By The TimesLedger
Human nature makes it difficult, if not impossible, to come to terms with death on the large scale of war. We know that thousands of Iraqi soldiers have died and each day the Coalition forces find mass graves where the enemies of Saddam Hussein were buried. And we know that a smaller number of American and British soldiers have died, and even that number is difficult to comprehend.
But it was the death of Marine Corporal Robert Marcus Rodriguez, a young man from Maspeth, that brought this war home for the people of Queens. On the day of his funeral we learned that Cpl. Rodriguez was everything that we have come to expect of our heroes. Here was a young man with everything to live for who was proud to risk his life in the cause of freedom.
His family also made the ultimate sacrifice. They said, “When a family suffers such a great loss, such as we have, the support of our community, parish, friends and neighbors are greatly appreciated. We have realized that we are not alone in our pain.”
They are not alone. All of Queens is proud of Robert Rodriguez and everyone who breathes the fresh air of freedom is in his debt.
In the short war to liberate Iraq, we saw some of the deadliest, most destructive and most intelligent weapons that man has ever made. It is easy in the face of this technology to forget that this war was won not so much by incredible weapons but by the brave men and women who willing risk their lives to bring freedom in some far-off land.
