Beau Biden Didn't Die in Iraq as Claimed

Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden did not die in Iraq. Joe has claimed he did, and to call him a liar for that.  does not seem so wrong.  Biden once called himself the father of a man who "lost his life in Iraq."

Snopes rates that as false.

"Just imagine -- I mean it sincerely, I say this as a father of a man who won the Bronze Star, the conspicuous service medal -- imagine the courage, the daring, and the genuine sacrifice, genuine sacrifice they all made," Biden said.

Trouble is, it didn't go down that way. Oh, Beau did win the Bronze Star, and he was posthumously given the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross for "heroism, meritorious service and outstanding achievement." But, he didn't die in the Iraqi conflict. No, he died of brain cancer six years later  at the Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Why would Biden have suggested his son died in Iraq? There is no doubt, no question, he knew his son died years later at a hospital here in America. 

According to a story in The New York Times, Biden was shocked after reading what was said in Joseph Hickman's book The Poisoning of America's Soldiers, suggesting those exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq suffered consequences. Biden became convinced Beau's loss of life could have been due to those burn pits.

"Guys, I'm going to be the biggest pain in your neck as long as I live until we figure out about these burn pits," Biden is reported to have said. 

In a State of the Union address, Biden discussed his concern for the burn pits.

But, for all his concern and reason for believing his son's life was lost due to the toxic burn pits, it is not true that Beau lost his life in Iraq. 

(Note: The information in what I write above is from a Snopes post.)

Further thought: After writing this last night, I woke up the next morning with additional thoughts. We speak of how quotes should be kept in context. Joe said what he said and it is still wrong, even when put in context. But that does not mean context should not be considered -- it certainly should at least be mentioned. When those who attack Biden tear into him for lying, do they tell the whole story? They conveniently leave out the context, just telling as much of the story that fits their purpose. Whole truths are better than half truths. This does not excuse Biden. He, too, should have told the whole truth. He should have said that though his son died in a hospital in America, the conditions that brought his death were brought upon him while he was serving in Iraq. Thus, in a way, it was as if he died in Iraq. Joe mislead his listeners by simply leaving it that his son died in Iraq.