Cost of War Hits Home for the President

Young Marine Obama Knew Personally Dies A Hero

(CBS)  In the Iraqi desert - or wherever he was - Nick Xiarhos had a presence.

"Everyone was his best friend. And that was his personality. He could make everyone feel important," his mother Lisa told CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

The born Marine was the first child of police lieutenant Steve Xiarhos and wife, Lisa.

"We were so proud - proud he wanted to do that and serve our country, especially be a Marine," Steve Xiarhos said.

But Xiarhos was also a son of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, his grieving Cape Cod hometown.

Last July, the 21-year-old Marine corporal was killed in Afghanistan.

The pain of Nick's death even reached President Obama. As he weighs whether to risk more American lives in Afghanistan, Nick has become the president's face of sacrifice.

"And also the cost of freedom," his father said.

CBS News first met Nick Xiarhos back in January as part of another story.

Blog: Strassmann Shares his Impressions of Xiarhos

CBS News Special Report: The Road Ahead

That story was about a suicide truck bomb attack in Iraq. In the explosion, two Marine guards died saving dozens of their buddies, including Xiarhos.

He was humbled by their heroics.

"To be able to save all of us and in turn sacrificing themselves, that's what makes the difference," Nick said at the time.

In February, President Obama saluted that bravery.

"These two Marines stood their ground," Mr. Obama said.

Xiarhos was there. He met his commander-in-chief.

And he switched units for the chance to fight again.

"I remember when he first called me and said he was going to Afghanistan. And I'm like, 'oh, no,'" Lisa Xiarhos said.

Three months later, Xiarhos came home for the final time. He had been killed by a roadside bomb.

"I'm the proudest but also the saddest man in the world," Steve Xiarhos said.

The kid from Cape Cod died answering his country's call to service. When President Obama learned a young Marine he had met had been killed, he asked to meet Nick's family.

"It was instant connection really," Steve Xiarhos said. "He basically said that when he makes decisions, he thinks about brave men and women like Nicholas. We want freedom and success to protect our country and help others, that's what we do, we're Americans. But the cost is huge."

A cost paid by an outgoing young Marine.

A cost the president promises to remember.

[hologram5]

To USMC-Mom:
Tell your son thank you for serving and thank you for being his loving mother. Too much, these soldiers are NOT being thanked for doing a thankless task. We shouldn't be over there, we shouldn't be making war on an Ideaology but we are and we have. Unfortunatly our young men and women are fighting and dying over there at an alarming rate. These people are faceless and nameless. They have made the ultimate sacrifice for a government that doesn't give a rat's a$$ about them, their past or future for that matter. Thanks to ALL who have or are serving. All the men in my family have served. My grandfather was on the Yorktown when it went down in the Midway. My father was in Vietnam, my stepfather was in Vietnam. My father in law, may he rest in peace was there for Korea, Vietnam and finally retired from the pentagon in Naval Intelligence. Before he passed he was NOT HAPPY in the way our Fed Gov't was running things nor was he happy with the direction our country was going in. He once got plastic surgery to smuggle out Nuclear Scientists from China, was he thanked for that? NO! He couldn't tell anyone about it. I didn't find out until AFTER he passed. That's just garbage, men dying for God knows what as they won't tell. It's just stupid.

[krmopilci]

Soldiers fight for what they are ordered,not for any ideal.

[USMC-Mom]

One of the reasons my son gave me for what he is doing is to give those asking there govenment for a freedom there chance. Anyother which I found odd (due to his age at the time of it) is Sept 11th, what happened in NY. My son is only 21, so do the math to see how young he was at the time. Never would I have expected my son to join the Marines, but he became a new man when he did, one I'm very proud of.
So yes my son does as ordered, but he had the reason before he ever joined. He quotes a song from bootcamp" It's an Honor to serve to join in the fight to lay down my life giving glory to God seeking non in return". The song is by Ray Blotz about a POW.
I really believe that we are all giving gifts & we all have a path, its are choice whether or not we follow. I believe my son & most of the others serving are following the path they should.

