The Cellar - Sorry Canucks

Friendly fire, casualties of war, acceptable losses, etc.

These terms are military jargon that sanitizes the horror of the experience.

Yes, it's a very dangerous place over there, and war is hell. Everyone over there is aware of the risks.

These men were volunteers to defend our freedom. The survivors, and those left behind, struggle to find purpose in the deaths of these soldiers.

Inevitably, there will be accidental casualties in the heat of battle, where human error combines with mechanical failure and freak accident.

But the tragedy in this case is that it was not actually a "heat of battle" scenario for the F-16 pilot. It was not mechanical failure. It was not miscommunication. It was an error in judgment of the worst kind, where a soldier mistakenly attacks his own troops without command and control direction.

Based on preliminary information, it seems to have been an avoidable loss. It certainly merits the fullest inquiry that would be given the loss of American lives in the same circumstances, had American soldiers been bombed by coalition forces of whatever nationality.

Not to assign blame, but to ensure the better safety of all coalition soldiers over there. Being attacked by coalition forces shouldn't be one of the things they have to worry about.

Not so the pilot should feel more pain that he surely does. We feel for him, too. It must be the worst thing that can happen to a soldier. Except, perhaps, to have been on the ground.

Here is the story of that tragic incident from the perspective of the Canadian survivors, in their own words.

Moment of peace turns into terror

Thanks for your condolences, UT.