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May 30, 2011 in City
Faces of the fallen
Flags decorate a grave in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, Pa., Thursday, May 26, 2011.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
The war on terror reached a critical milestone this year with the daring commando raid that killed 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. America and, indeed, much of the world cheered.
But thousands of U.S. servicemen and women have given their lives along the way, and those costs have continued even as combat operations in Iraq wind down and the “surge” in Afghanistan wanes.
Today, as Americans honor those sacrifices, we in the Inland Northwest pause to remember our sons and daughters who will never return. This year, we add two more to the list.
Marine Cpl. Joshua R. Dumaw, 23, of Spokane Valley, died June 22, 2010, in Delaram, Afghanistan. A West Valley High School graduate, he was serving as a military police officer supporting combat operations in the Nimruz province when he was killed by an improvised explosive device.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Clifford E. Beattie, 37, of Medical Lake, died May 22 in Baghdad, where he was serving his third combat tour in Iraq. A 1992 graduate of Medical Lake High School, he also was killed by an improvised explosive device.
They are among the nearly 4,800 U.S. combat fatalities in Iraq since 2003 and nearly 1,600 U.S. combat fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001.
Remember them and their sacrifices, not just today but throughout the year.
David Wasson
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender 
hawken on May 30 at 6:34 a.m.
Fallen warriors are today and have always been the life-blood of our American Freedom, since our founding.
We should never forget them. We should never forget that freedom is very expensive in both lives lost and and national treasure.
We should never take for granted the freedom we have because of our fallen heroes, whom have given everything.
Never before in our history have we had a more educated, professional, dedicated, competent, capable military. And, they are all volunteers.
The single, greatest responsibility of our government is to insure that our troops are the best trained and best equipped in the world. Everything else that government does pales in comparison.
WillyPeter on May 30 at 7:02 a.m.
Randall Arney, Dick Ator, Tim Burchett, Vic Hodson, Roy Johnson, Owen McCandlis, Randy Turner, Dick Walker, Bill Wall, Greg Weightman, Ron Wolfe, Jerry Warnick - Viet Nam casualties all - your classmates remember you always; and especially today.
leekinny on May 30 at 7:48 a.m.
They take everything they do seriosly and always perform at their best. They should never be anyones political plaything or have their lives used callausly for corporate profit. Their lives; their love for; their duty to; and their sacrifices for God and country should be cherished as a miser would gold.
MaoTenDoo on May 30 at 2:21 p.m.
Rest in peace, MSG Mark W. Coleman, United States Army. You are not forgotten.