Since 2004, when President George W. Bush made jokes about looking for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, I have hated the White House Correspondents Dinner (WHCD). The biggest reason is probably because I was serving in Iraq as he made these jokes, and him joking about this reinforced my belief that he knew all along that there were no WMD’s in Iraq, and that we were sent there based on lies. That we were there so his buddies could profit, because they did.
Every year, the WHCD would happen, and every year I would be annoyed, especially when jokes about Iraq and Afghanistan would come up. Even when they poked fun at Bush’s incompetence, I was not amused. Sure there was a funny moment here and there, and I do love comedy, but I think the setting is what bothered me the most about it. Not only was the room filled with DC elite, members of Congress, the President and his Cabinet, but it was filled with the very media who is supposed to be holding these people accountable. This was primarily the mainstream media outlets, television and print, companies that often profit from wars, because war sells. As they all sit there and laugh at jokes of Washington corruption, unwanted and unjust wars, and incompetence (of both the President and the media), I would get angrier.
This anger would continue from the Bush presidency, into the Obama presidency. While I bought into the hype of Obama’s rhetoric about change, it was hollow. Sure he changed the way we fights wars, from boots on the ground to drones, but people were still dying, most of whom were innocent. So when jokes about drones would come up, it would frustrate me. The fact that so many of the people in the room would never have to face the fear, taste the blood spilled, or gag on the stench of war, made me sick that they could so easily laugh about it.
I still hate the WHCD, but I will say that in many ways I respected the latest one because of comedian Michelle Wolf. Probably because it was a full out attack on the people in the room, on the President, and on the media. It was uncomfortable for the crowd as she ripped into everyone. It wasn’t the regular *wink *wink nudge> nudge>most comedians put forth at the WHCD. She told the President he was full of shit, she told his family they were full of shit, she told his cabinet they were full of shit, she told congress they were full of shit, but most importantly she told the media they were full of shit. She highlighted the way in which they profit on so much of the bullshit they try to peddle as news. (continued below video)
I especially liked Michelle Wolf’s closing words, “Flint still doesn’t have clean drinking water,” again calling the room on their BS. 10 people have died, and nearly 100 have come down with Legionnaires’ disease from the drinking water. Which brings me back to why I hate the WHCD, because of how flippant and privileged everyone in that room is. They don’t know the names of those who have died in Flint, just as many of them likely don’t know anyone who has died in the name of these wars. So, I have decided to compile a list of names of those who died the day before, the day of, and the day after the WHCD. While these assholes where yuckin it up with each other, many were suffering. This is in no ways a comprehensive list, but what I could find from iraqbodycount.org, and the Afghanistan and Iraq lists on icasualties.org, I’m sure there are many more names, if you have a name to add, please let me know and I will add it to the list. (Note: I unfortunately could not find a list of names of Afghan civilians for these dates).
The list has not only US soldiers, but also a list of Iraqi civilians who died due to the war. If you look at the list of names, I recorded their age if available, and at times even their names were not available, so it goes with war. But first, you should look at the “Human Costs of War” figures compiled by the Costs of War project at Brown University. The numbers are considered conservative estimates, especially when you could add in the 800,000 people who have died as an indirect result of war.
HUMAN COSTS The number of people killed directly in the violence of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan are approximated here. They, and the additional 800,000 civilians who likely have died as an indirect result of the wars, are estimated and the methods of accounting are described in the attached paper.[1]
THE NAMES
Since the start of the Global war on terror… Day before, Day of, Day after White House Correspondents dinner… (Note: Just because no deaths were recorded on specific days does not mean they did not occur, especially in the most recent years...)