[AOCGUY]

Spoken like someone who has never served. There a a myriad of reason people join the military. Some patriotic some selfish probably most somewhere in between. Myuself I enlisted when I was drafted, clearly an effort in self determination if not self preservation (Viet Nam was hot and heavy then). That said, over time I developed like most do a strong sense of purpose that led me to make a career of military service. Make no mistake about it love of country and preservation of our country became a very strong motivation. I also found that I truely loved the peopl;e I worked with and would fight to the death to protect them.

I have been retired from military service for a number of years now, but I work with military prsonnel from all services daily and I have no question that from the young elisted to the SNCO and Field Grade Officers, a deep sense of patriotism and pride in country as well as that same love of fellow servicemen is deeply ingrained in each and everyone of them.

Now what you say was most likely true for many of the Iraqi Army of the late 80s and early 90s but it is most defintely not true of the US military nor of the NATO forces that I have served with.

[pumphead123]

yes but they join to support an ideal

[AOCGUY]

karen19j - Who are you responding to?

[fedup12]

by karen19j October 14, 2009 10:40 PM EDT
lousy comment...we need more patriots and less leftist scum

LOL people like you crack me up. More often than not the "Leftist Scum" you refer to are the ones manning the fox holes. While the "Rightist Scum" are getting multiple deferrments.

[USMC-Mom]

He's never served? Sir he 's serving now & has for over 3 months.
Sir, I respect you & all your hard work & years of service, so please don't knock my son.
Blessing to you & your family & again thank you for your service.

[krmopilci]

I have served,not for paycheck,not for bonus,nor for fame or ideals,but because the Serbian tenks were 300 yards from the appartment where my family lived.And I never got a penny for 4 years of non-stop service.But those 60 armoured vehicles that we burnt together with the attackers inside them and our survival was a pay enough.And you sir sound as you served(and got paid + travelling) but never fought.Have you ever seen 19-year old's lungs while you carry him?I have.Have you ever seen 20-year olds without heads?I have.Have you seen young guys dying because mortar fell in front of them and cut their legs?I have.If you think it is like on the movies,it is not.If you think that dying is easy,I tell you it is a horror.These young women and men cannot die easily.They have healthy bodies otherwise and dying is an agony.Whoever advocates war must know what the war is.

[jefleshman]

See USMC MOM

I do not make sense either sometimes! LOL

Yes the question mark thing. Sometimes I have found if you type in MS Word use,

1. Font: Times New Roman
2. Font size: 12

It sometimes works.

[brentcox4]

President Obama, if you have learned anything in your life please remember Viet Nam, and end our occupation now. We do not belong in the middle of this civil war. It is time to return home and rebuild our own nation.

Please do this now.

[jefleshman]

AOC

No not at all well said. One persons hero maybe another persons terrorist. It is all about individual perception!

[AOCGUY]

Fleshman - Not sure what your point is. Of course you are correct - I suppose that the British Army thought American Revolutionaries were terrorists as did the Japanese of my father on Bataan during WWII. But when of soldier walks away from combat with the Bronze Star (I know that is an exaggeration, but it happened a lot in both Viet Nam and Desert Storm) then the value of that medal is reduced. Think abut this week?s controversy over our President receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. I am not denigrating anyone?s including yours or my service. I am just saying that when you consider everyone in uniform a hero how do you identify those that truly demonstrated heroics above and beyond what most of us have and continue to do.

[fss2009]

They are NOT heroes... they are pawns for the war machine... minions for the oil industry, and each as expendable as a barrel of oil.

[jefleshman]

fss

Would you rather us come home then? All the services men and women come back to the USA?

[USMC-Mom]

"They are NOT heroes"
What? Are you nuts.
You people who don't support our troops either have no heart or your on drugs.

[finkfust]

You didn't answer me before, so I'll try a specific person this time - Is Lynndie England a hero?

[Sloughfoot]

December 7, 1941 threw a naive, self serving Nation into the fore front of World conflict. A role deemed neccessary for our survival by one generation after another. I have been alive for most of it and the dreaded "Cold War" of the 50s and early 60s was the most peaceful of times. Without a draft the burden of defending this Nation against enemies is real or imaginary rests upon the shoulders a very few. A sword once drawn is difficult to sheath!

[pickaguitar1]

YES WE CAN!

[jefleshman]

I know there are many variations of this poem and many discussions on its origin but it is worth posting as it directly relates to the article written. Freedom is not free and you truly do not understand the full meaning behind them until you lost the Freedoms you once took for granted.

