Her son 'may have died in vain'

The Newark Star-Fudger ^ | Karen Ayres

[Hoboken]

Sue Niederer wants some answers.

She wants to know why her son, Army 2nd Lt. Seth Dvorin, was killed Tuesday in Iraq.

And she wants to know why the 24-year-old newlywed, who was trained in air defense artillery, was ordered to clear an area of homemade mines and bombs just before his death.

"He was supposed to be defusing a bomb, but my son was never trained to defuse a bomb," Niederer said yesterday in her home in Hopewell Township. "He may have died in vain."

Dvorin's sister, Rebekah Dvorin, said Army officers told the family Tuesday night that a roadside bomb detonated as her brother's unit was attempting to dismantle it. He was the only casualty.

The Army confirmed yesterday that the unit was conducting a bomb-sweeping operation when Dvorin was killed in Iskandariyah, 35 miles south of Baghdad, but the circumstances of his death remained confusing.

"He could have been trying to defuse it himself or trying to defuse the situation," said Maj. Kris Carle of the Army's public affairs office. "A lot of things are being looked at."

The Army is conducting a routine investigation of Dvorin's death, but the results could take months, if not years.

[Hoboken]

Mrs. Niederer , in her time of grief, has every right to seek information regarding the death of her son. I am genuinely sorry for her loss. However, I believe she and her ex-husband dishonor their son by going public with the ill-informed opinions about this clearly justified war.

Here is an open letter from Lt. Dvorin's father to President Bush printed on the front page of the Home News Tribune :

Dear President Bush,

With heavy heart, tears in my eyes and a home full of sorrow, I pick up my pen to write you about a brave soldier, 2nd Lt. Seth J. Dvorin, U.S. Army. My son was killed in Iraq on Feb. 3, 2004 fighting in a war.

Seth was a good boy, well-mannered, smart, kind and understanding.

He joined the Army in an effort to serve his country. And serve his country he did. Seth made the ultimate sacrifice.

Burying a child will no doubt be the hardest task that his mother and I shall ever have to do. The one question I have, and the one question I would like you to answer, is, "Why did my son and every other soldier that was killed, maimed and wounded have to suffer settling your vendetta?"

My son is gone just when he was laying a strong foundation to build upon for the rest of his life.

Now, President Bush, his life has been snuffed out in a meaningless war.

Where are all the weapons of mass destruction, where are the stock piles of chemical and biological weapons?

Please President, pray for all our fallen heroes and as a tribute to these heroes get our boys and girls out of Iraq now, before too much more blood is shed.

Since you waged this unnecessary war on Saddam Hussein the world has become a horrible place to live in.

I know my boy is safe now, in a new world free of hate and prejudices where GOD is his president, but you tell me President Bush why he had to go so soon and in such a violent way.

Respectfully yours, Richard M. Dvorin

Again, I empathize with Lt. Dvorin's parents and give them a total pass as far as venting in their grief(Bush's vendetta...). But shame on these newspapers for exploiting these folks in such a terrible time.

[b4its2late]

But shame on these newspapers for exploiting these folks in such a terrible time.

Wait until the Kerry campaign gets a hold of them.....

[sinkspur]

They're Democrats. They need to lash out at somebody, so they're using the Deaniac arguments.

Let's forgive them. They're grieving.

[SF Republican]

My sympathy is with the family, and no their son did not die in vain he died for democracy and freedom and in defense of his country, no matter the circumstances. The letter is a bit much but not too surprising coming from grieving parents.

[OldFriend]

Nothing respectful about the letter at all.

The wonder is that such brave young men spring from such selfish self centered parents.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I am sorry for anyone who loses a loved one to war, but............

All members of the armed forces are serving by choice. It IS their job.

The grief is very understandable, but it's insulting to hear the criticism when (last I checked) the job description does cover duties that require risk and possible death.

If this attitude prevailed, military service would no longer be military service.

After all, John Kerry couldn't run around with his hero hat on if there had not been war. What's wrong with these people? < /sarcasm >

[b4its2late]

The wonder is that such brave young men spring from such selfish self centered parents.

Absolutely.

[Wheee The People]

Thank you Lt. Dvorin. And I hope that if I ever had to voluntarily give my life for my country, my parents would never mock my efforts after my death.

[Iron Matron]

The wonder is that such brave young men spring from such selfish self centered parents.


There can be dignity in grief, but these poor people do not seem to possess it. I remember how liberals handeled Wellstone's death (how even his own reletives acted) - these folks have been misled and used by liberals to the point that they can not forget partisan politics even at their own sons grave.

How sad for them, how sad for our country.

[Iron Matron]

I can spell much better than my previous post would imply.

Sorry about the typos - forgot spell check.

[lelio]

Nothing respectful about the letter at all.

The parents are grieving, cut them a little slack. It sounds like she just wants to know if her son was ordered to clear a minefield (something he's not trained to do) or did it on his own.

[SAMWolf]

IMHO, 2nd Lt. Seth J. Dvorin deserved better than to have parents who use their son's death to spout their Leftest talking points. That letter could have been writtne by the DNC or the Kerry campaign.

2nd Lt. Seth J. Dvorin

[BlueLancer]

"And I hope that if I ever had to voluntarily give my life for my country, my parents would never mock my efforts after my death."

When I deployed in the Gulf War, I told my parents and my wife that, if something happened to me and they did something like that, I would come back and haunt them and they would never gets a minute's rest after that.

[r9etb]

The parents are grieving, cut them a little slack.

After having read their letter, I am much less inclined to cut them any slack. Just because they're grieving doesn't give them a right to use their gried to buy their way onto the front page -- there to vent half-assed political opinions. All it does give the impression that they're cashing in on his death -- which reduces makes their son, and his sacrifice, into little more a political chess piece.

[r9etb]

That letter could have been written by the DNC or the Kerry campaign.

Perhaps I'm cynical, but I wouldn't bet against the idea that it was written by them.

[ohioman]

Gee, I am so shocked that this came out of liberal hellhole NJ. You would rarely ever see these types of sentiments from a family down South. I am sorry for their loss, but they are dishonoring their son by calling this an unjust war.

[r9etb]

"gried" = "grief." (Good gried -- where did that typo come from?)

[SAMWolf]

That's not a "grieving parents" letter, it's a "Leftest talking points" list, using their son as a prop. I find it pretty disgusting, but that's just me.

[snippy_about_it]

Grrrrr. Shame on these parents. Don't they realize what they are saying. Geez.

[ohioman]

"When I deployed in the Gulf War, I told my parents and my wife that, if something happened to me and they did something like that, I would come back and haunt them and they would never gets a minute's rest after that."

That is classic. The best line I have heard in a while. I bet most all American soldiers would agree with you.