Fallen Heroes Memorial: Messages

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"Sgt. Padilla,
My God be with you and the memories you leave all of us who looked up to you! I was one of the 5 Marines that were left in the motor pool to take charge of the dispatch shack and I will always remeber what you said before you left about making sure all trip tickets were done right and to make sure I took care of the logs. I thank you for being such a good teacher and leader. From the minute I came to the base as a boot and you showed me around the town and took me under your wing. You will always be remebered as I tell friends and family about your heroic efforts and always positive attitude. May God be with you and your family."
Cpl. Radar of Mora, Minnesota

"I miss you baby... Love you always my soilder boy! Niko my prayers are with you and your son always I know how much he loved you and your son he always talked about him eveytime he called from iraq 861-2601 love you solja!"
sha of lakewood

"To the family of Neil Prince, I am very saddened by Neil`s death. I heard about it through a CNN news tribute. I went to elementary and middle school with Neil. He and my best friend at the time Heathcliff Phillip would Play together. Neil was a fun person and very intelligent which is why he turned out to be such a hero. Unlike most of the people I gravitated toward Neil took his own path as he matured and all the other people I grew up with are either dead or in jail, most are dead though. I haven`t seen Neil in atleast 2o years but when I heard his name on the news announcing his heroic fall I knew it had to be him.I just want the friends and family of Neil`s to know his death only acknowledges the inspiring life he lived. If only other young black men in Baltimore could follow his lead and stand for something meaningful with purpose in their lives we would have more heroes in our community .It can be under any circumstance; armed forces or just productive members of society.Neil fell under both categories and I`m proud to say I knew him even if it was for a short time. You should be proud too."
Kevin N Harris of Las vegas, Nevada

"Thank you all for what you have done. We all respect you for it and will never forget about you so all I wnat to say is SEMPER FI"

"Kyle Lee Rhode, Jose, Chris, Ortega and Schwartz, you may seem far away but all is good here in Alaska. I know you'll come home safe. You oughtta be a brave soldier leaving us here. Take care and God bless!!!"
Jana of Anchorage, Alaska, USA

"God Bless Danny's soul. More people needs to recognize us for our service and sacrifice. I was just watching fox news about Danny's statue in Columbine. That statue needs to state there. I am a SSG in the US Army.
GOD BLESS"
Pauline of New York City

"We love you brother. You will always be in our hearts and in our minds."
Lcpl Pettit of Camp lejeune

"April 7, 2007 - Never Forgotten and Forever Gratefull - Rest in Peace Brent!"
ajl of Collierville, TN

"Our young boys sent into a war zone without a cause, forced to think like murderous men praying and battling to stay alive. With pride believing their doing right. We support their decisions knowing well there is no reason or cause for the price of their lives. Why is he sending our own American Boys to be killed? Is it not the Americans that we fight to protect?"
An American Girl of Lakewood ,CA. USA

"je suis boulvers?par l'histoire de lavena johnson en effet je m'appelle moi meme LAVENA NEDELEC c'est un prenom tres rare en france et je recherchais des info par internet lorsque je suis tomb?sur votre site . J'ai alors ??extrement touch?par cette histoire inconnu dans mon pays je souhaite qu'un jour vous trouviez la raison de sa mort afin de punir les coupable et de soulag?sa famille! je me joint a eux dans cette peine immense! vous pouvez me contacter sur lav?a@wanadoo.fr. paix a votre pays!"
Lavena Nedelec of France

"To all people who love and remembered Quaichan:
Look at Jesus. Kelvin Edjun was - and is still- special by his decision to accepted Jesus as his personal savior. So, if you want to be remembered in his book of life, accept Jesus as your savior. He is the only way to come to the father. He is the way, the truth and the life. Kelvin is in heaven, and what about you? Come on,accept Jesus, and soon we will adore him in heaven, with Kelvin and other people that has believed in him as his savior.
Blessings
Rose Feliciano
Kelvin' Aunt
San Juan, PR"
Rose of San Juan, PR

"To all people who love and remembered Quaichan:
Look at Jesus. Kelvin Edjun was - and is still- special by his decision to accepted Jesus as his personal savior. So, if you want to be remembered in his book of life, accept Jesus as your savior. He is the only way to come to the father. He is the way, the truth and the life. Kelvin is in heaven, and what about you? Come on,accept Jesus, and soon we will adore him in heaven, with Kelvin and other people that has believed in him as his savior.
Blessings
Rose Feliciano
Kelvin' Aunt
San Juan, PR"
Rose of San Juan, PR

"Tori,
I had not seen you for years the day you died for our freedom but, every year around this time I think about you. Our Gray family misses you very much. We keep you alive in our hearts. luv ya"
Loni of Indy, IN

"Adam Galvez was my cousin. He is forever my hero. I look up and love him with all that I am. I deeply regret knowing him as well as I should have.

R.I.P"
Ashley of Hemet, CA/USA

"As a member of the British military it has been my privilege to serve alongside members of the armed forces of the USA in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We share the same goals and ideals, and will not cease until the job we started is complete, and we can all enjoy our freedom once more. I offer my respects to the families of the fallen, and my assurance that you are not alone, that many of us in the UK share your ideals, and we will strive to achieve our common goal of a world safe for our families and future generations to live in."
L.Davies of Merseyside, England

"THANK YOU

WHAT YOU'ALL HAVE DONE FOR US, IS NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU"
Andrew Arevalo of Houston, Texas

"As many of you may already know, a close friend of mine, Sean Brock was killed in action while stationed in Iraq on Feb-2-2005. Another firend, Bobby Khullar and I have ventured out to start a foundation in his name to assist the families of those who have lost loved ones.

On April 28th, in partnership with HBC (Hoffman Brown Company) we will be donating 10,000 care packages and sending them to the troops stationed in Iraq & Afghanistan. Sean will be honored during the event. We would like to include an individual letter in each package and this is where I am turning to my network of friends and family for support.

I am requesting that each of you write an unaddressed letter and state what is on your mind, let the troops know that they are in our hearts and we are thinking about them. We will attach this letter to a care package.

I can not tell you what this small gesture on your part would do for the moral of a forward deployed service member. When I was a marine serving in Somalia in the most arduous and austere conditions imgaginable I would read over and over again a letter addressed to any marine from a young student. And every time I read that letter I smiled because for a breif moment I felt like I was home.

Please, time is of the essence, if you choose to participate, respond with your letter by April, 10th. You can send via email a word doc to me @ lex@youtopia.com, and include your contact information if you would like to start a dialogue. Additionally, if you have friends that would like to participate, we would love the support.

