The Common Ills: May deadliest month of the year for US service members in Iraq

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

May deadliest month of the year for US service members in Iraq

May is the deadliest month of the year so far for US service members in Iraq. As noted yesterday, the death toll tends to trickle out as the end of the month approaches which allows many news outlets the 'chance' to do their end of the month reports and run with incomplete figures. Other death notices for the month may continue to trickle out but, at this point, the death toll stands at 25.

Bradley W. Iorio's death was announced yesterday and took the toll to 25. The Defense Department issued the following statement: "The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pvt. Bradley W. Iorio, 19, of Galloway, N.J., died May 29 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident May 27 in Tallil, Iraq. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. For more information the media may contact the Fort Bliss public affairs office at (915) 568-4505." Mark Mueller (New Jersey Star-Ledger) notes Iorio was "a resident of Galloway Township in Atlantic County"

Iorio graduated from Absegami High School in Galloway, where he was a member of the drama club, according to his MySpace page. School officials referred calls to Adam Pfeffer, superintendent of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District. Pfeffer did not return a call placed yesterday afternoon.

Photo of Brad Iorio from his Facebook page. It's a cropped photo which appears in full on MySpace. At his MySpace page, Brad Iorio wrote the following in his "About me" section:

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He
stays up for days on end.
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with
your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt. __________________________
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________
You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
_________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He doesn't get to eat today.
________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
__________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
___________________________
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday. He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
__________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
__________________________
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything. He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him. He hears the gunfire, bombs, and screams of the wounded.
__________________________
You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
_________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does exactly what he is told.
__________________________
You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
__________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken
by gunfire.
__________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse
place because of men like him. If only there were more men like him!
__________________________
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American G.I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
_________________________________________________________
I'm doing what i do so you can b**ch about all the bad s**t that you see on TV and wear that shirt that says something about the military occupation is wrong, do me a favor before you put that shirt on, look in the mirror and see if you can do what my job demands me to do.

I edited two words due to cursing, otherwise I've let him speak for himself. He lists himself as being from Absecon, New Jersey and notes the following under schools:

Absegami H S
Absecon,New Jersey
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: In Progress
Clubs: Drama and Soccer

Again, the announcement of his death yesterday -- named and announced by DoD, never mentioned by M-NF -- took the death toll for the month of May to 25.

The overall death toll now stands at 4307 since the start of the illegal war. With 25 deaths for the month, you have to drop back to June of 2008, with 29 deaths, to find a month when the death toll was higher.

20-year-old Samuel Stone died on Sunday from "injuries suffered during a non-combat related vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, Bremerton, Wash. The incident is under investigation." Scott Fontaine (News Tribune) reports, "The family is still finalizing details for a memorial service. They first learned of the death Sunday morning."

The following community sites updated yesterday: