Case visits survivors of attack on copter
Associated Press
U.S. Rep. Ed Case visited a military hospital in Germany yesterday to meet with survivors of an Army helicopter shot down in Iraq, relaying the messages of bloodied but resilient servicemen dedicated to their cause.
Associated Press
The Hawai'i Democrat spoke to some of the 18 survivors of the Chinook helicopter taken down Sunday by Iraqi guerrillas. Fifteen soldiers died in that attack, the worst single strike on Americans since the war's start. The injured troops are recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center near Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.
Reps. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i, left, and Brad Miller, D-N.C., pay a visit to Spc. Scott Timm in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
"Each has been through a hell that most of us can't even imagine, some will never fully recover and all lost comrades," Case said. Yet "their thoughts were with their friends still in the field and with the continuation of their mission in Iraq through to conclusion."
Case said he asked the survivors what message they'd like him to bring back. Those messages that the congressman shared painted the picture of optimistic troops committed to their fight: "Even though I got hurt, I wouldn't change anything about us being here." "Just tell everyone to keep their heads up and keep going." "Say 'hi' to my buddies back in the platoon and tell them I'm sorry I can't be with them."
Case expressed the same commitment that those troops have for perseverance in Iraq.
"I continue to have deep reservations about the reasoning and manner of our intervention in Iraq," he said. "But the blunt reality is that that's the past. We did commit ourselves to this course of action, and
I am convinced after this trip that we must persevere until the job is done."
Case arrived in the Middle East on Thursday as part of a six-member congressional delegation to review U.S. military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq. He said one of the goals of the congressional mission was to spend time with U.S. troops.
