Three NC soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Raleigh, N.C. — The remains of three North Carolina soldiers killed in Afghanistan will be returned home Tuesday during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Sgt. Jeremy F. Hardison of Maysville, Sgt. Donna R. Johnson of Raeford and Sgt. Thomas J. Butler of Wilmington, who all served in the Army National Guard, were killed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to a military news release.

Johnson's uncle told WRAL News that a suicide bomber was to blame for deaths of Hardison, Johnson and Butler, along with about a dozen others.

The remains were expected to arrive in Dover about 7 p.m. for the dignified transfer, a solemn service in which transfer cases containing the remains are deplaned and taken to the base mortuary. The facility at Dover Air Force Base is the largest military mortuary in the United States.

In 2009, the Obama administration announced a change in policy to allow media to cover dignified transfers if family members consent. The relatives of Hardison, Johnson and Butler have given their consent, according to the release.

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Over 2000 Americans have died in the war in Afganistan. There are no demands to Obama to end the war, no protesters camping out on Obama's personal property or the White House, no chants from the same group of people who protested the wars during Bush's presidency. It doesn't matter who started the wars, but it is clearly disengenious for a group of people to so adamantly protest war while one president serves and totally disregard the same wars after another takes place.

May God bless and protect our men and women in uniform, comfort the families who have lost loved ones, and strenghen those who are mentally and physically maimed.

sillywabbitthepatriot
October 3, 2012 2:41 p.m.

Bush inherited 8 years of Clinton doing absolutely nothing about terroism on American interest. 1993 the bombing of the world trade center, the USS Cole, our embassys bombed. What did Clinton do, NOTHIHING! Bush was in office just 100 days when the world trade center was hit the SECOND time. Bush was the one that took the fight to the terrorist. Clinton did nothing, all he worried about was his political career. Bush had to make some tough choices. He put the safety of the American people first. The world trade center attack took about 6 years of planning and was planned right here in America right under Clintons nose. Please quit blaming bush for everything.

mustangyts
October 3, 2012 11:29 a.m.

Some more wasted life for a war that will never end.

Crew Dog E6
October 3, 2012 11:11 a.m.

"Did everyone notice that one of the three soldiers was a female soldier."

FYI - Sgt Johnson of Raeford was from another NCNG unit who volunteered for deployment. May God give comfort to her family.