Brian Slavenas'death was felt by the entire nation, but for Genoa it meant that the war has reached home.
Marcus Slavenas also knows his "little brother" was so close -- to having a career in engineering, to finding someone special, to settling down and some day having a family.
Instead, at 30, he died in Iraq, after the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was piloting was shot down on Nov. 2 west of Bagdad. Fifteen other soldiers died along with him. It was the deadliest strike against U.S. forces since they invaded Iraq in March. The attack reportedly left another 20 U.S. soldiers wounded.
Marcus is responding a little differently from some other members of his family to the issues that brought U.S. troops to Iraq.
I didn't want him to go. I don't believe in it. Ten thousand there aren't worth (sacrificing) my brother's life. I don't believe in that cause, and I am not convinced. My little brother was the closest thing in the world to me." Marcus continued, "This sickens me (the political situation)." He referred critically to some military officals saying of the helicoper's downing, "There are going to be more days like this."
http://www.midweeknews.com/local/articles/111203-little_brother.html1st Lt. Brian Slavenas is being buried today at 11:00am in Genoa Illinois.