Soldier's widow voices opinion on war

WMTV, News 8 ^ | May 6, 04 | Anya Huneke

[churchillbuff]

BURLINGTON, VT. -- "Infinitely honest," "selfless," "full of life" -- just a few of the words Lavinia Onitiu-Gelineau uses to describe her late husband, Chris.

"I knew my husband was one in a million. I knew that," she says.

Lavinia has had two weeks to digest the news of Sgt. Gelineau's death. What started out as immeasurable grief has turned to anger.

Lavnia says, "I'm very proud of my husband, but I'm not proud of the reason he was there, and neither was he. A lot of people are not proud, but they have no choice. They can't say otherwise."

Gelineau was a Starksboro, Vt., native and a specialist with the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard.

In March -- in his last semester at the University of Southern Maine -- he was sent to Iraq to do clerical work.

His family thought he would be out of harm's way. But on April 20, he was killed when his convoy was ambushed.

Chris' father, John, admits, "This has just blown all of us away. We never expected this to happen."

Lavinia continues, "I wish I was there to watch over him and tell them that it's not right to send him as part of a protective escort when he could barely shoot."

Once hesitant to reveal her opposition to the war, Lavinia now holds little back.

She moved to the United States from Romania four years ago. She says freedom of speech was a novelty for her, but now finds many people don't exercise this right when it's most important.

She states, "Unless people raise their voices, a lot more people are going to die."

Lavinia doubts her anger -- and pain -- will subside. She wonders how she'll cope with her loss.

"I don't know what to do now. I feel meaningless. I feel off-balance. I feel half," she confesses.

Sgt. Gelineau was buried in Maine over the weekend, and is being memorialized in Burlington, Vt. His family will say their good-byes but vow they have just begun to speak out.

[Texasforever]

Your point?

[CWOJackson]

What a shame this woman decided to cheapen her husband's death.

[OldFriend]

Maybe her husband felt she was worth fighting to protect.

Too bad she doesn't honor that commitment.

[churchillbuff]

Your point?

Don't you mean, Her point? She's the one who's lost a husband and has dared to exercise her right of free speech.

[Texasforever]

No your point. You posted it. Your posting history is anti-war and I was calling you on it.

[kingu]

There's so many cold responses I could give, but the truth of the matter is that I'm sorry for her loss, and I grieve with her. A shame that she doesn't bother to rail against France, Canada, Germany and other nations that should be in Iraq as well.

Had those other nations been there with troops, perhaps her darling might not have had to be deployed, or there might have been more troops for protective duties, etc.

But such a point of view is absent; it's not in the editor or reporter's selfish interest to bring up the topic for discussion.

[churchillbuff]

What a shame this woman decided to cheapen her husband's death.

To hear the proponents of this war put it, the US dead in Iraq died for "freedom" (even though we're now employing the generals of Saddam's regime - but never mind). Well, how does it "cheapen" a sacrifice for freedom, to exercise freedom of speech, as this woman has done? You'd rather she shut up and be subservient -- the way people are required to do in dictatorships?

[CWOJackson]

"Well, how does it "cheapen" a sacrifice for freedom, to exercise freedom of speech, as this woman has done?"

=Naw, it just cheapens her husbands death.

[Clock King]

Women have the most wimpy viewpoints on the world. I don't know why we even listen to them. No logic whatsoever. No facts whatsoever. Just emotion. Like children. Where are the adult women in the US, who can combine their feminine emotion with facts and logic and draw compassionate yet reasonable conclusions? Sorry, I'm just in a bad mood.

[churchillbuff]

Had those other nations been there with troops, perhaps her darling might not have had to be deployed,

Those other nations said they weren't sure there were WMDs in Iraq, and there should be more time to find out before going in. Bush said the WMD situation was too dangerous - we had to go in. Those other nations, it turns out, were right about the WMDs. I think a lot of the families of fallen soldiers feel they were had. A few of them - like this one - are brave enought to say so publicly.

[dennisw]

You use this woman as your mouthpiece. You don't like the war so you use her. The cut and run crowd are ostriches who want to wish away reality. A reality that we need MidEast oil and want to make it more secure for us. Rather than having the extreme Muslims calling the shots.

Wars are difficult and require staying power, not self indulgence of ones emotions.

[churchillbuff]

Women have the most wimpy viewpoints on the world. I don't know why we even listen to them.

With your low opinion of women, you sound like a member of the Taliban. Osama would nod his head in agreement.

[CWOJackson]

"Those other nations said they weren't sure there were WMDs in Iraq, and there should be more time to find out before going in."

LOL! Actually, the deadlines those nations had agreed to many times had already come and gone, but hey...they needed more time to grab more of that oil for food money Saddam was throwing their way.

[churchillbuff]

The cut and run crowd are ostriches who want to wish away reality.

This woman deserves more respect. She's lost a husband in Iraq. How many relatives do you have in the war, Mr. Macho Man?

[Mo1]

lot of people are not proud, but they have no choice. They can't say otherwise."

I can understand she is in pain due to the death of her husband .. but we don't have a draft here .. her husband choose to join the military and I'm sure he did so with pride

[kcvl]

Amen. Too bad they don't care enough about this country and the people who died fighting to give them the right to express their opinions. If we accept the liberal, lying, partisan, elite media this country is becoming a WIMP! If I hear one more "wife" trash this country for fighting a war started by MURDERERS who flew planes into buildings and killed thousands of innocent people I will SCREAM! We ALL lost that day (and years before while Bill Clinton was ignoring terrorism). We have all lost in years before whenever we were fighting a damn war! That's the price of freedom. We all grieve for their loss and pray for them but trashing this country while we are at war makes me ill.

BTW, I'm still waiting for the UN to apologize for STEALING from the Iraqi people through the oil for food scam.

[churchillbuff]

No WMDs. Many dead Americans. But no WMDs.

[Texasforever]

It is you that is being dissed. Not her. You are using her for your own FR agenda.

[CWOJackson]

What's the matter, didn't get your cut of the oil for food money like your French, German and Russian friends.

How sad.