Soldier, 59, is oldest U.S. service member to die in Afghanistan

Source: CNN

Soldier, 59, is oldest U.S. service member to die in Afghanistan

From Mike Mount
CNN Senior Pentagon Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient who volunteered to return to the Army and serve in Afghanistan became the oldest U.S. service member to die in combat there, the U.S. military announced Friday.

First Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo was killed by a roadside bomb in Kabul on Tuesday while riding in an armored Humvee.

His body was flown to the United States early Thursday morning.

Crisostomo of Spanaway, Washington, was 59. He would have turned 60 later this month, according to KING television in Seattle, Washington.

He was one of a very few service members who served in Vietnam and in current U.S. military operations, his record shows. He twice received the Bronze Star, which is awarded to U.S. troops for combat valor.

Crisostomo also received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat, according to his records.

It was not clear from his official records if he received the medals for combat in Vietnam or Afghanistan.

His records also indicate he received numerous other commendations. He also served during the first Gulf War in 1991 and received the Kuwait Liberation Medal.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/21/afghanistan.oldest.death/index.html

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RIP old timer!

:-(

:wow:

My heartfelt sympathy to his family members :(


We lost a 19 year old in 1991 - 1st gulf war... my daughter's boyfriend

There is something obscene about somebody that age in combat... above and beyond the usual amount of obscene.

Maybe we need to cut back just a bit on the Empire, huh?

This country simply makes too many veterans.... and too many dead heroes.

I went active duty via the regular army R.O.T.C. after college. I resigned my commission when I was all of 26 years old. Now that I'm the ripe old age of 51, I can't even fathom what it would be like to be back in uniform.

Although there are many fit and sturdy 50 somethings, IMO, this provides commentary as to the fact that the Army seemingly still needs warm ambulatory bodies.

Senior enlisted ranks are both mentally and physically challenging. First Sergeants must keep fit to motivate the younger troops within their ranks. Wow! That guy must have been amazing and a good example of keeping YOUNG into older age.

R.I.P. dear fellow Senior. :cry:

...I don't remember the details, but I know he got his ass kicked by the physical part of it. This was also at least 20 years ago, so no deployment.

:-(

They called him back after being out for 16 years. He had went back to school after getting thrown out after the first gulf war and it was for those skills they called him back up. He ended up managing the communications network for an evac hospital.

To imply that we shouldn't care about this soldier because, darn it, he lived past his expiration date had he been Afghani? So, how old are you?

And my age is none of your business.

So, a single question: Why did you post this factoid in a thread that was posted about a soldier who was killed?

a place where male life expectancy is 44 yrs. It kind of puts things in perspective, don't you think?

I can't really reply and be civil, so I will leave you to your perspective.

Yeah, I'm sure that will help.

that man's family is reading this thread?

Really?

But, certainly you must know better than I.

It was a shitty thing to say, regardless.

all men involved in this monstrosity we call our invasion of Afghanistan need to have a chance at life.

Bring our troops home now, and leave the Afghan people to their own lives....................................

It reminds me of reading about the last days of the Nazi war effort. Old men and little boys.

layed off and couldn’t find a job.:shrug:

he just liked the lifestyle and never felt like he belonged in the civilian world. He's in Afghanistan right now at 47.

because he wanted to do something for his country. We fought about it, and I never got an answer from him that was acceptable to me. How his killing Iraqis who were defending their country against the US invaders didn't sound like it was contributing to our country's security in anyway.

But he wanted to go. Talked the Marines out of the age thing that was against him.

He did two tours in Iraq.

Then he came home, got married, and now his younger wife - he was 41 when he was killed in Afghanistan last week - is pregnant with twin girls, their first kids.

His funeral is next week, and I wonder why he's dead. I really do................................

Some need the Brotherhood of the Tribe.

Hard to say what motivates an individual, but one thing for sure. If you can "Fly below the Radar"

You can get away with a lot

Long time passing: Vietnam and the haunted generation
By Myra MacPherson


Just Google Norman Ryman and the book.

Kind of explains it all

Its in PDF it doesn't cut and paste

I mentioned it, I believe, in my post.

And you recommend to me that book by Myra McPherson? Please. Myra lives with another friend of mind, Jeff (whose last name I'll not post here), and if I never read another word she writes, I'll be very, very happy......................

Honestly, Nazi Germany?

He made the choice knowing full well this could have been the outcome. Everyone of us who wears the uniform makes that choice when we take that oath. I've been to several Stans in my time in. We are doing good over there. We are doing whats right. And if a few of us have to make the ultimate sacrifice to help end the atrocities of things like the Taliban, then it's a sacrifice worth making.

As for doing what's right, give me a break. We are there for empire and empire only. You want to die for corporate profits then I guess I can't stop you. I'm going guess your next reply will be that your doing for our freedoms. Lol.

All I'm going to say is that I'm sorry you couldn't see the good that we are doing.

I don't know of to many corporations that made profit off of the school/orphanage we rebuilt in Kyrgyzstan on our off time. Don't know what corporations stand to make a profit in ensuring that women don't have to worry about being stoned to death as part of your soccer half time show. Not sure which corporations made profit with the airdrops of donated clothing and food to the remote mountain villages of Afghanistan who can't get anything like that during the winter.

Perhaps you could enlighten me?

now claim a more a more senior man. will we see any outrage?

So very sad. He had one month left before he was to return home. One month.

that was someone's grandaddy!

Maybe he grew a little too comfortable with of war, to seek it out that many times. It can happen to people, and to countries too.

My dad is a Vietnam Vet, it makes me think. My mom has said that my dad once expressed interest in re-joining the army but my mom put her foot down and said no.

I asked him once if he hated Vietnam so much why would he want to re-up? He said it was hard to explain but in the army and in combat things were simpler and black and white, life and death, responsibilities and consequences. (his words) He said he almost rejoined six months after he got back from Vietnam because he felt so awful back in the States. It faded for him in time but he has said he never 100% re-adjusted back to civilian life.

RIP Sgt.
:patriot:

This really hits home for me as I celebrated my 59th birthday today. It's absurd people my age would be anywhere near a combat operation. I'm not a cheerleader for war or combat but there is a reason young men get duped into thinking they have to defend their country.
This is very disturbing.............