Letters home FROM IRAQ

Heartfeltwords from some of the war dead bring to life the hopes and dreams of those who were lost

Liked to build things: Spc. Jonathan Castro, 21, in Mosul in December 2004, showing weapons seized by his unit. He was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed later that month in a mess hall suicide bombing in Mosul.

The battle eld letter from father to daughter begins: “ My Dearest Little Savannah.”

Like every soldier at war in Iraq, Army Chief Warrant Of cer Aaron Weaver scratched down on paper expressions of love and longing. He wrote about his dreams of the future for his 15- month-old child.

There was also a spark of parental insight: “ I always knew that having children is special to a parent, but it means so much more than I ever imagined. . . . You are the meaning of my life. You make my heart pound with joy and pride. No matterwhat happens to me or where we go, youwill always knowthat I love you.”

The letter was found on Weaver’s body when he died Jan. 8, 2004, in the crash of a Blackhawk helicopter shot down by insurgents. Weaver, 32, joined a roll of U.S. deaths in Iraq that hit 2,000 late Tuesday afternoon, according to a count by the Associated Press. In recent weeks, the pace has doubled to more than a dozen deaths a week.

Nearly seven out of 10 Americans lost since the war began in March 2003 were soldiers. There were small Weaver: Killed in Iraq Jan. 8, 2004.

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Family photo