Lex"
Lex McMahon of Los Angeles

"To Honor Our Fallen

We will pray for peace
We will remember their sacrifices
We will cry for their loss

To honor our fallen
We will hold their memory gently
In the palms of our hands

To honor our fallen
Or grief will flow to the depth
Of our soul, yet make us proud

To honor our fallen
We will salute our flag
We will stand for what is right

To honor our fallen
We will support the ideals
Of one nation under God

To honor our fallen
We will support our military
Protectors of our nation

To honor our Fallen
We will stand to salute them
And kneel to pray for them

@2007 Mary Akey
Akeymg@aol.com"
mary akey of silverton,oregon

"Still don't know what to say....I will never get over the fact that you are gone. You have the most positive attitude during the worst of times and you are still missed to this day.RIP buddy."
Shea of South Windsor, CT

"MY NAME IS KENNETH CONDE SR. I'M A FORMER MARINE AND FATHER OF FALLEN MARINE SGT. KENNETH CONDE JR. I HAVE STARTED A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN ORLANDO, FL CALLED CONDES WAY WHICH WILL BE FOCUSED ON BUILDING A COMMUNITY CENTER IN MEMORY OF MY SON. I HAVE ALSO WRITTEN A BOOK - JUST ANOTHER BROKEN HEART WHICH ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TOWARD OUR MISSION. WHENEVER YOU HAVE A MOMENT, PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE: WWW.CONDESWAY.COM

THANK YOU"
KENNETH CONDE SR. of ORLANDO, FL

"Gentlemen and Gentleladies: Thank you more than these poor words can express."
Bernie Riefner of Adelphi, MD

"I am an artist creating a traveling Memorial to the Fallen of Lima 3/25 4th Div, who died in 2005. You can see the memorial at limacompanymemorial.org. Please help to spread the word....."
Anita Miller of Columbus, Ohio

"To my cousin Jose,
It's been a long time since i saw you, but i will never forget that you put your life on the line to protect a country i felt should have protected you more. Even though you are no longer here with us,I just want to thank you for protecting my family as well as everyone else. We miss you , but we will see you again one day.I know you are in heaven watching down on all of us.
Love you much your cousin
daughter of Ramon Marquez"
Evelyn Marquez Spencer of lynchburg va

"Thanks you guys...We really appreciate that. I am SSGT Marion Flint Jr. aka Bugg lil sis and I really Thank you all for your condonence"
Tamekia Latisha Flint of Elbert County

"Dear Larry,
Hi its your little sister Candice.
I miss you so so much.
I also love you so so much."
Candice Wells of TN

"I never knew you, but I know you were just like me..Thank you for your courage and sacrifice. Thank you to your families for giving America such brave men and women..We will always love and miss the fallen."
Margie of Houston, TX

"Even though you never knew me, you laid down your life for me and my family. My tears and prayers now flow for you. Thank you."
Diana Benson of Pineville, Missouri

"-----My Soldier---- With a hand on his heart, And a gun on his shoulder, There's nothing but war, In the eye of my soldier. Braver than brave, He is not afraid, He walks in the storm, To keep us all safe. In the rain and the mud, In the sun and the sand, He dances with fire, In an unknown land. The hero inside, Keeps him alive, Pushes him through, The bloodshed and strife. And just when we think, The worst of his fate, The phone starts to ring, And we knoow he's okay. He tells us "it's hot", But he's doing "just fine.", We know he's alright, But we still sit and cry. He chose this path, Not for glory or fame, But in hope of resolution, For our country, our name. And soon he'll come home, And we'll start over again, But he'll never forget, The time he "put in". The memories will echo, In his thoughts and his dreams, Reflect in his eyes, His friends and family. With his hand on his head, And my arm on his shoulder, There is a single tear, In the eye of my soldier. ---Sarah ...For all the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, friends, lovers..... and Their Soldier. Support Our Troops.....

My sister wrote this poem not too long ago. I have shared it with many friends and families who have or have lost loved ones from the war. God bless all those who have fought and continue to fight for us each and every day."
megan of erie, pa/ usa

"your friends miss you HOGZ"
pv of griffith

"thou i am wouunded i am not not slain i am not slain i will lie me to bleed awhile and rise again to fight once more for now i have answered to dutys call when my name was called up yonder and now i am soldier for god we will remember they paid the price for freedom they died for it"
brian frank egerton of london ontario canada

"I regret to inform our troops and their families that fallen hero Captain John E. Tipton's death benefit money was stolen in an investment swindle when his father sought to invest the money towards the education of Captain Tipton's children and answered a fraudulent newspaper ad. The perpetrator of this most despicable crime was given a slap on the wrist with no penalties by the Okaloosa County court on 11/20/2006 and though a small fraction of the money was recovered, the majority of the Captain Tipton's death benefit money is gone forever as the thief falsely claims to be indigent. The thief was arrested by the Okaloosa County Sheriff''s office on 32 felony charges for numerous swindles but she beat all 32 charges without going to trial through an unprecedented amount of pre trial objections, motions and depositions that wore down the Okaloosa County Court, victims and witnesses. The court case number 2005 CF 000161 S can be seen by entering it on the Okaloosa County court clerk's site at http://www.clerkofcourts.cc/court/courtsearch.htm
It is a very sad day for our troops and their families that the Okaloosa county court has given a swindler and operator of houses of prostitution precedence over a highly respected and missed fallen war hero. Something is very wrong as the thief has been quoted as bragging that she has judges in her pocket and that she (apparently) rules the Okaloosa County Court. A Federal Court report on this thief and her illicit operations can be seen at http://ustaxcourt.gov/InOpHistoric/Pappas.TCM.WPD.PDF
I recommend that everyone pass this message on to our troops and contact the Okaloosa County Court about this atrocity and let them know your feelings."
John Roberts of Pensacola, Florida, USA

"Brian was my brother, and i would never think that this would happen. Both patrick and brian are my heros. I would never have the courage to be able to do what they have done."
Robie Hopper of Wynne, Arkansas

"THE LAST MILE . [FOOTSTEPS A REPRISE].This mile,the hardest mile,the longest mile,the last mile,my final mile,I know I must walk alone.I know I must walk alone. fore ,This is my mile, I know must walk alone. fore,In this mile , as I walk alone, not even my companion can be at my flank ,by my side. My companion, who has been at my flank,by my side, through heat of day,through the cold of mornning,through the dark of night. My companion at my flank,by my side.there to comfort and shore me up from any fear,from all that fright .This mile ,the longest mile, the hardest mile, the last mile.This is my final mile. I know I must walk alone.My LORD,you have always been there in my hour of need,through my loss,though my pain,though my misury,and through my dispair.My LORD, always guiding me,my LORD, always protecting me,my LORD, always the grace of me,my LORD always the salvation Of me,my LORD, above. A place where the soul strives to be.My LORD,you have always watched me, my LORD, you have always followed me,my LORD, you have always carried me.My LORD,you have always lead me away from the darkness of the valley and into your eternal light.My LORD I know you can not walk in the final mile,fore this is A test of my faith ,the truth of my belief.My true faith of your grace and the praise to come.This blissful,blessed thought Is the whole of me,all that I am .The total sum.This truth that is in my mile, .The SOUL YOU HAVE NEVER TURNED UPON. FOR THIS MY LORD, I KNOW YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME IN EVERY MILE OF OUR JOURNEY TO COME. B.C."
B.C.THE FIRE ANT of STOCKTON,CA.U.S.A.

