Editorial Editorial (June 11, 2004)

Local soldiers paid the ultimate price

On Memorial Day, Mountain View lost its third soldier in overseas combat in four years. According to his relatives, Army Lt. Ken Ballard had a lifelong interest in the military and joined the armed services upon his graduation from Mountain View High School. He was serving an extended stay in An Najaf in Iraq when he was hit by small-arms fire.

Two other Mountain View soldiers also perished fighting in the Middle East in recent years. Lakeina M. Francis was killed aboard the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen by a terrorist bomb in 2000. Kyle Wieland died late last year from injuries sustained while fighting in Afghanistan.

These three paid the ultimate price for serving their country. Ballard, Francis and Wieland showed bravery in joining the armed services and responding when their commander called. But their lives were cut too short.

It is difficult to forget that just a short time ago, all three soldiers were residents of our city, taking part in life's day-to-day activities, just as we all do. And while they volunteered for military duty, their deaths are nevertheless a tragic loss for each family, and our community, to endure.

All three attended Mountain View High School. When Francis died, the school dedicated a tree and plaque to her. Assistant Principal Matt Neely said he expects to have the opportunity to honor Wieland and Ballard in the fall, when the new school year begins.

Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, said she hopes her son's death creates more public awareness of the many other troops who are in harm's way. We hope so, too. Perhaps with each life lost in these battles, we, as Americans, are rethinking the cost of our wars and whether the end results are worth it.

The ultimate sacrifice made by Ballard, Francis and Wieland put a local face on a war that all too often is seen as a newspaper headline or television sound bite. But Mountain View's sad losses are being duplicated across the country, day after day, as more and more soldiers die.

So far, the U.S. has lost more than 800 soldiers, and uncounted numbers of Iraqis have been killed. The numbers continue to grow, and while President Bush is moving rapidly to transfer power to Iraqi politicians, U.S. armed forces will be deployed there for several more years.

We hope the violence in Iraq will decrease as its citizens assume more control of their country and take on more of the burden of peace-keeping. It is also important for our actions in Iraq to be remembered if our country must decide again whether to go to war.

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