Stop...take a look around...listen
I remember years ago, Memorial Day was a day off in high school for me. Other than it being one day I got to stay home from school and smoke pot, it held no other meaning. Now a few years have passed and things have changed...to say the least. I've joined the Army, spent a couple years in, been to combat and am returning home soon. Unfortunately, there are some men who will not enjoy what i am about to. And it's these years later that I realize what Memorial Day is all about.
You see, our battalion has lost 16 men in this deployment. And many more have been seriously injured and evacuated to the states. As I look back on my old view of Memorial Day, I'm saddened to say that it is the general opinion of a lot of the people I know, and a lot of the people in this country. Maybe I'm biased, as I've experienced things that many others can never imagine, but it's because of those experiences that I now understand what this one day is all about. It's a time to stop, take a look around, and listen...and also to realize that many many men are putting everything they hold dear on the line. And for what? For a set of morals and freedoms that the majority of our country either doesn't follow, or doesn't appreaciate. This isn't the case for all of us...but for a lot. But to you my friends and loved ones, I encourage you to stop, take a look around, and listen...for Iraq is not the first time that America's finest have answered the call. Time and time again, brave, hard men have subjected themselves to the many wars our country has fought, the many humanitarian missions, the many defenses of allies, and time and time again, brave soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen have perished in a desolate land, far from home.
A few of these men have been close friends of mine...and among all the old vets who either still live or have given their lives...this day is for you...
PFC Stephen C. Benish PFC James H. Miller IV SPC Sergio R. Diaz
SGT Carl W. Lee SSG Micheal B. Shackleford
may we never forget the fallen soldiers of B. Co 1-503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault)