Many years ago, I went to Taos, New Mexico and found myself standing outside an adobe church much like the one Stieglitz photographed in his famous picture.  I walked across the road to find a good angle for a photo.  After I took my picture, I realized I was standing in the entrance of a modest cemetery, so I wandered in.

About half way to the back, I noticed most of the head stones were very small.  Then I looked at the dates on the headstones and understood why.  Most of the dead were children.  As I turned around towards the entrance I saw all the dead children I had walked past without noticing.  It was very disturbing.  I got out of there as fast as I could and pushed it out of my mind.

I haven't thought about that for almost 20 years.

I wrote a short piece a week or so ago in response to Tony Snow's ridiculous comparison of the Iraq war and the Battle of the Bulge in WWll. In that story I mentioned my friend Steve who landed at Normandy and fought through France, Belgium and into Germany.

Steve Miller died this past Saturday the 24th of June 2006.

I lost a friend, his family lost a great treasure and America lost a piece of her soul