"Being a vet myself, I understand the sacrifice/loss and grieve the loss of each service member. However families that don?t see beyond the loss of their own family member sadden me. The attempts to "immortalize" their lost loved one while totally ignoring the sacrifices of those that were lost before is beyond disrespectful. Being from a small town in Tennessee I've recently seen it first-hand. We lost a good man/soldier in Iraq and the whole community responded to the loss.....the family took the loss and tried to take the casualty to the level of sainthood. Sgt _____ Memorial Hwy, Sgt _____ Cemetery, Sgt _____ Freedom Ride, Sgt _____ Parade, Sgt _____ Day, you get the idea. You would think that no other local men had ever lost their lives or sacrificed their limbs in combat. Our Vietnam War veterans were totally dishonored during the media fest covering Sgt ______'s death. A sign that was erected after the loss of 2 local men during the Vietnam Conflict no longer bears their names but was used to promote Sgt ______ events on several occasions. The point, honor our new heroes but do not forget or trample on those that made the ultimate sacrifice before. And lest we forget our POWs and MIAs.....always remember we have men/women that have never come home, honor our dead but never forget those left behind."

"Hello Dear Friends and Families,
I am writing today to let you all know about another fine young man we lost in
Afghanistan last night, Feb. 19, 2007 from Poteau, Okla. I am asking that you each and everyone please keep the family of Buddy Hughie in prayer at this time. Buddy graduated with my son Wayne Bollinger who was killed in Iraq in 2003.They graduated from High school together in 2000 and ran around together.Please add Buddy Hughie to this site as well."
Wyvonne Wright of Shady Point, Okla

"I cant do anything but cry when i think of the pain and extreme loss that every family that had a spouse, a parent, child, neighbor, or friend tragically yanked away from them forever. We actually was one of the lucker familys and my baby brother got to come back to our us and he gets to see his 2 girls grow up but he isnt the same as when he left he worries for his soul everyday. Because was sent to war and had to kill people that would of killed him first if he hadnt and he is concerned that he will go to hell for what he has done it has been very hard on him to deal with but all i can say is now i tell my brother i hug, kiss and let him know i love him everyday because there are families out there who would give anything for one last hug, kiss and i love you before they go to sleep so ill never take that for graned again From the bottom of my heart and soul im sorry for your loss and i pray for the soldiers and there families every night god bless each and everyone who reads this you are in my and my familys prayers daily
Thankyou
Cheri"
Cheri Adams of Las Vegas Nevada USA

"Gregg, it has been almost 4 years since you died, I think of you every day , it's so hard to go on , I wish I would have died with you . I can't wait until I die so I can see you again. I wish I could trade places with you , so you could be with your boys and make mom smile again. I know I will never be the same , your death has changed us all, we just can't get over it, I think of your pain, and how scared you must have been. I know one time you told mom that when a soldier has been injured the first thing they do is yell for their mom, did you yell for mom? I wish I had of been there , maybe I could have helped you somehow. I just wish you would come home , like you were suppossed to, why can't you just come home . Nothing will ever be the same, I feel like we are just waiting for death since you died , I hate my life now , and I hate the guilt , I hate thinking about 83 pieces of shrapnel piercing through your body, and how bad that must have hurt, because , I know you were awake and aware of the pain. I am so sorry Gregg. I have said such hateful things to people since your death, it has turned me into such a horrible person , but then maybe I always have been. Death brings out the best and worst in people. There was one thing that you told me , and that was that you did't have any friends , oh Gregg, you had so many friends , I sure hope you were at the funeral to see that, you would have been so suprised , you were such a good guy and ya did'nt even know it. Dad really did love you, but I think you know that now, I know I am skipping around alot , I'm just typing it as I think of it. These are my thoughts everyday, I bet you did'nt think you could bring out so much emotion in people. Cody just wants to go to the water park with you again for his birthday every year. Thanks it was fun , and you were a good uncle. I'm so sorry some mean horrible person ended your life. I would like to do the same to him. I never ever say this , I'm certainly not a mushy person , but I love ya Gregg."
T of gresham, oregon

"IAM A VETERAN OF THE 1ST GULF WAR I HAD NEVER GOT ON THIS PART OF WEB SITE BUT I HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SO MANY NAMES OF SOLDIERS ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SO MANY OF MY COMRADES HAVE DIED.
JUST TO THINK THAT IT COULD OF BEEN ME, I COULD NEVER IMAGINE WHAT THESE FAMILIES HAVE GONE THROUGH BUT ALL I CAN SAY IS MAY GOD BLESS THEM AND KEEP THEM STRONG AND HOPE AND PRAY THAT SOME DAY WE WILL ALL BE TOGETHER. MAY ALL MY COMBAT BUDDIES TAKE CARE AND TRY TO KEEP OUT OF HARMS WAY AND HOPE SOMEDAY YOU COULD BE UNITED WITH YOUR FAMILIES WHO MISS U AND WISH YOU COULD BE HOME SOON. LOVE YOU GUYS WISH I COULD BE BY YOUR SIDE, YOU GUYS ARE OUR TRUE HEROS. `"
JAIME MUNOZ of SAN JUAN ,TEXAS

"You need to add USMC SGT MAJ JOSEPH J ELLIS of the- BN Land team 2nd BN 4th MR, 15th MEU (SOC) 1 MEF- he gave his life on 7 feb. 2007- Killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq's Anbar Province west of Baghdad.I had the honor of knowing this fine MARINE ( WHEN HE WAS A First Sgt. for ITB "B" CO. ) when I was stationed as a cook and Squad Leader at SOI (EAST) - May god bless him and his family- HE unselfishly gave his life and served 3 tours in IRAQ and was set to retire this year and never made it home- May he never be forgotten- My best is w/ his family/ loved ones and those who had the honor of knowing him. ~SEMPER FI~ SGT MAJOR!"
K.Nicole "cody" Herthel(sung) of Fort Wayne IN

"My Heart and Respect go to every member & their loved ones- I am a former Marine. I have lost many comrads. My prayers are with YOU ALL - May their memories live on- Keep their name Alive."
nicole "cody" h. of ft wayne, IN

"mrs. Das i just wanted to send you a little message to let you know that your husband will always be remembered.I served with the 379th security forces in qatar when Capt Das was there and i had a bracelet with his name made up when i got home in late april 2003 and have worn it since. Semper Fi TSgt Colby 158th SFS"
Jarrod of burlington vt

"All vets, guardsmen, and their families are invited to the Vermont Veterans Combat Stress Symposium taking place on March 3rd in Montpelier VT at the Capitol Plaza. Admission is free to the public. You will learn valuable tips to support your vets through their readjustment to civilian life and to meet the challenges that all combat veterans face. Please visit www.VermontVeterans.com"
Victor R. Volkman of Ann Arbor, MI

"I am the Outreach Director for Brave New Foundation. We are producing a web project that will launch March 19, 2007, the anniversary of the Iraq War. We are reaching out to military family support groups to send us 1 minute videos talking about the loved ones they have lost. We will be putting these videos up on our website building an interactive quilt to commemorate the lives of those brave soldiers and have their memory live on. Please see http://www.iraqmemorial.org for more details.

