Josh Boone’s life mattered. So should his death

Josh Boone was a sheepdog sniper. He grew up in Idaho, experiencing antisemitism and in his own words, “had a fire within” to become an IDF soldier and protect the Jewish people.

The light of his burning passion blew out this week and left us in the dark. That’s pretty language for: he was found dead in his apartment, leaving us to mourn another brave soldier who gave his life to keep all of us safe, dying alone.

I didn’t know Josh. Or what a sheepdog is. My husband knew him as a sniper in his unit. He said he was a nice guy with good aim. And he was shocked at the news. His unit just served their sixth round of reserves, 60 days in Gaza. Most people aren’t aware that, despite the ceasefire, the war rages on for the soldiers who protect us. And there is more than just one battlefield.

There is the one on the Yellow Line, where they are stationed in Gaza. There, they eat processed meat and play with wild dogs, while guarding Israel from monsters, lurking on the borders. But there are also the demons that they battle in their heads after seeing evil in all its forms.

It isn’t PTSD, because it is constant and ever-present. And for Josh, who served 700 days, I imagine it felt more like a sixth sense. The way I can smell a rotten egg from the next room — that is how he probably inhaled his trauma.

My brother served in the US Army during the war with Iraq in 2004. He came home and was given pills instead of support. And while they were meant to help him with his back, they did more to soothe his head. He overdosed and died alone sitting in an armchair, instead of getting a helping hand.

I think that’s why it hurts so much to know that Josh died this way. But it hurts even more to know that our country, the one he protected for years, will not give him the honor of a military burial at Mount Herzl. While I am relieved to see his story did make the news, reading through the comments will show you the fury of the Israeli people as they, too, demand his honorary military burial.

He wasn’t a dog. He was a sheepdog.

A sheepdog protects. There are the sheep. There are the wolves. And then there are the sheepdogs. The protectors. Willing to sacrifice their lives for the flock.

Josh sacrificed his life for the Jewish people. He should be honored, not just as military, or a hero, but as a beacon of light for humanity. 

And while he is denied this right, it is at the hands of our government, the ones that should be our sheepdogs, but in reality are more like the sheep. Year after year, they give themselves a raise. They pat themselves on the back.

What really gets me is they even get to ride the buses for free. As though any of them ride buses. They are not serving the people. They are being served by the people. 

And they are being protected by the soldiers who paid for their rides with their lives.

This isn’t meant to criticize our leaders (because I can do that and write a novel, not just a blog post), it is meant to challenge them to live up to the same values that Josh had for his people. As a sniper, he understood when to take the shot; the rules are guidelines, but it must be our gut that leads us to greatness.

Anyone who lives in Israel knows that rules, even laws, are often just suggestions. And while that is frustrating because people don’t stay within the lines (metaphorically and literally), it is the Jews’ greatest asset. To challenge the status quo, to redefine what is, and to have the chutzpah to do it anyway.

Josh served 700 days, because he didn’t follow the rules. So don’t follow them now and give him the honorary burial he deserves. And let his light shine on us all. Our soldiers should not be alone in life or death. He should be buried with his comrades, the sheepdogs who protected us in every war.

He is one of them, or there is no us.

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To view the petition supporting Josh’s burial, click here
To help support his family with financial accommodations for the funeral, click here