My Cousin's Life Was a Huge Sacrifice

Regarding the June 23 letter, "Let's stop funding NPR's divisiveness": It appalled me to read that the war in Iraq has "only cost 1,700 American service personnel over a year and a half.'' Obviously, the letter writer has not lost a loved one in the war. I did lose a family member in the Iraq war. Approximately three weeks ago, my cousin, Lance Cpl. Robert Mininger of the 2nd Marine Division, was killed. He was 21 years old and due to come home in August, when he was planning to ask his girlfriend to marry him. He leaves behind his parents, younger brother, girlfriend, grandmother, aunts, uncles, etc. Are we proud of him? Without a doubt, yes. Do we feel cheated that he was taken so soon? Most definitely. Do we feel the loss of my cousin's life was a small price to pay? No! It was a huge price to pay. And if the letter writer feels it's such a small price to pay, perhaps he should volunteer to go to the front lines, and pay the price.It's time for our troops to come home. They have done the most admirable job that any country could ask of them, in the most difficult of circumstances. If you truly support our troops, you'll ask your representatives to pressure President Bush into doing the right thing - bringing them home before any more are killed or wounded.

ROBIN BIRTH

Egg Harbor Township

Printed in AC Press, July 7, 2005

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/columns/070705LETTERSJULY7.cfm