December 27, 2007 -
….another in an occasional series of reports about gamers who gave their all:The Californian reports that Army private George Howell, 24, died last week in Iraq when an IED detonated beneath the truck he was riding in. From the newspaper account:
[George's sister] Chardell, 33, remembered her brother for his sense of humor, thoughtfulness and love for his family. An outgoing person, George loved playing football and video games, she said...
“Georgie could not find [a job]… so he went into the service,” Doyle Howell said. “...he was a special kid … I just wish things could have turned out different.”
Also lost: New Hampshire gamer Justin McDaniel, 19, who died in Baghdad.
Comments
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
He's the same age as me.
Anyway, May the guy R.I.P.
You are a asshole.
That an anon can outpity you is a sign something is wrong with your lfe.
/ unwaranted self importance
Resquiescat in pace.
Improvised explosive device
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family for their loss.
I always found yelling about other people when standing on a grave to be very funny.
"Respect his memory! Just as I do by holding up his corpse!"
That doesn't mean I don't agree.
Please. Save your politicking for another time and place. Give the man his dignity.
@destijlcat
Fuck. Off.
@Jonnell
Improvised Explosive Device. Homemade Bomb, in other words.
I salute those who give their lives nonetheless because I could never have the courage to put my life on the line like they did.
Rest in Peace.
My best to their families.
I should ask you the same thing - if you don't care for this sort of thing, why are you here?
Leave us be - we're trying to pay our respects.
Spoken like someone whose idea of sacrafice is to get low fat milk in their Starbucks. Maybe you should use the use the restroom before you talk next time to make sure your s*** goes out the right end.
Joseph Stalin said that the death of one man in a tragedy, the death of a million men is a statistic. I just hope that the loss of our soldiers doesn't become a 'statistic'.
Farewell Pvt. Howell, they say that St. Peter saves the very best for honored soldiers.
Stalin was right. It's because of Dennis that we know of these two. They are not statistics because we know them.
An Improvised Explosive Device. Basically a home made bomb. These commonly use artillery shells and a mere cellphone as a detonator.
@destijlcat
Being a soldier is a real job, not that you'd know anything about that by your tone.
And as to why we're paying our respect, I suggest you go get your stupid ass blown up and see what happens.
The service *is* a real job. It's one of the toughest, most demanding jobs out there. You saying to get a real job is a disservice to everyone who has served and is currently serving.
It's a shame that we're seeing these posts more often. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.
The service is a real job - you may not like the war, but the soldiers didn't create the war, they merely chose to join the army. You're being a incredibly huge douchebag, and I'd ask you to step outside to "discuss" a few things were we in the same room.
The soldier doesn't have the luxury of dealing with the political motivations and reasons behind the war he or she is in, while thrust into the middle of the battlefield. The soldier doesn't have the luxury of thinking about anything most of the time, but has to run off instincts, training, and the trust that his or her fellow soldiers are watching his or her back. There is but one thing that in the heat of a battle a soldier has the time to focus on -- kill or be killed, succeed in the mission or most likely die.
There may be people here who don't agree with the war in Iraq, who disagree with the politics behind it, who may have even trumped up extra ideas and thoughts about the motivations behind why that war is won, true or not, and then holding to them with such conviction that they are absolutely convinced they are right, and trying to convince them otherwise will be a fruitless gesture.
Regardless of this, what the article was about is that two soldiers, American citizens, hell, human beings were killed in that war. Their family and friends, and anyone who knew them are now going to have to figure out life without them, and the pain from losing someone is quite acute. My condolences and prayers go to their friends and family, for the world is a lesser place without them.
Let's try to stay on topic with this one, and not turn it into some grandstanding about a particular political position or belief.
Amen.
What most people don't realize is that, what you said, they are 2 human beings who had family and loved ones, that now have to live without them.
I agree whole heartedly my friend. I don't really know much more that needs to be said.
That's the good article syndrome.
No comment but "Yeah, not much to add..."
to everybody else laugh out loud its been along time i had to do so little to get a laugh
GryphonOsiris what the f-ck does stalin have to do with any of this
after the ..., insert 'raise glass'
One thing is certain - agree or disagree with the war. He died for what he believed in, with honor - that much certainly can't be said for many people. indeed.
It's amazing how immature, trivial and childish some people can be. No wonder this world is such a fried mess.
Obviously you either didn't read the quote or didn't comprehend it.
Either way, nothing I could ever possibly say could break the soldier hating attitude you have. I frankly pity you you for being so narrow minded and so self righteous. The vietnam era concept of the baby-killing draftee hyped up on drugs is a dead one. The standing military is an all volunteer force, that is to say they all willingly agreed to serve. And no matter what you think, they didn't sign up because they wanted to fight, to kill, or because the are mindless drones, but because they love their country and wish to defend it. It may be a new concept to you, but it's called self-sacrafice. The willingness to do that which is neither asked nor expected of you because you believe it is the right thing to do.
Now I know you are going to try and twist it saying the SS did the same, yadda-yadda-yadda, but that is the same argument used 30 years ago by people who said all veterans were murders.
Frankly, you have no idea what most soldiers go through because to you they are mindless automotons who just march and kill. Spend a week on a military base, talk to the families of the service men and women, see what they go through every day just so you can sleep comfortably at night, see what so many of them have given up to keep you are yours safe for those who mean them harm, talk to the veterans who had seen front line service and lost battle buddies, and perhaps you might learn something.
You're making me feel bad now.. Well said though.
Everyone, ignore that shithead troll up there.
Eh, comes from being a 4th generation military family. My Grandfather apparently would dig into to poepple like this guy and leave them in tears, would do the same to Jehova's witnesses too. Of course, my grandfather served in the invasion of Guam so you can imagine he had little patience for 'these' kinds of people.
Ouch. I've done two years in the Middle East. Your Grandpappy wins hands down.
Well put. I won't even dignify destijlcat with a direct response, because I am quite familiar with what the Nurenburg Defense is, which is nowhere even remotely what I was stating (that is, the notion that someone was "just doing their job", and therefore aren't accountable for their actions, which I never even began to claim). What destijlcat ended up doing is pulling Godwin's Law real quickly, as GryphonOsiris pointed out.
As others have pointed out, destijlcat is a troll, plain and simple. He is looking for a reaction, a strong, negative reaction to his statements, and barring that, he'll probably go away. So, like BlackIce put it, just ignore his ignorant drivel.
@GO
You're probably right, but I'd like to nominate dest. for an all out ban from commenting on the grounds that, as you said, he is a troll and has obviously come here with no other purpose than to produce flame-bait by spewing forth hatred and insults, and has no intention of acting in a civil manner. However, such decisions is up to GP and EZK.
Though, a friend of mine from school's Grandfather was with the 82nd at Bastogne. With no disrespect to my grandfather, the bloody bastards of Bastogne will always win, hands down.