It is the men and women in the service of our country. NOT THE REPORTER. Who has given us the freedom of the press.

It is the men and women in the service of our country. NOT THE POET. Who has given us the freedom of speech.

It is the men and women in the service of our country. NOT THE POLITICIANS. That ensures our right to Life. Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

IT IS THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY. Who salutes the flag. Who serves beneath the flag. And whose coffin is draped by the flag.

[jefleshman]

Fink

Dont you ?claim you are a humanitarian? and you advocate and believe in Gandhi?s teachings?

The Nation, I am from (by the way in case you did not know. I am an American), has this thing called The Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill or Rights. History has already answered your questions or offer of a discussion. No discussion needed. Thank you for asking and reading my post.

[finkfust]

OK, since you can't think of anyone I'll go first - John Milton's treatise condemning censorship, Areopagitica (1644).

Perhaps you can tell us more about "the men and women in the service of our country" (actually originally written as "the soldier" - you deliberately misquoted!) who fought for freedom of the press earlier than 1644............ or perhaps instead you will admit that you didn't bother think first about the reality of that absurd 'poem', almost certainly written by a Marine Corps chaplain....... who of course would be completely unbiased!

[hungry1968-16]

I'm very sorry that this troop died, as I am with all of our fallen soldiers.

That being said, why does CBS use the headline to this story, that makes it sound like the Marine and Obama were old friends from way back in the day, when in reality, he only met Obama once?


CBS: why are you sensationalizing this marine's death, for a headline? Are you THAT desperate?

[credibility2]

God bless all of the fallen troops, their families and loved ones.

[USMC-Mom]

Amen!

[payasyougo]

"Young Marine Obama Knew Personally Dies a Hero"
----

They are all heros.

[finkfust]

by payasyougo October 14, 2009 7:38 AM EDT
They are all heros.
---------------------
Does that include the ones who tortured or murdered innocent civilians, or who did their best to avoid any danger (such as one GWB)?

[USMC-Mom]

Yes they are all hero's. Those who have lost the fight & those who are still fighting. God bless each & everyone & their families.
I do hope that it brings Obama to a new understanding having a face to go with the numbers. I feel like every president needs to see the face of all the men & women who have giving there lives for freedom.
I did note vote for this man, but he is the president so I will respect him & I can only pray that God guides all he does. He hold the lives of many in his hands.

[Foxfire55]

My sincere sympathies to his family, friends and hometown. It is a terrible loss but I do also believe freedom is not free, we do have to fight to keep it sometimes. And as much as Afghanistan has problems, so do we. Our government is very corrupt from the local level up and electing a president from the halls of one of the most corrupt cities in the country is not speaking too highly for us either. I don't blame Bush or Obama and I'm not sure why everyone cannot see that the middle east has been a cesspool of oppression, abuse and mental illness for centuries. It's all they know and they keep breeding it throughout their societies. Sitting around ignorning them is not the answer. We have to be involved and I honestly believe both Bush and Obama intend to support the people of these countries and give them some hope. We need to target the extremists who have no regard for human life and that's what we're trying to do. Obama, unfortunately, is quite warped in his support of the enemy but those of you who voted for him wanted to be blind to that. If you visit the jails and some of these other countries you should be able to realize that many of these extreme thinkers are not fixable. Being nice to them will not make a difference and neither in many cases will treating the mental illness because it, too, is extreme and not curable. Sad but true. We will never be rid of evil or mental illness in this world so we have to contend with it as best we can. Stop armchair quarterbacking and try to be supportive. No president ever wanted to send soldiers out to die. Get real.

[finkfust]

"Cost of War Hits Home for the President"

How the hell is that hitting Obama at "home"? Obama only met him once for ****'s sake!!!! The American news media are a complete joke, and in this Internet age the rest of the world sees it very clearly.

[ramos1129]

I am a service disabled vet. I very much honor the young men like Nick. So my comments are not intended to be offensive to their memory.

