Not Enough Time May 20, 2006
Not Enough Time
May 20, 2006
Recently a soldier named Benjamin Zieske was killed by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk. He was twenty years old. Certain traditions are observed following the death of a soldier, but at the same time work must continue. The soldiers must stay focused on the job they came to do, even as they are being reminded how dangerous this job is.
The people at home, the wives, the husbands, the parents, the grandparents, the children, the friends, spend a lot of time waiting and worrying. Any day they hear from their soldiers is a day they can breathe a little easier. The expression “No news is good news” doesn’t really apply.
The Internet cafes set up around the base are meant to provide soldiers with a form of recreation and a way to stay in touch with the people at home. When a soldier dies, the Internet cafes fall under a “Gag Order,” and are closed for anywhere from two to five days, or as long as it takes for the family of the soldier to be notified of his death. Thousands of people at home spent the days following Benjamin Zieske’s death waiting to hear from their soldiers here in Iraq. These were long days for them, days when many imagined the worst and hoped for just a word, a brief message to let them know all was well. All of these people were affected by the death of Benjamin Zieske, though they didn’t know it at the time. They felt some of what his family and friends felt, and they, better than anyone, understood what his people were going through.
There was a RAMP Ceremony for Benjamin Zieske. In this case, RAMP is not one of the Army’s acronyms; it refers to the ramp that the casket is carried up so it can be placed inside an airplane and flown home. Attendance is not mandatory, but every soldier who can attend is there. The ceremony took place after dark. All of the soldiers waited patiently for the airplane to arrive. It was a solemn occasion and a necessary reminder of how quickly a life can come to an end.
Benjamin Zieske had been a Private First Class (PFC) based at FOB McHenry, just a short trip from FOB Warrior, but often a dangerous trip. The memorial service was held at FOB McHenry and officers from the surrounding bases flew to McHenry to pay their respects.
It was a very bright, hot day, the sun directly above. The birds were making such a racket, it was difficult at times to hear the words of those called to speak. One of the first speakers was another young soldier. “PFC Zieske was my best friend,” he said, as he struggled to keep back tears, to speak from his heart. He said Benjamin Zieske had been known as “Z” among his friends, and he brought Z to life again with his recollections and his love for him. Z became a kid any of us might have known, a kid we would not want to have to say goodbye to.
Z was probably always the last one on a class list, but let’s put him first today. Let’s hope he knew he was special. Let’s hope he got to laugh a lot and never doubted that he was loved. Clearly he will be missed by his friends at McHenry. They are carrying grief and sorrow along with their weapons and their flak jackets and everything else they need to get through a day, and that is a lot of weight.
We take so much for granted. For those of us who don’t know any soldiers serving in Iraq, or any of the other places in the world where they are called to serve, it is possible to look at Memorial Day as a day of bargains, a day off from work or school. But for anyone who has lost a soldier to a war, Memorial Day is a reminder of the sacrifices some have made so that the rest of us may live in a world where we can sit outside with our family and friends and enjoy a picnic or a parade. It may seem as though we have not lost a great many soldiers to this war. Many of us have been lucky enough not to know anyone who was killed in Iraq, but we all know what it is like to have a best friend, and should be grateful for the time we have with our friends and our families. We should be grateful to our soldiers who have to do without, and to their people at home who wait and worry. slm101st@yahoo.com
May 20, 2006
Recently a soldier named Benjamin Zieske was killed by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk. He was twenty years old. Certain traditions are observed following the death of a soldier, but at the same time work must continue. The soldiers must stay focused on the job they came to do, even as they are being reminded how dangerous this job is.
The people at home, the wives, the husbands, the parents, the grandparents, the children, the friends, spend a lot of time waiting and worrying. Any day they hear from their soldiers is a day they can breathe a little easier. The expression “No news is good news” doesn’t really apply.
The Internet cafes set up around the base are meant to provide soldiers with a form of recreation and a way to stay in touch with the people at home. When a soldier dies, the Internet cafes fall under a “Gag Order,” and are closed for anywhere from two to five days, or as long as it takes for the family of the soldier to be notified of his death. Thousands of people at home spent the days following Benjamin Zieske’s death waiting to hear from their soldiers here in Iraq. These were long days for them, days when many imagined the worst and hoped for just a word, a brief message to let them know all was well. All of these people were affected by the death of Benjamin Zieske, though they didn’t know it at the time. They felt some of what his family and friends felt, and they, better than anyone, understood what his people were going through.
There was a RAMP Ceremony for Benjamin Zieske. In this case, RAMP is not one of the Army’s acronyms; it refers to the ramp that the casket is carried up so it can be placed inside an airplane and flown home. Attendance is not mandatory, but every soldier who can attend is there. The ceremony took place after dark. All of the soldiers waited patiently for the airplane to arrive. It was a solemn occasion and a necessary reminder of how quickly a life can come to an end.
Benjamin Zieske had been a Private First Class (PFC) based at FOB McHenry, just a short trip from FOB Warrior, but often a dangerous trip. The memorial service was held at FOB McHenry and officers from the surrounding bases flew to McHenry to pay their respects.
It was a very bright, hot day, the sun directly above. The birds were making such a racket, it was difficult at times to hear the words of those called to speak. One of the first speakers was another young soldier. “PFC Zieske was my best friend,” he said, as he struggled to keep back tears, to speak from his heart. He said Benjamin Zieske had been known as “Z” among his friends, and he brought Z to life again with his recollections and his love for him. Z became a kid any of us might have known, a kid we would not want to have to say goodbye to.
Z was probably always the last one on a class list, but let’s put him first today. Let’s hope he knew he was special. Let’s hope he got to laugh a lot and never doubted that he was loved. Clearly he will be missed by his friends at McHenry. They are carrying grief and sorrow along with their weapons and their flak jackets and everything else they need to get through a day, and that is a lot of weight.
We take so much for granted. For those of us who don’t know any soldiers serving in Iraq, or any of the other places in the world where they are called to serve, it is possible to look at Memorial Day as a day of bargains, a day off from work or school. But for anyone who has lost a soldier to a war, Memorial Day is a reminder of the sacrifices some have made so that the rest of us may live in a world where we can sit outside with our family and friends and enjoy a picnic or a parade. It may seem as though we have not lost a great many soldiers to this war. Many of us have been lucky enough not to know anyone who was killed in Iraq, but we all know what it is like to have a best friend, and should be grateful for the time we have with our friends and our families. We should be grateful to our soldiers who have to do without, and to their people at home who wait and worry. slm101st@yahoo.com
posted by Shelby Monroe at 2:13 AM
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