I know this is off topic, and I know it is a touchy subject for a lot of people, but you guys are so darn good at making a person feel better... Despite my political views on the war in Iraq, I keep my personal feelings about the soldiers fighting it separate. One of those soldiers was my husband's best friend, Chris Swisher. They went to high school together, and along with another friend, Dameyan, were practically inseparable. Dameyan's mother considers all three of them her sons, my daughter is her grandchild, blood relation or not. On October 9, 2003, Chris was one of the two soldiers killed in what the Army is calling an ambush. My husband is "more angry than sad right now." I know the sadness will hit him sooner or later, and probably sooner. My daughter's "grammy" is devastated. I want you to know, if it weren't for knowing Chris, I might have my doubts about how truthful the government was being in this case, considering the other side of things. But Chris was in a position of authority on that patrol. And I know how he was killed. More details than I care to. And I know how his personal views of things stood. I have no doubts. I know we aren't the first home to lose someone close to us in this war. Probably not even the first on this list. But I would like to ask that you all keep my husband in your thoughts. And Chris's family. Thank you for listening. Melissa Rotert Mira, Samurai and O'Dell Missing Cael, Booboo, Tasha, Robin and Nietzsche [Posted in FML issue 4298]