Fallen Soldier, Against War, Joined Anyway

(AP)  Victor A. Garcia didn't support President Bush and thought the Iraq war was wrong.

Yet he joined the Army anyway, looking for some help with college tuition and perhaps some discipline. The specialist was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

On July 1, he was killed in Baghdad when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire.

Garcia, 22, was the son of Mexican immigrants.

His brothers, Abel and Daniel, married their high school sweethearts at a young age. Victor knew many girls, but had no girlfriend.

"Victor just wanted to get out and see the world," Daniel Garcia said. "Victor was the one destined to do a lot more."

He was an avid sports fan and loved the Atlanta Braves, San Francisco 49ers and Manchester United soccer club in England.

At a memorial service earlier this month at Immaculate Conception Church in Monrovia, childhood friend Michael Avalos of Fontana said, "I understand he was supporting his country, but I wish he had been given the chance to have a family of his own, to live the American dream."

Garcia read books by leftist critic Noam Chomsky. One of his blog entries on his MySpace.com page wonders, "What more evidence do we need?" that the war was a mistake.

Besides his mother and brothers, Garcia is survived by his father and a sister.

In Other Developments:

Two U.S. soldiers were killed Sunday in separate attacks in Iraq, the military said. One U.S. soldier Multi-National Division — Baghdad was killed by small-arms fire during combat operations north of Baghdad, the military said. Another died in fighting in an eastern section of the capital, according to a separate statement. The deaths raised to at least 3,648 members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Iraqi security forces have imposed a vehicle ban in Baghdad ahead of Sunday's scheduled Asian Cup final against Saudi Arabia, from half an hour before the match is due to begin in Jakarta, Indonesia. Military spokesman Brigadier General Qassim al-Moussawi said the ban comes after two car bombs tore through crowds of Iraqis as they celebrated their country's semi final win against South Korea on Wednesday. Fifty people were killed in the attacks.

Poland's president said Sunday the government has not yet decided on whether to extend the country's military mission in Iraq beyond the end of the year. "There's still no final decision on this matter," President Lech Kaczynski told reporters. "It depends on a lot of factors, above all on how the situation there is going to develop and how our cooperation with the United States is going to shape up." Last Saturday, Defense Minister Aleksander Szczyglo said he favors extending Poland's mission to the violence-torn country "because, from the security angle, the situation in Iraq certainly is not going to resolve itself that quickly," the PAP news agency reported. Last year, the government extend its mission in Iraq until the end of 2007. Szczyglo said Saturday that a decision on whether to further prolong the mission should come "in the early fall."

In Damascus, Syria, the World Health Organization opened a two-day conference Sunday to address the health needs of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have fled the country's violence. The conference brought international relief organizations together with officials from Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq to discuss how to provide health care to the growing pool of Iraqi refugees. Faisal Mekdad, Syria's deputy foreign minister, said his country was facing a huge health care burden from the presence of more than 1.5 million Iraqi refugees and called for outside assistance. "The United States and the international community should do all they can to help the host countries face this challenge," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference. Syria's Health Minister, Maher Hosami, estimated the health care cost for Iraqi refugees in Syria at $60 million.

[prinzowhales]

Drummer94--It is one war, sold by two associated firms--Vengence & Sons, fobbed the invasion of Afghanistan off on us with the ease of a Willaim Randolph Hearst waving the bloody shirt on the sinking of the USS Maine. Fear, Hate and Delusion, Inc., pandered the invasion of Iraq to ears well prepped by a decade of accusations, attacks and sanctions. But, these two incidents were only a small part of the grand picture....

Bush's principles had their eyes on the entire underbelly of the former USSR. Ziggy Brzezinski's original plan, signed into effect six months prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was designed to stir up holy war thoughout the southern tier of Asia. American policy--that is to say, Big Oil policy
--desired a pipeline through Afghanistan (the Taliban were offered at the Berlin Conference in the summer of 2001, ' a shower of gold' to approve a pipeline deal, or a 'shower of bombs' if they didn't. This pipeline would carry gas to the sub-continent.

The invasion of Iraq put the kabash on Iraqi exports and supported the exhorbitant price of oil and gas. The desired invasion of Iran...ditto.

It is all one big war for profits, this, the Stupid Peoples' War.

[drummer94]

"Fallen soldier".--- Says it all.

[drummer94]

Hi ya Nancy. One word "THANKS"

[drummer94]

Prinz:(sorry 'bout earlier spelling) I think mr. Tillman, like all of us, was so outraged over 9/11, that he felt it was his and, by proxy, all of us's duty to do SOMETHING. I commend his spirit. Maybe he was a dink. Who knows? He further knew that the "war" was/is in Afghanistan. Not, repeat, NOT in Iraq. This mess is all loony-toon and co.'s fault, and now we have lost, what?,3697. Bush is a prick. He is skrewing me, he's skrewing you, and worse, he is skrewing our country.

[prinzowhales]

drummer94--I re-read the article...could you please point to the part that reveals his "love" of country? Like another of Bush's victims, Pat Tillman, he did have a fondness for Noam Chomsky...he wanted tuition assistance and wanted to see the world.

The "last refuge of a scoundrel" Dr. Johnson tells us through Boswell, is "patriotism"...and not just any patriotism...It is the booming patriotism of those who want others to die for ulterior motives....the 'patriotism' of those who cover their falsehoods and crimes with the flag of their country. The poor deluded young man made a deal with the devil for tuition assistance and the devil has received his due. Unfortunately, the devil will have to wait a bit longer for the men and women who sent Specialist Victor A. Garcia to his death...God willing, he will not have to wait long.

[drummer94]

...and PRIZONWHALES, your just demented.

[drummer94]

FARTKNOCKER2- get over you. Idiot.

[wfbdem]

Get over it..People panic on how he was killed..That's it..nothing more..Move On
Posted by FARTKNOCKER2 at 10:45 AM : Jul 27, 2007

Folks remember these lines. This how the right views our troops, their sacrifices, their families' pain and loss. Next time one of these rightwing fanatics mention the military, ask them why THEy are so unpatriotic, why they have no respect for the troops, why they hate america. I spent 2 years having my patriotism questioned when I said we had no reason to invade Iraq. Now we see the true side of the rightwing viewpoints. What they really think about the deaths of our sons, daughters, husbands and wives.

"get over it. Move on. He was killed, that's it... nothing more."
Remember what they really think of our troops.

[drummer94]

Now this was a patriot. He questioned the war, and served anyway because he loved his country. Thomas Jefferson shaked his hand and hugged him. We should emulate this guy.

[djmo1-2009]

The word that applies to such people is 'hostage'. The Prez and his rich backers hold such people hostage, dangling a college reward if they'll take a chance on their young lives in a useless war. It's completely morally-bankrupt, and the fact that you can't see it says something about you.
Posted by ubrew12 at 03:48 PM : Jul 29, 2007

I understand what you are saying, however the college money for an enlistment contract has been in existance since the Vietnam era. Can't really blame it on Bush. The rest of it you can blame on Bush, but the college fund was not his idea.