions each week on un-winnable wars in Afghanistan and Iran. To create further anxiety, Bush and Cheney periodically threaten war against Iran and occasionally Syria as well.

[hunkydory]

jrockbg,
You're right, we stopped the domino's from falling in Southeast Asia ,didn't we? What about the 58,000 dead in Vietnam, don't you think they deserved the truth, when they were still alive?
Communism hasn't stopped spreading, it's the newer 3.0 version now that is spreading, with the best cheerleader bringing it on, since since Lenin, the Tex-Conn Faux Cowboy from Crawford ! You know the one that's afraid of horses!

[Purple Girl]

It's time our Troops come Home and Protect & Defend US from not only foreign but DOMESTIC ENEMIES.the Military works for US- 2/3 of US say Come Home. A Mass Dissertion of this Corrupt Deady Business Stratedgy is NOT OURS
the Woes in the ME have been going on for Millenia- It is a Diversion Tactic, a Red Herring.
WE were forced into this position by Inc's who wanted to Maximize theri Profit Margins, by Hoarding Resources. They have Broken Most of our Constittutional Laws, crippled OUR economy and Hidden behing our Flag. If this is not a good Reason to RETURN - We have No National Defense. Gen Powell and the rest of the "retired' Military leaders MUST Demand We get OUR soldiers Back NOW!
Otherwise Boys and girls WE will be Defeated
Dissert! we will Honor Your Conscientious Objection. Perhaps it is time We rebuild an Armed Service for US (the Inc's have Blackwater, and Operatives in Gov't- Armed Services Com -CON)

[YellowPanties]

Why the fuck are people still enlisting? It's madness. Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, et alli have proven that they do not care about the people who get killed in Iraq. Their families are not serving. They did not serve, unless you consider fucking about with jets in Texas during Vietnam "serving."

This one death, of Mr Hake, is not worth an Iraq without Hussein.

I hope one day Bush has some sort of mental awakening and is approached by this man's son, and I hope he has something to say that will explain why this boy had to grow up without a father. Somehow I doubt that telling the kid that his father died so that the US could have cheaper gas and so that Bush could settle a family score won't be enough.

It's not enough for me. I'm sick of Bush getting people killed, American and Iraqi alike.

Enough of this fucking bullshit, vote Democrat.

[YellowPanties]

Sorry for all the profanity, it's just so depressing seeing that photo of the Hake family.

[shanghaislim]

I hear ya!

Seems like they always have a small child or new born?

BUSH/CHENEY should never be forgiven for this human atrocity they brought on all the people of IRAQ/Afghanistan and the United States. (And the dumb countries that followed us into this illegal campaign)

[knighthowl]

I could not agree more strongly that the war in Iraq is, and always has been, madness. Bush and Cheney should not be impeached, but imprisoned.

At the same time, you should realize that people still enlist because our country needs a viable military for the real threats that still exist in the world. My daughter proudly attends the Naval Academy in Annapolis even though she opposes the war in Iraq and President Bush. And I support her with all my heart.

Do not condemn those who serve. I know that they are our best and greatest hope. We will still need our military when we have a rational President with a rational foreign policy.

And, yes, vote Democratic.