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State's soldiers who gave all to war were united in cause

Sep- 5-2004 » Filed Under: Tributes

The following article is the first of a three-part series looking at the cost of the war on servicemen and servicewomen from Washington state. Jacob Herring and Christopher Bunda are mentioned here.

[Link to Full Article]
SHANNON DININNY; The Associated Press

YAKIMA - Determined to follow his big brother into the Marine Corps, Dustin Sides worked furiously to rehabilitate a broken ankle so he could pass the medical exam.

His older brother had enlisted to earn money for college. Family members say Dustin might have considered the idea, but once he arrived at boot camp, he simply loved being a Marine.

That was hardly surprising for a kid who grew up idolizing the troops, said John Sides, his dad. "His nickname is USMC."

Is, not was. Lance Cpl. Dustin Sides might have died Memorial Day in an ambush in Iraq, but the 22-year-old Yakima native lives on for his family in photographs, medals and fresh tattoos.

In many ways, Dustin was typical of the 20-plus soldiers from Washington state who have died in Iraq since May 2003, when President Bush declared an end to major hostilities.

The vast majority enlisted in the Army or Marine Corps shortly after high school. Some hoped to earn college money. Others were uncertain of what to do with their lives.

They were trained as drivers, engineers and medics - skills that could have helped them build a life after the service. Instead, they died from accidental gunshots, from vehicle and helicopter crashes, from roadside bombs. One died when his boat capsized in the Tigris River. Another was accidentally struck by a machine gun in his own tank.


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