Army Lieutenant Benjamin Colgan

From http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/colganbenjaminj.html:

"LT COLGAN,WAS MY BOSS AND A UP FRONT INDIVIDUAL. HE LOVED HIS WIFE AND KIDS VERY MUCH AND SPOKE OF THEM CONSTANTLY. HE WAS AN ADMIRED PROFESSIONAL AND GREATLY LOOKED UP TO. I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOST AND I PRAY THAT GOD WILL COMFORT YOU AND KEEP YOU DURING YOUR TIME OF HURT. I MISS HIM DEARLY AND I CAN TRULY SAY, HE WAS A REAL AMERICAN HERO"
SSG WILLIAMS of SAVANNAH, GA.

I have Ben Colgan's picture — a cropped black-and-white from the image above — taped up next to me as I write this. His last days as the leader of soldiers is the riveting story at the heart of the December 2003 Time magazine Person of the Year issue which features his platoon. Staff Sergeant Williams, also profiled in the issue, was Ben Colgan's platoon sergeant. I knew enough good men in the Army to piece together the soldier and the man behind the magazine article. Lieutenant Colgan exemplifies what a soldier can be, and the kind of man I wish I was.

2LT Benjamin Colgan, Survey Platoon (a.k.a. Tomb Raiders) Leader, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, died in the line of duty in Baghdad, Iraq on November 1, 2003.

His daughters deserve to understand when they're older that their father gave his ultimate sacrifice while selflessly serving righteously in an honorable and justified mission.

In this War on Terror, we are sending the best of our generation to confront the enemy, and our people are dying. It's not fair that people like me are safe at home, attending college, while people like Lieutenant Colgan, a husband and father as well as a soldier, are giving their lives for us. I never met Benjamin Colgan. Nonetheless, he sets a standard I hope I can meet half way, someday.

Find a copy of the December 2003 Time magazine, the one with Lieutenant Colgan's soldiers on the cover. Read about a true American hero and pay your respects.

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Also see Castillo, Happy Veterans Day: Call to Duty: Boots on the Ground, and New York Times writer posits "Thank you for your service" is offensive to veterans. I disagree..

- Eric

12/22/11 note: This was my 1st blog post.