Fallen Soldier's Mother: Didn't Need bin Laden's Death To Vindicate Her Son's Sacrifice

Osama Bin Laden’s death prompted chants of, “USA, USA , USA” from crowds and on Thursday, President Obama will mark the milestone with a visit to Ground Zero in New York.

But Lee Hundelt, of Weldon Spring, said, “For me, Osama bin Laden’s death was anticlimactic.”

Her son, Lance Corp. Matthew W. Clark was killed Dec. 14, 2006 by a roadside bomb during the War on Terror in Iraq. Clark, a 2002 graduate of who also attended , also served a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Hundelt, who lived in Creve Coeur when her son was in the military, said that Osama bin Laden’s death meant that justice has been served, but it doesn’t change how she views her son’s death.

“I didn’t need Osama bin Laden’s death to feel that my son’s death was vindicated,” Hundelt said. “I always felt there was meaning in his death because he felt he was doing what was right, and that didn’t need a victory in battle or Osama bin Laden’s death to justify it.”

Like the Sept. 11 attacks, bin Laden’s death pulled the country together with patriotic feeling, she said.

Much of the time, the War on Terror has been an afterthought for many Americans, she said. Events such as Bin Laden’s death bring patriotic feelings to the forefront for some.

“Certain members of our society, our military, are always unified by our patriotism,” Hundelt said. “For the majority of Americans, it’s a temporary feeling.”