Published: June 14, 2008 11:53 pm            

Never forgotten

The war on terror has finally come home.

Before late 2007, Stillwater had not been affected by our country’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. That “blissful ignorance” has ended.

Last fall, the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 179th Infantry — with headquarters in Stillwater — was activated for duty in Iraq.

In March, Staff Sgt. Christopher Hake was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Hake’s widow, Kelli, is a native of Stillwater and her parents still live here.

Then, June 3, Maj. Scott Hagerty, a graduate of Stillwater High School and Oklahoma State University, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Hagerty’s widow, Daphne, their sons, Jonathan and Samuel, and his parents, Don and Shirley, all live in Stillwater.

It has been easy to forget the horrors of war. Our government is afraid to let us see it and our media has been beaten into submission by those who believe showing reality is un-American. In fact, by the time the war on terror came to Stillwater, most Americans were more worried about the economy.

This has been a war where the few have made the sacrifice. Sadly, if most Americans had been forced to sacrifice for the war effort, there would be no war in Iraq. Christopher Hake and Scott Hagerty died doing what they wanted to do — fighting for their country. It is up to those of us who have not sacrificed to ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.