Campy's Editorial Page
On behalf of a grateful nation....
Army Specialist Chad L. Keith
July 12, 2003
By Matthew McGowan
The tri-state has lost another soldier in the fighting in Iraq.
The Pentagon on Tuesday announced that Army Specialist Chad L. Keith, 21, was the 143rd American slain by hostile fire in Iraq. On Monday, a roadside bomb exploded as Keith's unit (Company D, 2nd Battalion of the 325th Infantry, out of Fort Bragg, N.C.) was patrolling the streets of Baghdad. Keith was from Batesville, a city of around 6,000 people located about 40 miles northwest of Cincinnati.
According to family members, Keith was following in the footsteps of other men in his family when he joined the Army right after his high school graduation. Keith was especially "gung-ho" about serving his country after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. "Most people join the Army because they want money for college or something, but he was really happy to be in the Army; he wanted it to be his career," said high school classmate and close friend Kirt Collier.
While I am well aware that no amount of condolences can ever take away the pain of losing a loved one, I would like to express my deep sympathy and great sense of gratitude to Chad's family. Laura Creech of Ohio County, whose son is married to Keith's sister, said the young soldier's 3-year-old niece idolized him. A picture of Keith on the family's refrigerator shows him in his uniform with a big American flag in the background. The little girl would show people the picture and say: "That's my Uncle Chad; he is America."
Well put, young lady. I couldn't agree with you more.
America owes a great debt of honor to Chad, his fellow soldiers, and their families. On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you all, and may God Bless You.
(Quote, picture source: The Cincinnati Enquirer)
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