Blake Stephens sacrificed himself for all of us
Idaho State Journal Editorial
Many people in Pocatello knew 25-year-old Blake Stephens.
They knew his smile, they knew his fun-loving attitude, they knew he was a friend worth having.
Stephens was also a patriot and believed strongly in America. He joined the military while still attending Century High School and re-enlisted, knowing full well what that meant.
He would be going to war-torn Iraq. He would be putting himself in harm’s way in defense of our country, so that the rest of us could stay at home, go to school, work our jobs, raise families and live out the American dream.
On Tuesday, Stephens was killed by a roadside bomb while on a security convoy near Baghdad.
Idaho State Journal Editorial
Many people in Pocatello knew 25-year-old Blake Stephens.
They knew his smile, they knew his fun-loving attitude, they knew he was a friend worth having.
Stephens was also a patriot and believed strongly in America. He joined the military while still attending Century High School and re-enlisted, knowing full well what that meant.
He would be going to war-torn Iraq. He would be putting himself in harm’s way in defense of our country, so that the rest of us could stay at home, go to school, work our jobs, raise families and live out the American dream.
On Tuesday, Stephens was killed by a roadside bomb while on a security convoy near Baghdad.
He leaves behind a young wife, Erin; his parents, Trent and Kathleen; and many, many friends.
The death of a young person seems to be not just a tragedy, but a huge injustice. No one’s existence should be stolen away before they can live to a ripe old age and experience a full life.
There are some who will say that Stephens’ death is made even more tragic because it happened in an unpopular war.
Some will blame his death on our nation’s leaders and say this is one more reason to not support them or our military efforts in Iraq.
But the fact that Stephens died fighting for all of us in a war that some Americans do not support tells us volumes about his character.
He loved his country and was willing to sacrifice his own life defending it. He believed in the U.S. mission in Iraq — to bring democracy and peace to that troubled nation.
He did the fighting and the dying, so the rest of us could live here in peace.
Stephens was a really neat person. He was a talented tattoo artist and served as an LDS missionary in the Netherlands and Belgium. When 9-11 happened, he was on his Mormon mission in Europe but returned home to serve his country. Stephens was a member of the National Guard at the time and tried every avenue possible to be deployed to Afghanistan, where U.S. troops were battling al-Qaida and Taliban forces.
He was eventually sent to Hill Air Force Base near Salt Lake City, where he met and fell in love with his future wife, Erin.
When Stephens’ enlistment with the National Guard expired, he re-enlisted in the Army because he wanted to serve in Iraq.
While other Americans criticize the war there as futile, Stephens wanted to be there so he could make a difference.
In honor of Stephens, a group of Boy Scouts, National Guard soldiers, friends and family lined the road from Century High School to his nearby home with American flags. Driving past the wind-swept red, white and blue of so many stars, so many stripes sends home the message that the freedom we all enjoy and take for granted is not free.
It requires the highest of sacrifices. It requires that really awesome people with bright futures, like Stephens, give up their lives for the rest of us.
There’s no justice in his death except that he sacrificed his life serving the country he loved. He knew what could happen to him in Iraq, yet he tried hard to get there because he felt so strongly about his nation and its war on terror.
The flags blowing in the Idaho wind that line the roads from Century High to Stephens’ home are the most fitting of tributes to this American soldier.
He died defending our flag and all it stands for. He sacrificed himself for all of us.
Stephens might be gone from this world, but we should never, ever forget him.
THANKS FOR the excellent coverage of the service and sacrifice of Blake Stephens, our home-grown hero! Perhaps the noteriety given one who did such a patriotic and unselfish act can inspire more good actions. Personally, I love reading about the good that is done, like your features on our own community members. Blake deserves all the coverage you are able to give, along with all those who put themselves in harm’s way for our safety, like our police, fire, & emergency personnel. Any who have ever served in the military deserve our thanks, as I give mine to Blake and all others who protect me and mine. Leslie Romriell
“He sacrificed himself for all of us”
Here are some hard facts we are trying very hard to skirt. First, this war is in no way being fought for us and as a result, his sacrifice was not for “us.”
Second, as I understand it, he was murdered while riding down the street in a patrol vehicle not storming the beach at Normandy, falling on a grenade or turning his patrol boat back in the face of enemy fire to rescue a fallen comrade. He died not as a soldier but as a victim. In short, Mr. Stephens death was essentially meaningless and made even more tragic because it happened not merely in an unpopular war but a totally unnecessary one. Far too many of our young people have met with the same end and for what? Well lets see, first it was to find WMD’s. Which of course weren’t there. Then it changed to get Saddam. Which of course they did. Then it was install democracy, which was also done. After that it was train their military, which doesn’t seem to be going well and now to fight their Iraqi civil war? What next? and how many Blake Stephens will it cost?
That the young man was brave is not in question. He re-enlisted knowing he would go to Iraq and fully aware of the dangers because he believed in the cause. Whether you agree of or disagree, that kind of dedication is admirable to be sure.
That he was a fine soldier is likewise not in question. His many personal attributes as told by the many friends and family singing his praises are not in question. He was obviously an exceptional young man.
So why the need for hyperbole? Exaggeration? I know, I know, I’m about to get crucified for speaking ill of the dead but in fact I have not and will not. My problem here is that a promising and by all accounts exceptional young man has been lost and rather than concentrate on Blake there are people attempting to turn a tragedy into pro war propaganda. I agree that we should never forget Blake Stephens, or his sacrifice. But neither should we use the tragic nature of his death to sell the war that ultimately and quite needlessly got him killed. This country needs all the “Blake Stephens” it can get alive and well.