A soldier's final word

I came across this profoundly powerful blog post today. It's a final, posthumous post from an American soldier who was killed in Iraq. He asked his friend to post the message in the event that he got killed. It's especially poignant because he argues that his life was worth laying down for the army, because it helps maintain societal order. He also notes that, actually having died, he is less inclined to support the Iraq war. He's not being facetious: "Sometimes going to war is the right idea. I think we've drawn that line too far in the direction of war rather than peace, but I'm a soldier and I know that sometimes you have to fight if you're to hold onto what you hold dear. But in making that decision, I believe we understate the costs of war; when we make the decision to fight, we make the decision to kill, and that means lives and families destroyed. Mine now falls into that category; the next time the question of war or peace comes up, if you knew me at least you can understand a bit more just what it is you're deciding to do, and whether or not those costs are worth it."