Alright, I changed this around some, it should be ok. On our unit’s website (www.cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil) they talked about his memorial service, so there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to write about him. I attached a picture of him, can you put that on the bottom of the post please?

This post is dedicated to Cpl Salem Bachar. Cpl Bachar was killed the other day while he was “outside the wire” doing his job to the best of his abilities, obviously putting his life in danger to help other Marines. Cpl Bachar ended up paying the ultimate price for his country. From talking to the people he worked with, every day he asked to be allowed to go “outside the wire.” He wanted to be out there, doing his job, helping to fight this war. It’s ironic that his first name means “Peace”, while he was a warrior at heart.

I didn’t work with him on a daily basis, but he was one of about 40 Marines in our section. A civilian in our section was with him at the time. Two of the guys I work with lived with him, and two others lived next door. A couple guys just took the Marine Corps Martial Arts Gray Belt course with him. We had a formation here our first week to promote him to Corporal. A lot of people are taking this hard because it came out of nowhere. In our jobs, it’s not something you expect at all. We all know it’s dangerous out there, especially where he was at, but it’s always something that happens to other people. Not this time, though.

Will you hear his name in the news? No. He’ll just be another number in the obsessive count the media keeps to total up the number of people who have given their lives for the advancement of democracy. His ultimate sacrifice will be reduced to just another number, a statistic. The media doesn’t care about the fallen heroes over here, they just want Americans to know the death toll is 2000+ and growing. Is this any way to honor the warriors who have given everything so that others, who they didn’t even know, might have a brighter future? No. Americans and Iraqis alike can sleep safe at night, knowing people like Salem Bachar are out here willing to sacrifice their lives for them.