Legacy Matters

Died and ignored by the media

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle

The aunt of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," Martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week?"

Gillis' nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afganistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
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He was one of at least 13 U.S. soldiers to die in Afghanistan since Jackson's death on June 25.

Bradshaw's mother, Mary, said she agreed with Gillis, saying the nonstop coverage of Jackson's death has become "totally ridiculous" and laughable.

"I can watch the news many nights and there's no mention of what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq and there's boys dying over there,

"He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk," Gillis wrote. "He wasn't much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow."

This photo and his  eyes are heart-breaking.  This death stopped me cold.  His aunt is exactly right.

I don't understand the lack of coverage of so many like Lt Bradshaw and others who die in the service of our country.  It is a wonder so many still volunteer and want to risk their lives and, if need be, sacrifice them for love of country and of us Americans.    These are the men whose brave actions go unheralded and whose deaths are unmourned save for those who knew him.

May you rest in peace, Lt Brian Bradshaw.  Condolences to his family