Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Lt. James C. Cathey returns home from war

Marine 2nd Lt. James C. Cathey returned home from war and was greeted by his wife, 23 year old Katherine Cathey. Mrs. Cathey is shown embracing her husbands coffin after it was placed in a hearse at the Reno, Nv. airport. Lt. Cathey was killed by a booby-trap explosion in Al Karman, Iraq. He was 24 years old.


Shortly before the final inspection, Katherine Cathey, pregnant with their unborn son, rubs her belly against the coffin. Of all the memories, the sense of touch seems to be the first to fade, and here is the sense of a last touch. It cuts deeply as love, birth and death merge until our heads spin.


The night before her husband's funeral, Katherine Cathey lies on an air mattress in front of the flag-draped coffin. Before he went to Iraq, they were married in a civil ceremony, and planned a church wedding when he returned. They hadn't planned on a return like this, and now she listens to music they had picked for the wedding. She insisted on spending that final night next to his body.



The war on terror and the occupation of Iraq must be looked at as more than just statistics. As always, there is a human side to war. When will enough be enough??

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