The first American killed in the Afghan war, on November 25, 2001. I’ve told his story before, but it is worth remembering every year.
This interesting video by The Daily Caller recalls the group of special forces similar to Spann, who worked with Afhan warlord Abdul Rahdis Dostum to route the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. As indicated in my prior post, Dostum has dedicated a memorial to Spann, who was killed during a revolt of Taliban prisoners, including Johnny Walker Lindh, shown in the video shortly after being captured.
Here is the letter General Dostum sent after Spann’s death:
To the family of the late Mike Spann and the people of the United States of America, the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan and especially the innocent people of the North will always remember Mike Spann as a hero for his ultimate and courageous sacrifice that helped to bring freedom from the bonds of inhumanity and cruelty imposed by the Taliban-Al Qaeda terrorists who occupied our country.We so deeply appreciate the sacrifice of this courageous man, Mike, and honor him today. We understand and know that there is no greater gift for freedom than to give one’s life. And Mike gave his life for the cause of freedom, for the cause of good over evil, and for this we count him as an eternal friend. We will not forget Mike and we will honor his sacrifice by resisting and never allowing the evil of extremism and terror to return to this place. This monument represents a symbol of our deep appreciation.May God Bless Mike and all those who have sacrificed their lives for the great cause of freedom.Alhaj General Abdul Rashid Dostum Special Envoy of the Islamic Transitional State and Commander of Northern Afghanistan
Update: As mentioned in the comments, the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation was set up to accept contributions from the public to support the children of CIA employees killed in the line of duty. You can contribute at the link. I just did.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY