Angry in the Great White North

First things first. Vandalism bad.

OK, that's out of the way.

Here's the photo:

You can make out the name Robert L. duSang:

A soldier returning home to Mandeville from Iraq was killed when the truck he was traveling in crashed north of the Iraq-Kuwait border, relatives said.

Robert duSang, 24, who died Wednesday night, was expected home before his birthday on July 22, relatives said.

“He was so excited. He couldn’t wait to see his baby girl and hold his wife again,” said duSang’s sister, Jessie Lager, of Mandeville. “He didn’t make it home, but I know he’s at peace.”

duSang was a specialist in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, stationed at Fort Polk, La. He was in a convoy on his way home when the right front tire blew out and caused the 5-ton truck to flip over, family members said they were told.

He was happy to be in the army:

Relatives said duSang became interested in the military while an ROTC member at Mandeville High School. He enlisted in the Army shortly after he graduated.

“When he enlisted, before he signed the papers, he said, ‘I want to shoot big guns and blow things up,”’ said John Waters, a cousin. “So they gave him a Howitzer and he liked it so much that he passed up promotions so he could keep shooting it.”

Family members said he was deployed to Iraq in May 2003, but never said much about his duties. He had planned to re-enlist this year.

Moreoever, he was not bitter that his stay in Iraq was extended:

He was slated to return last May, but his tour was extended, family said.

The extension didn't bother him, though.

"It was hot and he wanted to come home, but he was also adamant about wanting to make sure the job was finished," Lager said.

It was a terribly painful time for the duSangs:

Relatives tried to comfort the widow, who was alone at duSang's mother's house Thursday morning when uniformed Army officers arrived to tell her the news. Brandy duSang was so devastated she couldn't speak when she called relatives to tell them what had happened, Lager said. No one has had the strength yet to tell the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Kimberly, who asks almost every day for her daddy.

She asks all the time, 'When's Daddy coming home? When's Daddy coming home?' " Lager said. "We haven't told her what happened yet. Not until her mom is strong enough to be mom again."

But they find strength in their faith:

The family also spoke out of a deep religious faith . . . a peace that Robert is in God's hands.

Standing in the deepening dusk on the Mandeville lake front late Thursday, Robert's sister Jessie, flanked by her husband, brother and cousin, was the family's spokeswoman for reporters gathering the story. Near the end of the interview, a reporter asked Jessie if the family had lived in fear for Robert's safety.

"And now my brother is home," she said softly, but firmly. "Home just wasn't Mandeville. It was Heaven."

And maybe a bit of healing too:

Before du Sang's casket was lowered into the ground at Mandeville Cemetery, seven soldiers from Fort Polk fired a 21-gun salute, then with sharp precision leaned their rifles into a pyramid on the ground.

Brig. Gen. Michael Barbero, commander of Fort Polk, presented Brandy du Sang with the folded flag that had covered her husband's casket. Barbero gave two folded flags to the soldier's mother and father.

As du Sang's family climbed into cars to go to a reception at Fontainebleau State Park, the soldier's two brothers and several childhood friends circled his grave to scrawl personal notes on the coffin.

Some with tears in their eyes, they laughed and draped arms around each others' shoulders.

"It's an inside joke," Peterson said of his farewell note. "But it's something that would make him smile."

Are his relatives at Camp Casey? I can't be sure, but here are some of the things they've said:

"To every one who has served with and all those who read this may God Bless each and everyone of you. Thanks for the kind words and thoughts for my son."
Donald duSang Sr. of New Orleans. LA

"Thank you for whoever put this website together for us. I am the brother of Robert L. duSang, my name is name John L. Jennings and my family and I say thank you so very much, you have given us comfort for our hearts."
John L. Jennings of Mandeville, La.

"Goodbye Robert, You'll always be in our hearts."
Scott Dusang of Covington, LA

Do you think Robert duSang wants his name on one of Cindy Sheehan's crosses? Do you think his family does?

Robert L. duSang served his country well. His family are heartbroken over his loss, and little Kimberly has lost her father, but they are moving on, as all people do. That Cindy Sheehan, who epitomizes self-indulgent suffering, who has made her problems with accepting the decisions made by her adult son and the consequences of his decisions into a political movement, would take the name of Robert L. duSang and scrawl it on a paper crucifix with which to decorate her political altar makes me angry. For the first time, I'm actually angry. Maybe it's because reading the story of Robert duSang and his family got me all teary.

[Michelle Malkin points out the inherent hypocrisy in the left's outrage over the desecration of these crosses. For what it's worth, I think the symbol of the cross was desecrated the moment Cindy Sheehan and the Sheehanites started putting them up. But it's a free country, you know.

Captain Ed also considers the question of exactly who Cindy Sheehan is speaking for.]

[Chrenkoff notes that many grieving parents are quite upset with Cindy Sheehan.]

Summary of Sheehan posts:
Death to the twins
Cindy Sheehan: Using and being used ** critical post **
Cindy Sheehan and the orgies of carnal pleasure
Cindy Sheehan: Gold Star Families for Peace a rip-off
Revolution in Crawford, Texas: A prediction or a prayer?
Cindy Sheehan on eBay: Nothing says free political speech has to be tasteful
Cindy Sheehan: Not looking good for 200,000 protesters
Cindy Sheehan: Her own worst enemy
Cindy Sheehan: Send her guns!
Cindy Sheehan: Husband is...concerned
Cindy Sheehan: Her extended family is distressed by her activities [update]
Cindy Sheehan: Court is held at Camp Casey [updated]
Moving on
Cindy Sheehan: The real Gold Star Mothers and Wives
Cindy Sheehan herself confirms the Quartarolo letter
Cindy Sheehan: My husband left me because of George W Bush
Cindy Sheehan: Cindy Sheehan attacks her family -- she is fully a member of the anti-war cult
Cindy Sheehan: An opinion
Cindy Sheehan: If it's not about meeting the President...
Cindy Sheehan: Legitimized by the Hollywood Moonbats
Cindy Sheehan: Michelle Malkin and the definition of hypocrisy
Cindy Sheehan: Changing stories of family solidarity
Cindy Sheehan: "Mother" of the anti-war movement cult
Cindy Sheehan: Marriage goes from bad to worse -- Patrick Sheehan files for divorce [update]
Cindy Sheehan: Is she accepting the cult status?
Cindy Sheehan: Taxes and Matrimony
Cindy Sheehan: The deification continues [updated]
Cindy Sheehan: The President cares more than she will admit
Cindy Sheehan: Support from a member of Congress
Cindy Sheehan: She knows better than the Iraqis [Important Update]
Cindy Sheehan: Ignoring the woman who wants to thank Casey for his sacrifice
Deaniacs and Sheehanites making common cause
Cindy Sheehan: The last member of the Sheehan family is a no-show
Iraq is better off now?
Cindy Sheehan: Remembering Casey at Camp Pendola *** important post ***
Cindy Sheehan: Declares the family as off-limits (and manages to sneak in another lie) [updated]
Cindy Sheehan: Other groups stealing my spotlight!
Associated Press: The Sheehan propaganda machine
Cindy Sheehan: Usurping the names of the dead
Cindy Sheehan: Stay away from this memorial
Larry C Johnson (Left) vs Charles Krauthammer (Right)
Cindy Sheehan: She knew about the divorce...but didn't?