Posting a letter received from my friend, Sue Niederer, parents of son Lt. Seth Dvorin, killed in Iraq Feb 2004. I met Sue on the Bring Them Home Now tour, when she arrived to travel with us on our central tour bus. I met and spent time with a mother, and a grandmother who delighted in her grandchild. I don't know what I expected as I was in awe and somewhat intimidated having known about her from media reports of her being removed from Laure Bush fundraiser event, handcuffed and arrested around the time of the 2004 elections.
She is as much every mother and grandmother as am I and others, and a woman I've come to respect personally. Later Arthur and I had the privilege of spending a couple of days with Sue, driving her from Seatac airport to Port Angeles where she had speaking engagement, visiting Hurricane Ridge, and driving her back to Seatac. She was accompanied by young Iraq Veteran, Michael Hoffman, of Iraq Veterans Against the War. The woman and mother that is Sue is a Lady and her actions in grief denote the courage she has to speak out....before many were speaking out. Sue's letter of Feb 2, 2006 below. Respect to you Sue.
Sue & Greg Niederer mark 2 years of LIVES SHATTERED...
She is as much every mother and grandmother as am I and others, and a woman I've come to respect personally. Later Arthur and I had the privilege of spending a couple of days with Sue, driving her from Seatac airport to Port Angeles where she had speaking engagement, visiting Hurricane Ridge, and driving her back to Seatac. She was accompanied by young Iraq Veteran, Michael Hoffman, of Iraq Veterans Against the War. The woman and mother that is Sue is a Lady and her actions in grief denote the courage she has to speak out....before many were speaking out. Sue's letter of Feb 2, 2006 below. Respect to you Sue.
Sue & Greg Niederer mark 2 years of LIVES SHATTERED...
To All:
I needed to write this note today to get things off of my chest. Do with it as you desire. As for any reports, this is a follow up to what life has been for me the last two years. I send it to you for hopeful publication. Inform people what life is all about for the family of the fallen.
Today is Feb. 3, 2006 for most people this will be just an ordinary day, but for others it will be a day that changes their lives forever. Let me explain that statement. It was two years ago today that I received not the knock on the door, but the phone call from HELL. It was approximately 6:14 in the evening and we were just going to sit down to dinner, when the phone rang. Called ID said it was Pam. Pam is my son's mother in law, I said to Greg this is not good. He said you answer, I did and it wasn't good news. She informed us that Kelly had just been informed by the military that her Husband Seth our son was killed that morning. He had been sent out on what turned out to be suicide mission. I asked what we could do for Kelly and she stated that she and Mike her husband were heading to New Hampshire to be with her. Greg looked at me and stated "it is the worst isn't it"? I said yes. He just came to me and we both cried and went into a state of shock.
We knew what we had to do, but could we do it? I believe that we did it out of rote, without thinking just doing. The phone at that point rang and it was my sister in law, an innocent phone call led her to be the first informed of the killing of Seth. What a shock, she was in disbelief. From that point on we just continued to make phone call to family and friends. The hardest call was to my father who was so proud of his grandson Seth and the person that he was. I made that call as Greg used the other phone line to inform others. I was fortunate enough to get my stepmother on the phone first, and I told her, she just started to scream, at which point my dad asked her what happened. She told him and was not sure, how he was going to handle it. He did how I do not know but he did. The next call went to my brother, what do you say to someone that just adored his nephew. Gary, Seth is gone he was killed this morning. I never say my brother move so fast and be at our home in comfort us so quickly. Our home is now filled with people, friends relatives, neighbors etc. That was my Feb. 2, 2004
We knew what we had to do, but could we do it? I believe that we did it out of rote, without thinking just doing. The phone at that point rang and it was my sister in law, an innocent phone call led her to be the first informed of the killing of Seth. What a shock, she was in disbelief. From that point on we just continued to make phone call to family and friends. The hardest call was to my father who was so proud of his grandson Seth and the person that he was. I made that call as Greg used the other phone line to inform others. I was fortunate enough to get my stepmother on the phone first, and I told her, she just started to scream, at which point my dad asked her what happened. She told him and was not sure, how he was going to handle it. He did how I do not know but he did. The next call went to my brother, what do you say to someone that just adored his nephew. Gary, Seth is gone he was killed this morning. I never say my brother move so fast and be at our home in comfort us so quickly. Our home is now filled with people, friends relatives, neighbors etc. That was my Feb. 2, 2004
Then why do I write this, because I want people to understand how a moment can change a families life forever.
My questions are what has changed in Iraq in the last two years?? NOTHING, yes they have voted and supposedly have a constitution, but their government is still not in place, so what has been gained. Again NOTHING. Do our troops have the proper training and equipment that they well deserve. NO just ask Mr. Rumsfeld, as he stated prior, we go to war with what we have not necessarily with what we want or need. That was stated nearly a year and a half ago, and the troops still do not have either the proper training or equipment. The soldiers are still being killed by the IED's each and every day so why is it that this country spending is spending billions of dollars on technology has not come up with something to jam the signals of the IED"S. Why because they do not care about the troops as they say they do. If they did then some of them would have their own children or themselves serving in this righteous military. Maybe they have but someone's pocket is not being lined enough. Why are these young men and women being sent out on suicide missions, missions of no return? Why.
Why is it that the troops that have come home wounded are not treated with the proper care or respect. Why does the military not understand the meaning of Post Traumatic Syndrome, and asks it's soldiers to sign a waiver, of release for this condition. When are the families of the deceased going to be taken care of? Money is not necessarily what they need, how about schooling, counseling, some type of guidance for the future, not just the first six months of having a mentor. Ours disappeared after (days) I began to protest, so much for her, she is angry, get away from there.
The only thing that has changed, to some extent is that Mr. Bush realizes mistakes have been made. That we as a nation were ill informed by our administration about the reason we went to war. Try we were lied to. However, he informs us that we have to stay the course. What course, what is the direction that we are going in??? Tell us that. He also states that the fallen hero's have died for a "noble cause" explain that to me. I along with many others I am sure would love to know what that is.
The bottom line here is what has Seth and approximately 2240 + others died for. What has changed in these long 2 years. NOTHING. This shows the total lack of respect this administration has for the troops that are fighting for this country. BRING THEM HOME NOW -- AND TREAT THE WITH RESPECT WHEN THEY DO.
Sue NIederer
mother of Lt. Seth Dvorin
KIA 2-3-04 Iraq
P.S. They say that life goes on and gets better with time, NOT TRUE: Let anyone that can stand in my shoe's inform me of that, and I will say thank you. Remember a parent does not bury a CHILD a CHILD bury's their parent.
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