May 4, 2002 (Drew Carey hosts)
None recorded in Iraq or Afghanistan
April 26, 2003 (Ray Charles hosts)
Afghanistan
2 US soldiers the day before (Airman 1stclass Raymond Losano, 24; Pvt Jerod Dennis, 19)
Iraq
2 US soldiers the day before (Spc. Narson Sullivan, 21; 1stLt. Osbaldo Orozco, 26)
8 Iraqi’s day of (Lamiya Ali, 6; Dana Ali, 8; Wife of son of Tamir Kazal; 3 Sons of Tamir Kazal 13-19; Wife of Tamir Kazal, 23; Khazal Saber, 50)
May 1, 2004 (Jay Leno… Bush has jokes about WMD’s)
Afghanistan
1 US soldier the day before (Spc. Phillip Witkowski, 24)
Iraq
4 US soldiers the day before, 4 the day of, 9 the day after (PO3 Christopher Dickerson, 33; PO2 Jason Dwelley, 31; Corp Joshua Wildong, 22; Cpl Vincent Scott, 21; Spc Trevor Wine, 22; Sgt Joshua Ladd, 20; SSgt Oscar Vargas-Medina, 32; Spc Ramon Ojeda, 22; Spc Ervin Caradine Jr, 33; Pvt Jeremy Drexler, 23; SSgt Todd Nunes, 29; PO2 Michael Anderson, 36; PO2 Scott Mchugh, 33; PO2 Robert Jenkins, 35; PO3 Ronald Ginther, 37; Cpt John Tipton, 32)
April 30, 2005 (Cedric the Entertainer… First Lady Bush had jokes)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq
5 US soldiers the day before, 2 the day of, 1 the day after (Sgt. Kenya Parker, 26; SSgt Juan Garcia-Arana, 27; Pvt Charles Cooper Jr., 19; Pv1 Darren Deblanc, 20; Cpt Ralph Harting III, 28; Cpt Stephen Frank, 29; 2Lt Clifford Gadsden, 25; Sgt. Derrick Lutters, 24)
3 Iraqi’s the day before, 3 the day of, 3 the day after (Amir Ali Hamza, 8; 15 year old boy; Ahmed al-Lu’aibi; Al Abb Razak; Mohamed Abb Razak; Talib Wahb; Rahim Ali Jum’a; Hadida Saiwan, 56; Nawal Ghareeb, 26)
April 29, 2006 (Stephen Colbert hosts)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq
5 US soldiers day before, 1 day of (Sgt Steve Sakoda, 29; SSgt Bryant Herlem, 37; Cpl Brandon Hardy, 25; Sgt Lea Mills, 21; Sgt Edward Davis III, 31; Sgt Jose Gomez, 23)
2 Iraqi’s the day before, 3 the day of (Uziezy Younies Sulaieman; Policeman and his brother; Rafet Ibrahim, 27; Ahmead Ubied Thaier)
April 21, 2007 (Rich Little hosts)
Afghanistan
1 Dutch soldier day before (Cpl Cor Strik, 21)
1 US soldier day before (Sgt Alex Van Aalten, 21)
Iraq
2 US soldiers the day before, 6 the day of (SSgt Marlon Harper, 34; Pvt Michael Slater, 19; Sgt William Bushnell, 24; SSgt Steven Tudor, 36; Pvt1 Christopher North, 21; Cpl Ray Bevel, 22; Cpl Tomasz Jura, 25; LCpl Jeffery Bishop, 23)
4 Iraqi’s the day before, 11 the day of, 6 the day after (Mulla Ghaleb Al-Dulaimi; brother of policeman; Ahmad Abd Al Emem Abdul Nabi Khazragi; Alaa Hamadi Mahmud; Mehdi Abdul Hussein al-Najem; Mohammed HarejafishKhodeir; Dawoud Nouri, 40; Omeda Shokor Majid, 35; Sulol Dawod Nori, 18-24; Solaf Dawod Nori, 8; Sami Naib al-Jumaili, 65; nephew of Sami al-Delaimi; Mohamed Salman Nemah Al Rekabi, 51; Haya Emad Fadhal Al Mansourie, 9; Ahmed Hassain Mahoon Al-Jabouri & 2 brothers; Tulba Um Qosai, 45-50; Amal Badan Dhahab Al Bodayri, 50-51; Hayssm Hashem Mahowd Shamkhy Al Saady)
April 26, 2008 (Craig Ferguson hosts)
Afghanistan
1 Australian soldier day after (LCpl Jason Marks, 27)
Iraq
1 US soldier the day of (Pvt1 William Dix, 32)
