Iraq: What Incredible Grace And Courage

The story of the attack itself is tragic but reading through, I found myself simply awestruck by the courage and grace of this young soldier's Mother. How honored we are as a country to have people like this. There are no words. They had been extended as part of the so-called surge.

Pursel volunteered to go to Iraq when the Army asked for replacements for a Fort Lewis infantry battalion that had taken numerous casualties, said his mother, Terry Dutcher.

"Michael was one of the first ones to raise his hand to go," she told The Olympian newspaper.

Pursel had been in Iraq a little more than a month, but Dutcher, a captain in the Air Force Reserve who lives in Utah, said her son died living his dream.

"We're proud of Michael, and Michael was doing what he always wanted to do," she said. "In light of how it turned out, I know Michael was happy. I just take peace in that right now."

May God continue to grant her peace.

Comments

[Dan Riehl]

We'll just start this one over, folks.

[Phoenix]

Shew. Thanks, Dan.

That jackass has pissed me off before, but this time he upset me. I really wish you'd ban him.

[imaginewhirledpeas]

Dan, Normally I'm all about letting even raving idiots have their say but I have to agree with Phoenix when it comes to bobinthebasement. The guy never contributes to discussion, just hurls insults and non-applicable links. Send him back to his cave.

[Fred Beloit]

Well one assumes that the Boob was sent to the woodshed for saying something nasty. After I read the post I thought to myself I hope none of the usual suspects says anything bad about it. Hope they just go to another post to comment about something else. But it was not to be. Guess the Boob took Oscar Wilde seriously when he wrote "The best way to be rid of a temptation is to succumb to it." But Wilde dealt in sarcasm, not in advice on manners or decency.

[Zifnab]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it MacArthur who said its not your goal to die for your country but to make the enemy die for his?

This is a tragedy and a great loss. But

"Pursel had been in Iraq a little more than a month, but Dutcher, a captain in the Air Force Reserve who lives in Utah, said her son died living his dream."

I don't see much of a dream in the way he died. More of a nightmare.

[imaginewhirledpeas]

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it MacArthur who said its not your goal to die for your country but to make the enemy die for his?"

OK, you're corrected. It was Patton.

You're right, it was more of a nightmare as I'm sure no one "dreams" of dying in battle. I presume, since I actually read the story, that the "dream" was serving his country in the way he saw fit. We haven't had a draft since the early 70s and have had an all vol military ever since.

[Phoenix]

The courage and grace is about his mother's reaction to her son's death. 'Courage' and 'grace' are perfect words to describe her. A lot of young people are moved to fight for what they believe in, and her son did what he wanted to do. His mom has found peace in her acceptance that he died for something he believed in. What a woman to be able to focus on the good. It makes me sad, but I am proud, too. I wish we had addresses for these moms. I'd like to write to them.

[Fred Beloit]

This may sound very alien to you, Zifnab, but those of us imbued with some of the values of Western civilization, going way back to the ancient Greeks, prize, honor, and respect soldiers willing to be maimed and even die for their peers and those of us at home. War is a horrible thing to be avoided as often as possible. But there are worse things in the Western view. One such thing is is allowing suicidal, totalitarian forces to try to control us and replace our values with their far-inferior values and twisted morality. So we, and the proud parent, not of a suicide bomber looking for virgins in the after life, but of US soldier Michael Purcel, a soldier who died for his comrades and for us, prize, honor, and respect him. "Dolce et decorum est pro patria mori." And, yes, I am familiar with the poem by Owen that uses this old sentence sarcastically. So what.

[Hard Right]

Fred, Zif can't see dying for anything. That's part of being a leftist.

God bless Michael Dutcher and may he rest in peace.

[seekeronos]

And may God give comfort and solace to Mrs. Dutcher, and an assurance that her son's sacrifice was not in vain.

[kevin]

they make me proud god bless them

[azvicki]

I only hope that, God forbid, should my son be lost to the scum terrorists, I have as much grace.

Rest in Peace.