Number 91

Kentucky's 91st sacrifice to the gods of futile clusterfucks, Iraq/Afghanistan division, is Private First Class Russell E. Madden, 29, of Dayton, Ky., who died June 23 at Charkh district, Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with rocket fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Conn Barracks, Germany.

Dayton is a Northern Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati. Its local paper, the Kentucky Post, stopped printing a couple of years ago and now exists only online. But it managed to summon the resources to interview Pfc. Madden's family:

The family of a Bellevue, Kentucky soldier killed in Afghanistan are on their way to Dover Air Force Base to bring him home.

The father of 29-year-old Private First Class Russell Madden's says his son was his hero.

Russell Madden's father says his son wanted to be on the frontline to help his fellow soldiers fight the war in Afghanistan.

He says his son was killed after his convoy was hit by a rocket Wednesday.

Russ, as many of his family and friends called him, was on his first tour of duty.

His father, Martin Madden says his son was assigned as the lead gunner for convoy escorts.

Mr. Madden says his son had sent him an Airborne flag for Father's Day.

He says he told his wife, Russ's mother, that he would only fly it on special occasions.

He didn't think he would need to fly it less than a week after Father's Day.

SNIP

Russ Madden leaves behind his wife, two sons, a 12-year-old and a 5-year-old, his mother, father and two siblings.

His family says he joined the Army to help offer his family stability.

One of his son's had been in and out of the hospital, so the medical benefits the Army offered was an attractive incentive for him to enlist.

Did you catch that? He joined the Army in wartime so his chronically ill son could get health coverage.

Read the whole infuriating thing.

Yesterday, the republican minority in the U.S. Senate put a gun to the head of 15 million Russ Maddens out there by preventing the Democratic majority from voting to extend unemployment benefits in the middle of the worst recession in 75 years.

And because of it, People. Are. Dying.