5 Iraqis the day before, 1 day of, 2 day after (Muhamad Saiid Khalaf; Raed Jaber; Mansour Shallal Monshid; Ahmad Jasib Badan; Majeed Mowice Nasser;Jabar Ghazwan; Wife of dead man; Jasim al-Battat, 38)
May 9, 2009 (Wanda Sykes hosts)
Afghanistan
1 US soldier the day after (Maj Steven Hutchison, 60)
Iraq
2 US soldiers the day before, 1 the day of, 1 the day after (Spc Omar Albrak, 21; SSgt Randy Agno, 29; Pvt Justin Hartford, 21)
2 Iraqis the day before 4 the day of (Jasim Muhammad Fleih; Sabah Hasan Hussein Houri, 25; Hakeem Jassim; Abid Mohammed Hussein; Adnan Duda Matir; Ali Jabbar Jawjam Al Ka'abi
Pakistan
Drone Strike kills between 9-25 people (4 civilians confirmed)
May 1, 2010 (Jay Leno hosts)
Afghanistan
1 US soldier day of, 1 day after (MSgt Mark Coleman, 40; Spc Eric Finniginam, 26)
Iraq
1 Iraqi the day before, 2 the day after (Brother of Sheikh Khalil al-Sumaidaie; Jamil Salahuddin Jamil, 25; Sandy Shibib, 19)
April 30, 2011 (Seth Meyers… Makes fun of Obama for not finding Osama, who is killed the next day… makes fun of Trump…)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq
1 US solder the day before (Pvt1 Robert Friese, 21)
3 Iraqis the day before, 4 day of, 2 day after (Hosam Mahmoud; Sa'eer Mahmoud; Salah Mahmoud; Tuma al-Timimi; Wife of Tuma al-Timimi;Daughter of Tuma al-Timimi; Daughter of dead man; Mohammed Sabah; Abdul Kareem Abdul Hussein; Mutashar al-Okaydi)
April 28, 2012 (Jimmy Kimmel hosts)
Afghanistan
1 UK soldier the day before (Guardsman Michael Roland, 23)
2 US soldiers the day of, 1 the day after (Sgt Nicholas Dickhut, 23; MSgt Scott Pruitt, 38; Pvt1 Shristian Sannicolas, 20)
Iraq
1 Iraqi the day before, 3 the day of (Sirwan Hameed; Sarajaddin Haji Maasum Naqshbandi; Sons of dead man; Sons of dead woman, 10-15)
April 27, 2013 (Conan O’Brian hosts)
Afghanistan
4 US soldiers the day after (SSgt Daniel Fannin, 30; SSgt Richard Dickson, 24; Cpt Reid Nishizuka, 30; Brandon Cyr, 28)
Iraq
2 Iraqis the day after (Ali Ward al-Jbouri; Qassim Mohammed al-Dulaimi)
May 3, 2014 (Joel McHale hosts)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq
3 Iraqis the day of (Relative of parliamentary candidate Mulla Al-Jiyad; Moaz Abdellatif Al-Jiyad; Faleh Abdullah Matar)
April 25, 2015 (Cecily Strong hosts)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq
2 Iraqis the day of, 1 the day after (Thaer Ali, 45-56; Son of farmer; Brigadier General Hassan Abbas)
April 30, 2016 (Larry Wilmore hosts)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq
3 Iraqis the day before, 2 the day of (Father of dead male; son of dead man; Ziad Kalaf; father of dead male; son of dead construction materials shop owner)
April 29, 2017 (Hasan Minhaj hosts)
Afghanistan: None recorded
Iraq: None recorded
April 28, 2018 (Michelle Wolf)
Syria
1 soldier killed 2 days after (MSgt Jonathan Dunbar, 36)
(I highlight this last name, because while people argue about whether the WHCD was good, bad, crude, whatever, people are still dying...)
[1]http://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2016/direct-war-death-toll-iraq-afghanistan-and-pakistan-2001-370000
