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STUDENTS
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Brothers in Arms
The loss of a brother in Iraq takes a UTA student to Crawford
The Shorthorn staff
The Shorthorn: Drew Campbell
It is the journalism freshman’s first and only tattoo.
It is not the name of her boyfriend or father but, instead, her brother’s
name — a constant reminder of whom her family lost to the conflict
in Iraq.
Twenty-four-year-old Russlle Nahvi died Oct. 19 when the hum-vee he
patrolled in exploded in Iraq.
Two days later, when Nina found out he died, she got the tattoo.
UTA alumna Claudia Donaldson, who knew Nina through friends, invited
her to go to Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas.
Nina and her best friend Ronni Bethany and three others went to the
front of an anti-war debate and met Camp Casey’s founder Cindy
Sheehan two weeks after Russlle died.
This was the second time Nina had gone to Crawford. The first time,
she went with her mother, Nancy Nahvi, in July before Russlle died.
Nina said most of the people there were parents of dead soldiers or
Vietnam veterans. Nina said Sheehan asked her to speak to about 150
people because of her recent loss.
“I was not prepared for this, and I was really nervous,”
Nina said. “Cindy was telling me to be strong for my parents.”
Nina said she went to Crawford to find others who shared her feelings
of loss because she doesn’t know anyone else who has gone through
this.
“I want people to know it’s actual brothers and husbands,”
she said.
She said that those listening to her were receptive and understanding
as she told her story about Russlle and her motivation for wanting to
bring the troops home from Iraq.
Nina said she reads Russlle’s journal from when he was in Iraq.
The first few pages describe his hopes for his family should he have
died. Nina memorized part of it:
Special to The Shorthorn: Claudia Donaldson
Cindy Sheehan, left, hugs Nina Nahvi who visited Crawford, Texas, in
November, two weeks after her brother died in Iraq.
She said she is taking his advice and plans to get a 4.0 GPA this semester
and has made other personal goals.
Russlle’s mother, Nancy, said she also has personal goals, including
volunteering for the Democratic Party and helping troops in Iraq as
much as she can.
“We didn’t want him joining the Army,” Nancy said.
“He wanted to do something meaningful.”
Russlle went to an anti-war rally in Dallas two months before enlisting.
Nina said she thinks he wanted to help those in Iraq and make a difference
where he could. When she asked him why he joined, she said he never
had an answer for her. She said he was failing his classes at UTA and
that he never wanted to work in a cubicle.
“It seemed like the Army was a solution,” Nina said. “He
went there to save people and try to make peace.”
Nina talked to Russlle about twice a week and said that while he was
there, he didn’t talk about Iraq.
Nancy said she has received several condolence letters, including one
from President George W. Bush. The last line of the letter read, “God
less your family,” instead of “God bless your family.”
“It was typical and symbolic of the whole mess,” Nancy said.
The Nahvis received a corrected letter that Nancy did not want to accept.
Despite her strong feelings against the war, Nancy did not go to Crawford
with Nina in November because it was too soon for her to be public about
Russlle’s death, Nancy said.
“I measure everything in before and after [his death],”
she said.
Her husband and Russlle’s father, Sam, visits his grave every
day either on his way to work or on his way home, Nancy said.
“We don’t talk about it very much,” she said. “It’s
harder on mothers. I try not to get too upset.”
correction
Russell Nahvi’s name was misspelled
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Today
Final withdraw for non-payment -Summer II
Last date to drop or withdraw (Graduate)
Wesley Foundation Event Bible Study: 7 p.m., 311 UTA Blvd. Gospel of John. Free
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