We feel the most authentic pieces will come from those directly affected by this conflict.

If you would like to share a memory of your lost loved one, please contact me directly.

Warmest regards,
Jamiah Adams
jamiahadams@bravenewfoundation.org"
Jamiah Adams of Culver City, CA USA

"Will the list be updated? The last date is Aug 2006 of those heroes who lost thier lives in Iraq."
TSgt D. of Las Vegas, NV USA

"I still cannot bring myself to read his letters since he died, especially the handwritten ones."
M of Virginia

"My husband is Cpl Joshua Sticklen. He was killed in a Helicopter accident on 3 Dec 2006 in Haditha Iraq. Please add him to your list."
Jennifer Sticklen of Kaneohe, HI

"May godbless you n ur family"
WYNESSA,WYNATIA,WYNONA,VANESSA,WAYNE of SAIPAN,GUALO RAI

"dear kathy


do u rember me tabitha peck vikys friend and then i moved i read the thing about nathan brown i rember when he was playing football and me and your daughter vick were ridding bikes i sure do miss him and im veary proud of him for serving our country with a kid from glens falls zack ollcot he is goingt going back to iraq"
tabitha peck of ny

"To all of those who have sacrificed so very much for us.... THANK YOU!!!! Each time I receive a notice from the DOD on another fallen soldier, I say a prayer for them and their families and friends who are left behind. God Bless You All."
Carole Sexton of Converse, Texas

"I want to say thank you for fighting for us and the innocent all over the world-not just in Iraq.I really do pray that all of the soldiers stay safe."
Brittni of Appleton, Wi, U.S.

"you are always in my prayers and in my thoughts thank you for doing your duty to our country!!!!!"
Jacob Martin of maxwell

"Thank you to all of my son's brothers-in-arms, for your dedication, loyalty, patriotism, honor, and selflessness. God, how I love you all and know that my soldier is still protecting and watching over his comrades in battle. Stand tall, stand brave, stand together!"
Alexandra Z Parker of Smithfield, VA

"MY NAME IS SPC TERRIQUEZ PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 1254 445 4322 THANK U."
DONALD TERRIQUEZ of DUBLIN TX USA

"EVERY DAY I REMEMBER THAT DAY. LT VUANGHT WAS A GREAT LEADER. I WAS THE SOLDIER THAT PULL HIM OUT OF THE STREET. (WHEN HE GOT HURT). I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY. I REMEMBER THAT DAY, EVERY TIME I GO TO SLEEP.. I WISH I CAN'T CAN SPEEK TO THE FAMILY AND EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPEN. THAT DAY WAS THE DAY THAT IT CHANGE MY LIFE. A GREAT MAN, WAS TAKING FROM ME AND 3 PLATOON. THIS MAN CHANGE ARE LIFE. HE DEFINED, WHAT A SOLDIER SHOULD BE. HE WAS A HERO, HE WAS A LEADER, HE WAS A BROTHER HE WAS MY FRIEND. I REMEMBER WENT I MEET HIM. I KNEW HE WAS A LEADER, HE WAS MY PLT LEADER. I WAS IN WPN SQUAD. HE WAS MY PLT LEADER. HE WAS MY FRIEND, I WILL NEVER FORGET MY SELF. THAT HE DIE IN MY HAND. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY. I WISH GOD WILL GIVE HIM BACK TO US. THAT DAY HE CHANGE MY LIFE. HE GAVE ME A ORDER LET GO!!!.. THAT WAS HIS ORDER.. HE TELL ME TO KEEP GOING.. I KNEW THAT HE WAS A LEADER, A FRIEND,HE KNEW THAT WAS THE RIGHT THINK TO DO. I LOVE THAT MAN. HE WAS A GREAT MAN. I KNOW THAT HE CHANGE MY LIFE. I WAS THERE AT THE LAST MOMENT. AND I WISH I CAN SAID TO THERE FAMILY.IT WAS A HONOR.
IF I HAVE I WISH.... I WISH I CAN TELL THE WORLD I WONDERFUL LT V. WAS...
HE WAS A GREAT MAN. I AM SO PROUND OF HIM. C co 2-1 CHANGE IRAQ. WE SET THE STANDARD. BECAUSE OF HIM. THANK U GOD.. FOR GIVE 2-1 INF 2 LT V. THANK U 2-1 FOR SETTING THE STANDADS IN IRAQ. THANK U JOHN..."
SPC TERRIQUEZ of DUBLIN TX USA

"WITH THIS HE SAID, "IT'S REALLY ALRIGHT." I'M OUT HERE BY CHOICE, I'M HERE EVERY NIGHT. IT'S MY DUTY TO STAND AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE, THAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE DARKEST OF TIMES. NO ONE HAD TO ASK, OR BEG OR IMPLORE ME, I'M PROUD TO STAND HERE LIKE MY FATHERS BEFORE ME. THEN HE BENT AND HE CAREFULLY PULLED FROM HIS BAG, THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE...AN AMERICAN FLAG. I CAN LIVE THROUGH THE COLD AND THE BEING ALONE,AWAY FROM MY FAMILY, MY HOUSE AND MY HOME. I CAN STAND AT MY POST THROUGH THE RAIN AND THE SLEET, I CAN SLEEP IN A FOXHOLE WITH LITTLE TO EAT. I CAN CARRY THE WEIGHT OF KILLING ANOTHER, OR LAY DOWN MY LIFE WTH MY SISTER OR BROTHER, WHO STAND AT THE FRONT AGAINST ANY AND ALL, TO ENSURE FOR ALL TIME THAT THIS FLAG WILL NOT FALL." FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS AT HOME WHILE WE'RE GONE, TO STAND YOUR OWN WATCH, NO MATTER HOW LONG. FOR WHEN WE COME HOME, EITHER STANDING OR DEAD, TO KNOW YOU REMEMBER THAT WE FOUGHT AND WE BLED. IS PAYMENT ENOUGH, AND WITH THAT WE WILL TRUST, THAT WE MATTERED TO YOU LIKE YOU MATTERED TO US. AUTHOR UNKNOWN. WE SALUTE OUR ARMED FORCES AND WILL FOREVER HONOR OUR FALLEN HEROES."
Roni Aurelio Proud mother of a fallen hero of Olivehurst,CA., USA

