Lt. Dennis van Uhm, the son of Holland’s top general, was killed today in Afghanistan.
The son of the Dutch defense chief was killed Friday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and the Taliban claimed they deliberately made the young lieutenant a high-profile target. While the Dutch quickly cast doubt on the Taliban claim, the death underscores the danger high-profile soldiers can face and illustrates a grim reality for families, famous and not, who choose the military life.
Lt. Dennis van Uhm, 23, was one of two Dutch soldiers killed in the explosion seven miles northwest of Camp Holland, the Dutch military base in the restive southern province of Uruzgan. Two more soldiers were injured, one critically.
Van Uhm’s father, Gen. Peter van Uhm, was installed only Thursday as the Netherlands’ defense chief.
A shame although no more so than the loss of the son of a store clerk. Obviously, though, this is more noteworthy. It’s also a sober reminder that, for all the talk of the United States being alone in these conflicts, others have lives on the line.
