"In a way, it’s surprising that there aren’t more bodies piling up at military bases all over this nation" – The
The October 14, 2008 editorial in the
The editorial was in response to the vigil held on October 8 at the gates of
In a nine-month period from December 2007 to September 2008, four
Three of the women were in the Army. The latest murder victim was 29-year-old US Army Sgt. Christina Smith, who was killed September 30, 2008. Her husband, Fort Bragg Sgt. Richard Smith, 26, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy. Also arrested was 18-year-old Mathew Kvapil, a private first class at
Spc. Megan Touma was seven months pregnant when her body was found inside a
The estranged Marine husband of Army Second Lt. Holley Wimunc, an Army nurse at
Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach had been raped in May 2007, and protective orders had been issued against the alleged perpetrator, fellow Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean. The burned body of Lauterbach and her unborn baby were found in a shallow grave in the backyard of Laurean’s home in January 2008. Laurean fled to
In 2002, four military spouses were murdered at
"It’s an old argument. We train men, and now women, to wage war, then we are baffled when they do that to each other. It is driven in times of war by a national culture that can extol violence, conflating it with patriotism. And don’t overlook the general population raised on a steady diet of malevolence disguised as entertainment. In a way, it’s surprising that there aren’t more bodies piling up at military bases all over this nation. We are certain, nevertheless, that the demonstrators (at the gates of
On the morning of the commemoration, the father of Second Lt. Holley (James) Wimunc sent a message to the Quaker House, one of the sponsors of the October 8 vigil. Mr. James thanked the individuals and organizations for the tribute to Holley and the other murdered women, and wrote, "There will be no end to our grief. They say time heals, it hasn’t started to heal for us. We visit the cemetery and mourn daily for Holley and anguish over the senseless way in which she was taken from us. Holley’s children Tre and Kendell, 7 and 3 years old, respectively, will never really know their mom. Years from now, they will spend time looking through the things we’ve saved from their mother’s life and wonder ‘what might have been.’ We appreciate that you offer hope and help to others. It is our wish and prayer that not another family will have to go through this."
Another survivor of military domestic violence joined the vigil. Christine Horne flew from
The Observer editorial acknowledged, "The Army has made a good-faith effort to provide programs and services to prevent domestic violence and save lives. But it’s not enough. The effort must be redoubled, the violence studied more carefully, and the intervention waged even more aggressively … the recent spate of murders underscores the fact that domestic violence remains a significant problem here. Whatever preventive action is being taken at
Because the preventive action being taken by the military is not enough, 40 women and men from around
Ann Wright is a retired
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