"To All the loved ones left behind from our fallen hero's. Please know that we are all in this together. May God bless you and keep you in his care. Keep the memories alive for the fallen. They are Our Hero's.
From a sister of a fallen soldier."
Renee Mercado of Escondido,Ca. USA

"To my Fallen Troopers of the 1st CAV, we were there when the first ballots were tallied. We were back again for the end of the dictator. I hope and pray your sacrifices have not happened in vain. GARY OWEN!!"
SSG S.R.England of COB Speicher, Iraq

"Dear Larry,
hi I miss you so so much big
brother and I love you so so much."
Candice K Wells of T N

"hey uncle!! i miss you alot and i hope ur havin fun up there!... guess what grandma got me a fish for christmas... but yeah i had a preety good new years and also brandons birthday just passed on sunday, we just had a small party at our house!! well i hope to0 se you so0n love you!!!!"
Jackie:ur favorite niece!! of ~American Canyon~

"I am retired Marine and former Marine Corps drill instructor. I pray everyday that I gave my best effort to train the Marines under me and prepare them for the challenges they now face. My heart and prayers go out to you, the families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. They are not forgotten and will forever be heroes in my mind."
Jon of Muskegon, Michigan

"I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE SERVING OUR COUNTRY ITS PERHAPS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SACRIFICES A SOLDIER MAKES, I KNOW FIRST HAND FOR I MYSELF HAVE LIVED THROUGH IT, I THANK GOD FOR LETTING ME AND MY HUSBAND COME HOME SAFE. NOW HE IS DEPLOYED ONCE AGAIN, AND I KEEP ON PRAYING FOR HIM AND ALL SOLDIERS. STAY SAFE YOU ARE ALL MY HEROES!!!"
REYNA PEREZ of GERMANY

"Almost 4 years after her loss I still think of those Soldiers on that convoy.
How brave and scared they must have been. May God bless the 3,005 that have fallen with her over the last 4 years."
Sergeant First Class Anthony Harbison of Fort Huchuca, Arizona / USA

"Some of you were not afraid to be brave and for that our country is most grateful."
Jonathan Elliott of Delray Beach, Florida

"to ALL of yew boots that DIED for me
eye am dying also for yew a boot
to the bitter end
HOMELESS CHARLAX"
charlesrhice of Tucson,AZ,USA

"I am a reporter with Newsweek magazine working on a special edition we are putting together on the fallen soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The issue will consist of letters home from soldiers who later died in the conflict. The idea is to construct an oral history of the Iraq War through the voices of those that gave their lives in it. I am writing to ask for submissions from any family, friends or loved ones of soldiers that have died in Iraq to help construct what we feel will be a very important, memorable issue of Newsweek. If you would like your loved one's words included in our magazine (letters, e-mails or even photos are welcome), please contact me at jonathan.mummolo@newsweek.com . Thank you very much for your assistance, and for the use of this web site."
Jonathan Mummolo of Washington, DC

"Please include my son,David Sean Roddy Navy petty officer 2nd class,who died while serving in Iraq on Sept. 16th 2006."
Carol Roddy of Abingdon, Maryland

"... it is not fair, you know ... to bring an old man to the verge of tears, sitting in front of a small screen, in a dark room ... for a young man he never knew, yet did in a way ... he was as the many men I served with over the years ... as my son does now in that same hot, dry place far from home ... it makes this man weary again ... not since "the Wall" came to my town have the tears come close to falling ... "we" kept the faith of our fathers, as they did for their sons ... as "they" continue to do today ... with much sorrow and shared grief, I send belated "Thank You" for the price paid in "our" name ..."
J.T.Picoc, USN (Ret.) of Bremerton, Washington

"To all the Families who have lost a loved one, I pray everyday for you. I wish our Government would acknowledge our Fallen Heroes in a way that would touch EVERY HEART OF EVERY PERSON LIVING IN THE USA, THESE WARRIORS SACRAFICE SHOULD FOREVER BE EMBEDED UPON OUR HEARTS AND SOULS"
Gail Read (Marine Mom) of Orange County CA

"Hello, my beautiful son, my Kristian. You are so missed--the third Christmas without you. We remain so proud of you, Honey. You're the best, Kristian-know that always. You are in the company of so many wonderful men and women who weren't and are, not afraid to stand up for our country. What an incredible military we have and how grateful we are that there are still those who know our freedom should never be taken for granted. I love you so much and wish I could just hold you for five short minutes and then you can go home where I know you and your brothers-in-arms have traded your boots for wings.
Forever and always,
One day closer to seeing your smile,
Mom and Dad"
Alexandra Z Parker of Smithfield, VA

"12/30/06
Another LIFE has been lost. This one was taken and news of his death spread across the world. This LIFE to was TAKEN for the pursuit of FREEDOM not GIVEN. What allows atrocious, brutal, and evil people to gain power? Is it the lack of FREEDOM?
As with all wars much blood has been spilled on both sides. The pain and grief the same for loved ones lost. I feel it is time for the people of Iraq to decide if they can over look age old differences and find a way to come together. Our SOLDIERS (sons and daughters) have given much as well as our nation to provide a chance or an opprotunity for a people to start a new LIFE. Hopefully one without the brutality of the past. We know it will not happen today or tomorrow. It will take time and take the true will of all of the Iraq people. FREEDOM comes with a great cost and must be maintained and nurtured so dictators have no way to get control and power. We know there are many unspoken reasons why we went to war but we do know that our son Lincoln was willing to give his LIFE to help bring down this dictator and give FREEDOM a chance to grow.""

"1SG Rafferty was my drill sergeant and later my 1SG during my rotations in Kosovo (K4B) and Iraq (OIFII). It hit me really hard when I learned of his passing.I will always remember his absolute dedication to helping and teaching soldiers. He IS the example of what a leader should be. He was with me through my whole military career. I just got out of the military and still from time to time when I am in a rough spot I think to myself,"what would 1SG do?". I have never had such respect for ANYONE in my life as I do in 1SG Rafferty and how he lived his life. He was and still is my only real hero. I will see you up there some day,1SG, and we'll laugh about old times in Apocalypse Company. For my hero, (SGT) Jason T. Rumbaugh"
Jason T. Rumbaugh of Everett, wa

"Hijo como cada ano que pasa tu recuerdo me hace sentir fuerte gracias por darme el privilejio de quererte han pasado 3 anos que partiste pero el recuerdo de tu sonrisa quedo gravado para siempre en mi corazon,tu recuerdo me sostiene y el amor de Dios me consuela se que cuando partiste encontraste la luz te fuiste con la sonrisa.Cuando los dias se me hacen triste tu recuerdo me hace sonreir no falta decirlo sabes que siempre te recordare por el resto de mis dias ,asta que Dios me recoja tu micion la terminaste yo me quedado para terminar la mia.Orgullosa estoy de ti David.Tu me dejaste algo precioso que nada lo podra replasar Love you forever."
Rosalba Kuhn of Laguna Vista Tx

