Soldier watches his twin die in Iraq on their 24th birthday

[Barrett808]

Source: The Sunday Times

Soldier watches his twin die in Iraq on their 24th birthday
Alan Hamilton

They were twins and, by coincidence, corporals in the same battalion. On Friday they should have been celebrating their 24th birthday. But it was not to be; Will Rigby sat at the bedside of his brother, John, in an Iraq field hospital and watched him die.

Corporal John Rigby had been fatally wounded by a roadside bomb near Basra Palace in southern Iraq that morning, and was named by the Ministry of Defence yesterday as the 153rd British serviceman whose life had been claimed by the conflict.

Will, described by friends as his brother’s lifetime companion and soulmate, will accompany the body back to the family home in Rye, East Sussex, where their parents, sisters and John’s girlfriend, to whom he was expected to propose, are grieving at their loss.

Corporal Rigby was on patrol with the eight men of his section, providing top cover from the hatch of his armoured vehicle, when the bomb exploded. He was the third member of the 4th Battalion The Rifles to die in Iraq in little more than a month.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1980417.ece

[NMDemDist2]

1. I almost didn't click this because I knew it would make me cry/piss me off

sigh

K&N

:argh:

:cry:

[brer cat]

2. I was brought up to never use this word

but nothing else will suffice. FU GWB!

[MADem]

7. In which case, ya gotta say the same to Tony Blair

He's the reason this kid was over there, too....

[saigon68]

16. Yes the Poodle is going on to amass FANTASTIC RICHES

He certainly won't have to live with his conscience.

Like the gangster Cheney and the amerikan Chimpanzee he has none

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Senseless...senseless tragedy.

:cry:

[sonias]

4. So sad

I feel for the surviving soldier and his family. May John Rigby rest in peace.

Sonia

[krispos42]

5. First thing I thought of was the Sullivan Brothers

The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who all died during the same incident in World War II, the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52), the vessel on which they all served.

<snip>

The Juneau fought in a number of naval engagements during the months-long Battle of Guadalcanal. On November 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the Juneau was struck by a torpedo and had to withdraw. Later that day, as it was leaving the Solomon Islands' area, the Juneau was struck again, this time from a torpedo from Japanese submarine I-26. The ship quickly sank and rescue efforts were not forthcoming due to fears about the Japanese naval presence. Eight days later ten survivors were retrieved from the water. The survivors reported that Frank, Joe, and Matt died instantly, Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days.

<more>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_brothers

[MADem]

6. That sucks, totally.

You'd think the MOD would have exercised a little bit of proactive detailing, and not assigned them "by coincidence" to the same battalion.

[Aviation Pro]

9. They probably requested it....

...like the Tillman brothers.

[MADem]

28. The article cited suggested it was complete coincidence. An accidental assignment

Of course, who knows...just because that's what it says doesn't make it true, necessarily. Also, UK MOD forces aren't as big a bunch as ours are, and a small percentages of the total over that way. The smaller the group, the greater likelihood of running into someone you know at the unit or battalion or regimental level, I suppose. For all we know, they assigned them alphabetically....

[MaineDem]

8. Oh no.

How very sad.

:cry:

[LeftishBrit]

10. That's so sad

Damn the Poodle's soul to Hell.

[bigwillq]

11. How sad.

:( :cry:

[Gman]

12. He was just about the same age as my daughter

a year younger. This just tears my heart out. I feel so for their parents.

[shenmue]

13. This is awful

:cry:

[Breeze54]

14. Very sad...

Fuck * and Blair!! :grr:

:kick: & R'd

[wtmusic]

15. Almost as sad as all the Iraqi brothers who die on a daily basis nt

[xchrom]

17. peace be with the Rigby family.

[Ilsa]

18. Every troop's story needs to be on the news. Not a name or a

count and announcement of where home is. The public needs to know about the pain these families are experiencing. It needs to get as personal as it can.

[liberal N proud]

19. So wrong in so many ways

If bu$h was told, I am sure he was deeply saddened...

NOT!

