New Yorker dies in Afghanistan, weeks before return date

I strongly believe all lives are created equal, which is one of the reasons I opposed the war in Afghanistan in the first place, but as a New Yorker it is hard not to be extra moved by this story, from the New York Daily News.

Lance Corporal John Malone, a 24 year-old Marine, was killed in combat last Thursday, only a few weeks before he was scheduled to return home. A decorated veteran of the Iraq War, and a much-loved member of both his military unit and community back home, Malone had expressed his apprehension about the combat situation in Afghanistan to his friends.

"When he was in Iraq, it seemed like he felt a lot more safe, and everything seemed better," explained Josh Blumenstetter. Our hearts go out to his friends and family, who lost a great young man.