Portrait of a Hero

In his February 23rd column for Knight Ridder Newspapers, Joseph L. Galloway, veteran military journalist and co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young", tells the story of a far better man than I am: Sgt. 1st Class David J. Salie. I offer this article without comment, except to ask you to read it all:

The Army said its farewell to Sgt. 1st Class David J. Salie here on Tuesday at his home post in his hometown of Columbus, Ga. It was filled with ritual and honors and the tears of friends and family.

Sgt. Salie was killed on Valentine's Day in Iraq, just four days after he led the troops of the 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2/69 Armor, 3rd Infantry Division into that country to begin a yearlong tour with his division.


A dead soldier's words on Iraq: ` The price is worth it'