[Middle finga]

20. Why are these young kids still joining up

Has no one told them we are in the middle of an immoral, illegal and un winnable war. And that the Commander in Chief is an evil psychopath.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HughBeaumont]

27. Because they portray war as one big real-life X-Box game.

Same graphics, same film tint. There's no hint or mention that it's wrong or bungled; all they hear is that you travel the world and get to fuck up a whole lot of brown-skinned people!

There's just a teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeensy little problem - in a real war, you sort of die or get maimed. And you don't get health points.

Another thing they don't tell you.

[Lars39]

29. Economic draft...can't afford college, no jobs where they live.

[superconnected]

31. Not a good enough answer.

It's better to be poor and alive.

If it's truly economics that makes them sign up and be willing to shoot people for, then they are no better than blackwell troops.

[Lars39]

34. Nobody likes to see their kids go hungry.

[diamidue]

36. And the truth is

that once these guys get out of the military (if the military ever releases them), there is still no guarantee that there will be decent jobs waiting for them when they get home.

And if they end up wounded, then things are going to be CONSIDERABLY worse for them.

One of my son's acquaintances just enlisted. Recruiter told him he wouldn't have to see combat. Yeah, right. Where are these recruit's friends and families?

[WritersBlock]

21. Helluva birthday present from Bush & Blair.

RIP with the brothers and sisters who preceded you in this awful war, Corporal Rigby.

[Kokonoe]

22. I have no doubt he is ordered back to work without a chance

for discharge of his loyal service.

[roguevalley]

23. Oh my god. It gets worse every day. Every single day.

[puffthemagicdragon]

24. keeps getting worse

the numbers keep climbing and this is just so sad. :( I cannot imagine the pain.

[Javaman]

26. I hate this fucking war. nt

[superconnected]

30. Really smart guys, join the fucking army, just brilliant,...

I know, I'm supposed to get all tear jerky and say "awe what heros," but frankly, it would help if dumbshits didn't decided the answer was to actually fight bushes illegal war.

I have a cousin going to iraq in september. I don't want him killed. And I'm not over the awe of how fucking stupid he is for signing up in the first place. My whole family is downplaying that like it shouldn't be an issue - him signing up. It's all poor him, he's being sent to iraq.(idoit voice) WHO KNEW THAT WOULD HAPPEN!!! (end of idoit voice). Don't mind me.

When/if he dies (which I really don't want as I love my cousin), I'm just not going to be able to look past the fault of the idiot who signed up - him. Sure it's bushes blood bath, but alas he volunteered. And I know, how terrible of me for bringing up responsiblity of joining and going there is part of the soldiers. How fucking dare I.... :barf:

[WildEyedLiberal]

40. Did it ever occur to you that some members of the military joined before 2003?

:eyes: Your post is completely cruel and inappropriate. I'm sorry you're obviously feeling a lot of anxiety about your cousin and that this is manifesting itself in anger and lashing out at him for his choice, but really... have a goddamn heart.

Oh, and obviously you didn't read the OP too damn closely, but these were British soldiers. So all your going on about how stupid they were to sign up to fight Bush's illegal war is irrelevant.

[rocktivity]

32. How decent of the military to let the soldier to be at his dying brother's side

...oh, it's the BRITISH military. That explains it.

:(
rocknation

[SpikeTss]

33. Isn't it time ...

to put Mr. George W. Bush in prison? Who thinks, it's not?

At least one presidential candidate agrees with me and thinks we should work on getting Mr. Bush into the big house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fFX4V23FVo

[redqueen]

35. but we have to stay there.

all the front runners say so... so...

get used to this

[KamaAina]

37. This may well be how Blair is remembered

'cause as of Wednesday. he's history!! :bounce: I believe he starts at Carlyle on Monday. :P

If only it were so easy to get rid of our warmongering POS...

[silverojo]

38. Bush probably wishes he had video of the deathbed vigil

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Another senseless tragedy...... :cry:

[Lost4words]

39. Dear Will, dont forget you have to go back and finish the job * & Blair started