Memorial Day

This is always a bit of a rough one for me personally. For whatever reason growing up I've always had a great deal of respect for our men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. I don't know if it was from the movies I watched or the history books I read but there was always a sense of these people were special in a way nobody else could be. Volunteering to put yourself in harms way for the betterment of people you'll never know. Sure many do it feeling as if they are serving their families but knowing many serve just because they feel it's the right thing to do. Obviously not all who serve have the purest of motivations but I don't believe that to be a large percentage.

I had a very good friend who felt this duty to his Family and his Country. Part of why I was initially drawn to him as a friend was because of his service. He was a Marine. Marines have a reputation for being the baddest of the bad and the toughest of the tough. Marines only respected other Marines with the rare exception of a Seal or a Ranger. He was a really nice guy. He loved children (especially his own boy) and was a fiercely loyal friend to me. He didn't let many into his world but once you were in, it was like being in the Mafia. The guy would do anything for me and he did so not only for me but for the others he was close to.

He got the call to Iraq in 2004. He left for training in June and was in Iraq by September if I'm recalling correctly. I received a few letters from him, always sure to try and get me to laugh. In November the Incredibles came out. We went to see it with his son opening night. Several days later he was out on patrol and his Humvee was hit by an IED. He was thrown from the vehicle as was another Marine, the other three died instantly.

What followed the next year was a very painful time in many people's lives. He had a severe brain injury, he looked (for the most part) fine. But he wasn't. He died in August of 2005. I've cried a lot over loosing my friend. When I watch a war movie, or see a story on the news about our fighting men and women it's with a different perspective or lens that I see it through. It's from a perspective of personal loss. But I don't avoid those movies or stories. I still seek them out. It helps me to remember what I've lost both as a friend and as an American. It reminds me of how blessed I am to have people who are out there putting themselves in harm's way for me and they don't even know who I am or if I'm worth the risk. Prayerfully I live my life in a worthy manner of their sacrifice. Prayerfully we all do.

I love you buddy, I always will.

Brian