"I am the niece of Captian Edward Jason Korn and the daughter of Tammy Williams. I love and miss Jason very much. It will be 4 years since his death, on April 3. He was a great uncle and I will always remember him. He is my hero."
Sabra

"Ms Higgins this is TSgt Richardson from the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard, my condolences to you, I need if possible your phone number to contact you, because Gov. Ehrlich has a program to deliver his personal condolences to you. I and another member of the Honor Guard wish this evening to hand deliver this message from the governor to you, and need to find out whether you will be home so this letter can be delivered, you can send your number to my e mail address krkrkevin@yahoo.com and I will contact you today to let you know what time we are coming. Thank you for your cooperation."
TSGT Kevin Richardson of Baltimore, MD

"I want to thank all service men & women who have lost their lives & to those who are still employed. I am proud to be an American & wish this war was over, but understand all that is needed to defend our country's freedom. Words cannot say how we feel & how proud we are of all of you. I am raising my grand-daughter to understand our country freedom & to be proud of all military near & far. Thank you again for all your suffering & wish you good health & a soon return home.
God Bless you all
mycorvettelovesme@yahoo.com"
Denise Bradley of Salinas, Ca. U.S.A

"thank you to ALL of the servicemembers who died serving our country.my deepest condolences to all of their loved ones.i to know how you feel because i lost my cousin LCPL Jonathan W Grant in operation iraqi freedom."
ANITA OLIVAS of Espanola N,M

"Thank you for giving your sons and daughters to die for us. They will always be in my thoughts and prayers. May the Lord bless and give you peace.
My prayers are with you."
Bob Harrod of Rosamond, CA

"I worked with Terry in BBTC A/1/29 Inf Ft.Benning, GA Good , and decent human being I will miss you at the BBQ's. Your friend Chris"
Thomas C. Scheber of Ft. Richardson, Alaska

"Hello,

We wish to thank ALL the men and women serving our country, past,present and in the future. May the Lord bless and keep you and your families forever. Amen!

With love and respect,"
The Brown and Rompala Families of Long Beach,Ca / USA

"ONLY TWO DEFINING FORCES have ever offered to die for you, JESUS CHRIST died for your SOUL. The AMERICAN GI died for your FREEDOM. Thank them BOTH.
May the Lord bless all the families of all our fallen military heroes. May they never be forgotten."
Fred/Lois Johnson of Mojave.CA

"Im just a guy that was cleaning out a dresser in one of my rooms at home when i came across a newspaper, out of curiosity i sifted through the pages for a reason why it was there. I came across Christopher's article and after reading it I realized Undoubtably the reason was found. I just wanted to say God Bless you Christopher and your family you are a true Hero."
Gabriel Hernandez of Stockton, Ca.

"You gave your lives for us to be free, now it is our turn to set you free."
Deb Medearis of Genoa, America

"From our most humble hearts we thank you..
May the mighty and most merciful lord continue to bless your
family as he has blessed yours with kindest, compassion
bravery, devotion, and love.
Retired Boxers Foundation rep. in Philadelphia"
Gumersindo Vidot of Philadelphia

"WE now have two versions of the song THE
AMERICAN GI on the LEST WE FORGET
website which is WWW. CYBERCLOUD.COM
Our plant sale added $250,00 for the creation of the MEMORIAL GARDEN PROJECT
of Los Angeles. Our tribute to the 2800 GIs who have paid the supreme sacrifice Plesae sign our guest book
Thank you Crashnorm@aol.com"
Norm Pringle of Winnetka Ca. USA

"To all my comrades in arms. I thank you for your sacrifices for our country and for others to have freedoms like ours. May the Lord BLESS all of you. From a fellow war veteran. Thanks"
Gary T. Endruschat of Tampa, Fl. Hillsborough

"Thank you for the gift you have given in securing the freedom of all. While many including myself wish it was over these brave men and women press on. I speak not only as a citizen but as a mother to an only son and his young wife who are currently stationed in Afghanistan.We are forever in your debt. I wish you all a profound sense of peace that your loved ones are in a better place.May they watch over you as they once were watched by you."
of IN USA

"What a great website! This site has been a way for me, as well as many others to express ourselves for the loss of our fallen hero's. A special thanks to all the branches of our military. You serve proud, brave, and with honor. I sure miss the military community. I am a former Pond's Guard from Buedingen, Germany. The soldiers are never far from my thoughts. Thank you guys and gals for the long nights, missed holidays, missed birthdays, births, sleep, etc. We all have our freedom because you and all that served before you. I can't even find the words of gratitude, thank you just isn't enough."
Jennifer Zabel "Duckworth" of Placerville, Ca.

"What a great website, truly a selfless act of patriotism in itself. I am a veteran of the first gulf war, serving for over a year, then in bangledesh, and phillipines with mt. pinatubo eruption. Six years in the Marine Corps gave me the fundamentals and brotherhood which i value each day i breath. My concern is that we as Americans forget things easily, and change our attentions away from what we begin. Why has the patriotism faded with our resolve to avenge 911? We all know deep inside that it needs to be done, and that it would not be easy, "Quick", or painless. "Quick"... what an expectation, false sense of hope and so removed from reality. I for one pray for Americans to shift our attentions back to how we felt on September 12, 2001. Remember the Anger, disbelief, Pain, and Resolve? Overwhelmingly, we all believed in the need for action...remember those feelings? We even believed that President Bush did not act fast enough! War touches each of us differently, but those that have been intimate with War, with the true pain of sacrifice and loss, see things differently. No words can truly portray the sense of anger, disbelief, sorrow, and resolve...but one thing does...our American Flag. While only a piece of colored cloth, its magnificence cloaks us all in its representation for freedom, unity, opportunity, and sacrifice. No other symbol can evoke such emotions as our Blessed American Flag. Associated with the Cross, it has inspired and motivated millions to unite and fight to preserve our way of life. We owe these millions of men and women, who held up this cloak of freedom, to stay united, and follow through on what we began September 11, 2001. How do we do this? Raise the symbol of freedom, put an american flag on your house, trees, cars, lawns, stamps, e-mails, and in your hearts. We as Americans are so influenced by our peers, so be cool, and set the trend of patriotism once again, and people will follow, because we all believe deep down, and it's "Cool" to be an American. Raise a Flag on your house, let it blow in the wind and hear the voices speaking to you, and see the effects it has on those around you...Freedom will never go out of style."
Stotter, Fmr Sgt. USMC of Orlando, Florida, USA

"Lori,

I served 20 years in the military and when I retired I got a ceremony and a few thank you's and that was it, and that was enough. I am very proud to have served. I went to work and no one wanted to hear my "when I was in the military stuff" so I sucked it up because I knew folks simply had no idea how good they have it. And everytime I see someone in the military I am so proud of them. And then you lay down your life. And a few people got it. There are still many that don't. No one can thank you enough, but's here's a start. THANK YOU Lori.