President Obama has to consider several things in deciding our course:

1. VP Biden during one meeting stated, "we have almost all of our assets in Afgan while AQ is almost all in Pakistan where we are devoting very few of our resources to. Is that right? No one had an answer.
2. The Karzai government is acknowledged by the administration to be crooked. The recent Presidential election was stolen by Karzai and no one ever bothers to denay that any more. Yet we continue to support the Karzai government.
3. A recent Newsweek article featured interviews with four Taliban fighters. In the interviews, it came out that the Taliban hated AQ because they were the ones to suffer the consequences of 9/11. Has anyone ever made public intel that proves how the Taliban really feels about AQ and if they would let AQ back into Afgan?
4. General McCrystal is a very good soldier. However, any comments he makes from this time forward must be private and shared with the CIC and not the media. His mission should be strictly military in nature and not nation building or diplomacy.
5. We have paid a very heavy price for Iraq and continue doing so in Afgans. Is it worth the price we have paid plus the price we will pay later to coninue the present strategy. Remember Vietnam and Iraq both grew with troop escalations.

God Bless.

[finkfust]

..... and do you have an confidence that Obama will take any of those factors into consideration?

[birdwoman98]

ramos1129, thanks for your intelligent and to the point comments. With regard to Afganistan, we also need to read the history of this nation in conflict: They NEVER lay down for any 'invader'. I don't really know what the answer is to end this situation, but I pray one is found that protests the Afghan people (especailly the women) from the Taliban ever having the reigns of goverment again and one that brings home our troops before many more are killed or maimed.

[jefleshman]

Mr. Xiarhos

Thank you sir for explaining what we as American Service Men and Woman fight for!

In case you all missed it in the article it is worth repeating.

-----------------------------------------------------------
We want freedom and success to protect our country and help others. That is what we do. We are Americans.
-----------------------------------------------------------

So if you want a mission statement YOU ALL JUST RECEIVED ONE!

[finkfust]

jefleshman said - "So if you want a mission statement YOU ALL JUST RECEIVED ONE!"

A mission statement from jefleshman!!!!! Hooray, we can all now rejoice about the 'War on Terror'!

Who the **** do you think you are?

[USMC-Mom]

He's someone a heck of a lot better than you....

[finkfust]

Why? Because he says he's in Afghanistan and he talks about God? You make judgements with NO evidence whatsoever, don't you? You actually know nothing about anybody on here, so who are you to say who's better than another?

[wheresmycountry]

We've come up with a solution to falling enlistment to replace our war dead. Since America buys nothing but foreign goods, there are no manufacturing jobs in America any more. This has caused a big jump in enlistment. The key to bringing back American prosperity, American jobs, and American pride is to tax imports. Tarriffs are a way of life for most of the countries in the world. We need them here.

[legacyabq]

historically tariffs have driven up the cost of goods by reducing supply, also countries retaliate with their own tariffs driving prices higher and reducing market availability for us companies also....

Just sayin'..

[jms_cheung]

Whether it is Afghanistan or Iraq, this is a repeat of the old
Vietnam wars costing thosands of precious American lives & billions
of dollars, which could have been used to eradicate poverty and aid needy nations. The Iraqi parliament had in principle `kicked out' the Americans recently...and Afghanistan will follow suit once it become stronger.
The best solution is not Increase Troops but Cut Troops in
both Iraq & Afghanistan...maintaining a MINIMAL force as ADVISORY
and not direct combat to risk roadside/suicide bombs, etc...
Afghanistans should bear sole responsibility for its security, not
the US or others!

[clancy49]

"Good Morning Vietnam!" If you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.

[Biggest_Rick]

The biggest lesson to Vietnam was that if you are going to spend the time, money, and men to fight it, you should win it! Unfortunately, we now have national leadership without the leadership ability to lead the country to win the war in Afghanistan! The war can be won,(defined as giving it the ability to be self sufficient and able to prevent using the country as a harbor for terrorists and their training centers) but it will take determination, not the weak kneed approach of current commander in chief. Say what you want about Bush, but at least he had the guts to order and see through a surge in Iraq. For the record, I have a family member soon to be deployed to A-Stan.

[Justme8811]

Any veteran I come into contact with gets a handshake and thanks!! Brings tears to my eyes every time! Thank you for your service and you are all heroes to me!!

[jefleshman]

Thank you it does mean a lot because my father came home and was not received so kindly from Vietnam. I am glad we have learned that you do not have to agree with the current war or conflict and still can support the men and women who serve.

[rightbehind]

The President does need to act on this.