Patrick Leahy: “words and numbers are often used on this floor to describe the ongoing war in Iraq. In recent weeks, we have found…”

“words and numbers are often used on this floor to describe the ongoing war in Iraq. In recent weeks, we have found ourselves debating the policy decisions that created the current climate in Iraq, the current strategy in Baghdad, and the policy shifts that need to occur to bring our men and women home. We frequently cite the fast-rising numbers of military fatalities and injuries and the growing number of innocent civilian deaths. A central element of this picture and of this discussion should always be the sacrifices and the suffering of the families at home. Vermont, small State that we are, bears the burden of the highest fatality rate in the country, with more deaths per capita in Iraq than any other State. These losses have left dozens of families searching for comfort as they mourn their loved ones. But in the darkest and saddest of times, a new Vermont family has emerged, brought together by the efforts of students at Norwich University, the Nation's oldest military college, which calls Northfield, VT, its home. ``Vermont Fallen,'' developed and produced by students at Norwich for a media course, profiles the journeys of families from across our State as they grieve the loss of their sons, fathers, husbands, and friends. Many of these families, brought together by community screenings of the documentary, now are able to turn to each other for comfort.”