Sincerely"
Willie Lee Green, U.S. Navy (Retired) of Corpus Christi, Texas

"I am a reporter for Reuters newswire working on a story about the personal price the war in Iraq is costing individuals and families around the United States. I want my story to convey what it really means to lose a parent or child or friend to a war that has so many uncertainties surrounding it and I'm hoping to find someone who can help explain that to our readers. I'm trying to stay away from the politics of the war in this story and focus more on the details of what it means to lose even just one soldier, let alone nearly 3,000.
I have a rather tight deadline and need to speak to someone before Wednesday at noon central time.
I can be reached at 913-663-2658 or at my home number at 913-498-8034 in the evening or on cell at 913-526-6190, or via email at carey.gillam@reuters.com
Thanks so much,
Carey Gillam
Reuters News"
carey gillam of Reuters

"Dear Stack Family,
I have served under the direction of Michael at the 1st SWCTs he was a great MAN! He was a Godly man. One of the best First Sergeant I ever had."
Rommel S. Lopez of Columbia SC

"Thanks Brian for serving our country. You were a great cousin. I will love you and miss you very much. You were always there to be with the family. We will miss you for another Christmas. You always said to follow your dreams and if you believed it will be there for you in the long run. I miss you every day. I think of you when i go anyplace.
I know you wanted to serve in the army. I knew something would happen but I did what you said "never let the fear get in your way. Love you.
Merry Christmas Brian"
Megan Willson ( brian's cousin) of White Cloud, Mi

"http://www.pcsuccess.us/yrg/farewellmarine_final.swf"
kilo 3/5 of viet nam 1969

"I know that God has opened the Gates to all of these Wonderful and Brave Heroes, For they have giving the most ultimate sacrafice that any man can give, Their Lives, and I say to each and every one of them, THANK YOU, There IS NO GREATER LOVE THEN WHAT YOU HAVE DONE."
Gail Read of Orange County California

"Hi I am so sorry for your lost. I was searching the web for one of my friends who is in the Marines and it just so happens that I found his name here. I am proud of your daugther and the rest of the marines and the military. I know by reading all this messages from the Marines at Camp LeJeune she was really loved and miss. I know that this is the hard time of the year when you have lost someone but you are in my prayers and feel free to email me.. illinois_angelbaby@hotmail.com God Bless you and your Family"
Angel Kiestler of Topeka, IL USA

"It was a year ago today that our whole world was shattered upon receiving the news of Brent?s death in Ramadi, Iraq. At that moment in time our hearts were broken into a million pieces and the pain was so intense we thought our hearts would burst. In a matter of seconds your whole beautiful life played before me from the moment the doctor first placed you in my arms until the last time I heard your voice on the phone the day before you were KIA. We still feel that pain today and wonder does it ever go away? We are still angry, not at God but with the circumstances that have brought about your death and still can?t believe that you are gone. I know that there are many others who share this pain, agony and sorrow over the terrible loss of all of our brave and courageous soldiers who have made this ultimate sacrifice. You are our heroes and we will never let you be forgotten. There is no greater gift than for one to lay down their lives for another. You Brent were one of the greatest treasures we ever received. I know you were a good and faithful servant of the Lord and you served him well but on December 1, 2005 he called you home to join his Army in heaven. All though we didn?t like God?s plan we have no other choice but to accept it and believe in his promise of eternal life and that we will meet again some day.

Not a day goes by that Jack and I don?t think about you and miss you terribly. This past year has been a hard one on all of us but one thing we have learned is that they are many wonderful and compassionate people out there who have helped us on this journey. We have met and spoken to the families and friends of other soldiers and have tried to help each other through this difficult process called grieving. Without the love and support of our families, friends and the Lord we would not have made it this far. So many people have written and sent their condolences on line through Legacy.com, Militarymagnets.com and Fallenheroes.com. I can not find the words to express our thanks to each and every one of you for your love and support of Brent. Our hero and shining star is and will be forever be in our hearts and minds.

A Death Has Occurred
A death has occurred
And everything is changed.
We are painfully aware
that life can never be
the same again,
that yesterday is over,
that relationships once rich
have ended.
But there is another way
to look upon this truth.
If life now went on the same,
without the presence
of the one who has died
we could only conclude that
the life we remember made no contribution,
filled no space,
meant nothing.
The fact that this person
left behind a place that
cannot be filled
is a high tribute
to this individual.
Life can be the same
after a trinket has been lost,
But never after the loss of a treasure

By Rev. Paul Irion

Love,
Mom and your loving other father Jack"
Barb & Jack Benard of Columbia, PA

"There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about your loved ones sacrifice for us during this time of fighting for freedom. Thank you & God Bless you all. May their soul rest in peace."
Stella of Denver, CO USA

"Psalm 27 Gave comfort into Battle"
Shelley Wykoff of Edinboro, PA U.S.A

"I live in South Africa, and I heard about this site from a friend of mine, who heard it form a friend of hers and so on. Its amazing and I praise God for the ones who visit this site and who honor all those who gave their lives in Iraq. Thank you for allowing people all over the world to appriciate what is here."
J.Engela of Johannesburg, South Africa

"I'm teaching my young son what a hero is and what one looks like. I'm using your picture to teach him. God Bless you and your family. You'll live on forever in our hearts and prayers."
Ned of Chattanooga, TN

"Antoine humbles me and makes me proud to be a child of God. Whereas he might not be with us physically anymore, I truly believe in my heart, that he is more alive and active today than he ever was as a young man walking this Earth. Thanks for your sacrifice, you'll never be forgotten."
Ned of Chattanooga, TN

"To all who thought that they lost someone closer, to those who gave their souls to serve the honor of their country..to those who i stand with them not as interpreter..but as a brother,.. a real brother..because i didn't saw just soldiers ..but real and responsible men..professional men.God bless them and bless America."
Mohammad, Nick name : Elvis of Baghdad, Iraq

"To the family of Joshua Ware, you are still in my thoughts and prayers after a year. Although I did not know you, I to am from Apache, Ok, and it is a great honor to say that having you serve our country and give up your life for us, we are in debt to you always. It helps to know we have one more bright shining star watching over us each night. God bless you and your family."
Tia Fisher of Apache, Ok. USA

"I Support The Troops Who Insure My Freedom With Their Lives.


Freedom Is Not Free. I Am A Disabled Vietnam Veteran.

When I came back from Vietnam, the war protesters (Hippies)

Spit on me at the Airport and called me Baby Killer.

