What is the best word to describe a soldiers death?

[goldstone]

Any death is a tragedy for someone ... friends, family, loved ones.

BUT if you join the armed forces you are quite possibly going to have to get involved in an armed conflict ... that's what the armed forces do. So there has to be a higher expectation of danger and risk to life whether from enemy fire, roadside bombs, etc.

 

[OzMike]

2 words, occupational hazzard.

 

[ali jenkins]

Unfortuantly like others have said, its a risk of the job, thats what they sign up for.

While I feel for the family and friends and wouldnt wish the loss of a loved one on my worst enemy its what being in the armed forces is about. If they wernt prepared to be put in that situation then they should get '9-5' jobs.

Also, its not any of our places to sit here discussing the ins and outs of weather we should be in Iraq or Afghanistan.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

At least no-one uses the phrase "Our Glorious Dead" these days.

 

[Harty]

As Joseph Stalin once said "If one million people die on the other side of the planet, it is a statistic. If one person dies in front of you it is a tragedy".

Although, the bloke was a complete nobber, he kind of sums it up for me. Clearly any death at war is devestating, but it is hard to properly empathise in such a situation.

Given the amount of his own people he killed over the years that's rich coming from him.

In the years that have elapsed I've completely turned my view round on this, when we went to war I believed in what we were doing because I (stupidly) believed Tony Blair, time has proved that him and his cohorts 'misled us' and now, more than anything as a parent, I feel a great sense of sadness but also waste when I see another young person, and the older ones for that matter, returning home in a coffin.

But funnily enough engage in conversation on this subject with an Albion fan who is a former Labour MP and he's still backing Blair big time, god know why?

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Any death is a tragedy for someone ... friends, family, loved ones.

BUT if you join the armed forces you are quite possibly going to have to get involved in an armed conflict ... that's what the armed forces do. So there has to be a higher expectation of danger and risk to life whether from enemy fire, roadside bombs, etc.

I think that's absolutely correct. The word 'tragedy' I feel should apply in a WW1 or WW2 scenario where most of the soldiers were conscripted into the services with no choice but to put themselves in the line of fire.

 

[daveinprague]

Every soldiers family has said...he died doing what he loved and we are proud of him...
Ever soldier interviewed, say they want to fight to prove themselves and their training.
Every soldier will say they believe in what they are doing in Afghanistan. No shit? Of course
they will say that. Its been drummed into them, and unlikely to report anything else.
They also need to justify the pointless deaths of their comrades to themselves somehow.
They are hardly going to tell journalists the war is a mistake and its wrong that they should be put there to be shot at. The repercussions to them would be uncomfortable
Until somebody comes up with warfare that doesnt involve killing the enemy, British soldiers are going to die, and suffer wounds..
Its not a tragedy. Its a fact of war. People die and are wounded, on both sides.
Why they are in Afghanistan fighting Americas war is the tragedy imo. They are certainly not protecting Britain or British interests fighting there.