Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Long Journey Home From Iraq

A soldier's remains touches many

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 8, 2008 5:13 AM CDT

(Newser) – One soldier's death reveals more of America's pain more starkly than Iraqi war statistics ever could. So one reporter discovered as he followed the remains of Indiana native son Sgt. Robert Joe Montgomery from a pass near the Tigris to a funeral in Scottsburg, meeting all who suffered along the way. At the riveting center of Chris Jones' haunting journey in Esquire is "Joey" himself.

From the men who transport remains by air, to military morgue workers who handle bodies with devotion, to the neighbors and family who pull together in the wake of a death, Jones sketches the individuals hurt by Montgomery's death. "You can't deny your humanity," an Army chaplain tells him at Montgomery's funeral. "You can put up the wall for so long, but it always crumbles. It crumbles."

Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Lillard canvases Arlington National Cemetery as he places American flags at headstones in honor of Memorial Day, Thursday, May 22, 2008, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Capt. Rowdy J. Inman's boots, Stetson hat and saber rest under an urn containing his remains in Killeen, Texas during a memorial service Friday in this January 4, 2008 file photo. (AP Photo/Killeen Daily Herald, John A. Bowersmith, File)

A soldier from Delta Company is seen outside the barracks eleven days after a May 12 attack, south of Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, May 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Military Blocks Iraq Casualty Photos

Journalists complain war is being sanitized

(NEWSER) - Over 4,000 US troops have died in Iraq but only a handful of photographs of dead Americans have reached the media, the New York Times reports. Military regulations do not forbid taking photographs of casualties, but access to death sites is often denied. Photographers who do publish grim images often find their access to military units swiftly terminated. More»

A First: No US Deaths in Iraq in August

Iraqi crackdown, US strikes helped

(NEWSER) - As the US approaches its end-of-year deadline for withdrawing all troops from Iraq, August saw a milestone: It was the first month since the US-led invasion began in March 2003 that saw no American military deaths. The previous record was one soldier death in December 2010, and a military spokesperson notes that there have been two other months that saw no hostile deaths—but did see at least one non-combat death, “which includes accidents or illness,” she tells AFP . Since the invasion began, 4,474 American troops have died. More»

US Sees Iran's Hand in Iraq Violence

June the deadliest month in two years

(NEWSER) - June was the deadliest month in two years for US troops in Iraq, with 15 killed in various attacks—and the US thinks Iran is to blame. Military officials think Iran is handing militia groups more sophisticated weapons, like rockets, armor-piercing grenades, and improved jam-resistant roadside bombs, the Washington Post reports. More»

15K Civilian Deaths Unreported in Iraq

Military logs show US did keep track

(NEWSER) - More from the analysis of WikiLeaks’ huge file dump: US military logs reveal 15,000 previously unrecorded civilian deaths in Iraq. As reported yesterday , the Iraq war logs show that, despite denying it did so, the US did keep records of Iraqi fatalities. Those fatalities totaled 109,032 between 2004 and 2009, of which 66,000 were civilians and 3,771 were “friendly” allied soldiers. Iraq Body Count, which monitors civilian deaths, concluded 15,000 of those civilian deaths had not yet been recorded. More»

July Is Iraq's Deadliest Month Since 2008

US disputes official Iraqi toll

(AP) - July was Iraq's deadliest month in more than two years, according to new official figures, suggesting that a resilient insurgency is successfully taking advantage of the months of political deadlock. The figures released late yesterday show that 535 people were killed last month, the highest since May 2008 when 563 died, heightening concerns over Iraq's precarious security situation even as US troops pull out. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Long Journey Home From Iraq

A soldier's remains touches many

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Iraq • Iraq death toll • America • cost • military families • casualties • Iraq war

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Military Blocks Iraq Casualty Photos

Journalists complain war is being sanitized

A First: No US Deaths in Iraq in August

Iraqi crackdown, US strikes helped

US Sees Iran's Hand in Iraq Violence

June the deadliest month in two years

15K Civilian Deaths Unreported in Iraq

Military logs show US did keep track

July Is Iraq's Deadliest Month Since 2008

US disputes official Iraqi toll

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

Long Journey Home From Iraq

A soldier's remains touches many

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Iraq • Iraq death toll • America • cost • military families • casualties • Iraq war

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Military Blocks Iraq Casualty Photos

Journalists complain war is being sanitized

A First: No US Deaths in Iraq in August

Iraqi crackdown, US strikes helped

US Sees Iran's Hand in Iraq Violence

June the deadliest month in two years

15K Civilian Deaths Unreported in Iraq

Military logs show US did keep track

July Is Iraq's Deadliest Month Since 2008

US disputes official Iraqi toll

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?