In regard to your Sept. 9 editorial, "The Central Front" (Review &
Outlook): The debate over whether our cause in Iraq is just rages in the media with one
expert after another shouting to be heard. With the second anniversary of Sept. 11 upon
us, this endless second-guessing about our decision to go to war has me frantically
flipping channels to get away from it all.
The war on terror, which took my son's life, was until recently justified in most
American's minds. Kristofor died on the first night of Operation Enduring Freedom on a
dusty Pakistan airstrip in support of the Afghanistan invasion. It was payback time for
the Sept. 11 attacks and not much "squabble" ensued over those motives, unless
you consider the fact we never found Osama bin Laden.
My son, was a quiet and thoughtful patriot. When I questioned him about Sept. 11, while he
was still at Fort Benning and before he went overseas, he spoke only about his fellow Army
Rangers chomping at the bit to right the wrongs perpetrated on America that day. But Kris
expressed no such zeal.
I always found it hard to imagine he would be able to kill another human being. After his
death, it did not surprise me to hear that he had removed a cast from his ankle in order
to be on that plane bound for Afghanistan. He wanted to be there to protect his buddies.
That is why he went, not to find some ringleader or a stockpile of weapons or chemicals.
His buddies would probably say the same.
Since my son died in Afghanistan and I became a Gold Star Mother, I am more sensitive to
this current debate, along with the rest of the families whose sons or daughters have not
come home from this battle. When we see reported on the news only the turmoil instead of
the progress being made by the Iraqi people, we feel intense frustration. Even though we
have been assured by everyone from our president on down that our loved one who died in
the
line of duty is an "American Hero." We now begin to wonder if the other adage
told to us is true that "they did not die in vain."
I can only trust my inner core of beliefs as a mother and human being. Even if not one
weapon or one gram of poison is found, I supported the efforts to eradicate this dictator
whose record on human rights was abominable. Seeing the mass graves and the atrocities
perpetrated on his people will always be enough justification for me that we did the right
thing in liberating
the people of Iraq.
I had my reservations about embedding the media with the soldiers during the war to
liberate Iraq. My opinion changed as I saw the images they sent back to us of the American
servicemen giving water to dehydrated enemy soldiers, treating wounded Iraqi soldiers and
civilians, refusing to fire on mosques, and teaching the children a silly song. Our
military men and women are our best ambassadors. If my son, Kris, had been there in Iraq,
he would have smiled and shown the children some magic tricks. How can you hate someone
who smiles?
Kris would have chosen to believe that he was going to fight a war in order to make a
difference for the children, giving them hope for a brighter future where they will be
free to learn and follow their dreams. Maybe someday Central Asia and the Middle East will
achieve a lasting peace where the only dilemmas people will face is what to name their
unborn children or what to serve for dinner.
I hope this current debate will soon give way to a renewed appreciation for the bigger
picture and our nation's role in spreading freedom where it is needed most, and that
history will record my son's death as having been in the service of this noble goal.
Ruth Voshell Stonesifer
Gold Star Mother of Kristofor T. Stonesifer
(killed in action Oct. 19, 2001)
Kintnersville, Pa.