We must make sure this never happens again.

This list is the place to show our Troops We Support Them.

We need to keep them in our prayers and be thankful for what they are doing for us.

We wouldn't be here today with out the sacrifice that so many of our men

and women in uniform make.

If you know of someone who is Serving Our Country, Please Join This List.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Yellow_Ribbon/"
Robert Nicholas of Olney IL USA

"I make a living stringing words together to tell stories or get my point across. At this moment, though, I am at a loss. No words can describe what I'm feeling now that I've browsed these pages, reading, weeping, experiencing only a miniscule part of the agony you all are feeling. I can only say thank you, with all my heart, to all of you heroes who have fallen, say stand strong to all of you now serving, and pray the Lord's comfort and healing to pour out on all of you left behind writhing in the agony of this war. And hope, for now, it is at least a good start."
donna fleisher of the central Oregon Coast

"Happy Veteran's Day. You are a hero and truly missed!"
SSG & Mrs. Robert Bridges of FT Hood, TX

"I still wear my black bracelet everyday.
Brett thank God for heroes such as yourself. You will NOT be forgotten!

God bless you and your family.

dsmwc8@umkc.edu"
SGT Daniel Morgan of Kansas City, Missouri

"You never really die as long as ther is someone left to remember" And when ther is no one left to rember" it really dose not matter" because were all back together again."
Johnny G of Rohnert Park ca,USA

""If you are going through hell, keep going." -Winston Churchill

Our troops are doing what Churchill said, and more. Going out there day after day is a true testament to the courage of our soldiers. Their commitment and sacrifice to their duty, and that of their comrades are truly inspiring. Their families should be proud of the sacrifices they have made for the American and Iraqi people, making the world a safer place for all of us.

"When you go home, tell them of us and say: 'For your tomorrow, we gave our today.'" -Burma Campaign Memorial Inscription"
Charles of California

"This is for Christopher Cash. I was thinking of you and your Mom today as we celebrate Veteran's Day. I went to the Cash Run Website. It was the first time I saw the new photos. There is a photo of you and Jody there, on your rocking horse. That is how I always remember you, rocking like crazy and being so happy. I'm sorry that I didn't get to know you as you were growing up. From all the tributes from those that were lucky enough to know you, you were a great man. Rest in peace."
Jacquie Alarie DaSilva of Arizona

"To the Dunham Family:

I had the pleasure to serve with your son while assigned as his Platoon Commander, MCSFCo, Kings Bay, GA, Close Quarters Battle (CQB) Platoon. Jason was a remarkable man. He always was willing to help another Marine. He was smart and technically and tactically proficient. I wish I could have served with him while he was in Iraq.

He was fortunate to have an outstanding Company Commander while In Iraq. Capt Trent Gibson, is by far one of our nations best leaders. I had the pleasure to live and work alongside of him while we were in The Basic School. You could not have asked for a better leader and mentor to send your son into combat.

I miss Jason dearly and I hope I served him well. He was and is everything a Marine NCO epitomizes. You should be proud that you raised and outstanding young man and Marine. Words can not express my sincerest condolences. Your son is a true patriot.

To Jason: We wish you were here but deeply appreciate your sacrifice you made while serving our country and the men you led. I for one, will never forget the you and the commitment you made to your Marines and our country.

From all the Marines assigned to MCSFCo, Kings Bay, CQB Platoon.... Happy Birthday Marine. You will be missed but not forgotten. Semper Fidelis.

Greg Alznauer
Capt USMCR
919/553-3932"
Greg Alznauer of Clayton, NC

"To the Dunham family,

I was a Marine and I'm proud to have worn the same uniform as your son. God bless his courage and god bless your family."
Mike V. of Streamwood,IL

"hey hollisaid, thanks."
cannon

"Its young men like Brandon , whose loss to us is beyond mourning. Its the loss of a future leader, teacher, or Father in a future that will surely need men like Mr. Smith around."
R.Barrett of Fredericksburg, Va.

"I am very proud to have had a father that fought for this country in Vietnam. He passed away in Jan 2003. He was a very loved man, and I am proud to carry on the tradition of our family in fighting for American Freedom."
SPC Carbonero of Ft. Hood TX

"THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT,WE NEED YOU ,YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.THANK GOD FOR AMERICANS SUCH AS YOURSELF."
AUNT SUSAN of MARYLAND

"i miss you wes. ilove you so much and miss you so much .miss the times that you came to the house and coonhunted together well better go love u and your family"
Keshia Maxine and Willard of Celina tn

"God Bless all of you that have made the ultimate sacrifice! Get home safe!"
Katie of Alexandria, VA

"A large donation in the name of Sean Silva was made to the 'Toys for Tots' Christmas gift program. Mr Wright of Colorado Springs is seeing to it that you are remembered here. My thanks to you for your service and sacrifice."
Brenda of Colo. Springs, Co USA!

"I was at services for L/Cpl. Collingsworth tonight (29 Oct. ) and saw a floral remembrance from L/Cpl. Ellison's family...I recognized the name and I just wanted you to know."
Hub Galliker of Warren, Michigan

"I would just like to say i am very proud of our men and women in uniform i pray each day that one day there will be no more wars."
Bob Chivsano of Kalispell, Montana

"thanks everybody for loving my brother i miss him so much but knowing how much you all love him makes me feel so much better may god bless u all thanks for ur prayers and support"
andry tejeda of dominican republic

"My PL in Iraq. Though I didn't know him well, Lt. Torres was a man of honor and a leader for us all. He died because he did his job, leading from the front of the convoy. I was there the night that he died, and proudly say I fought along side of him. He will throughly be missed."
Sary Nhet of Lowell, Ma

"God Bless!!!!!

Paul Smith and his family. I feel for you, because I had been there (combat).

Although I will never be able to know the true feeling of thier loss, it is always in my memory, and heart, for him and all my brothers and sisters.


Gary Sherman SGT US Army
trauma48@yahoo.com"
Gary Sherman of Griswold, Connecticut

"Not a day goes by that I not pray and shed a tear for our service men and woman serving our country. You represent everything that is true and real about our country. You serve seflessly and give it all. The blood of your fallen comrads in arms is ever so present in my heart. I love you all. In my heart, you are all "my children" and I can't wait untill you come home safe. God Bless you all always..."
Maritza of Gregory, MI

"Well my LOVE another year has passed. I can not believe it has been 3yrs since we talked. Seems like it was yesterday. I will never forget us and no one will ever be the love of my life,like you were. I knew it when i first saw you standing in building C. I knew you and I would build are lives and have 2 awesome boys. Kobe is definatly just like you,personality and looks. well goodbye my lover,goodbye my friend,you have been the one for me. james blunt goodbye my lover is dedicated to you my love. love you always and til the day I die. REST N PEACE. I no you are with your dad and my mom,please watch over us. we need your strenght. Jordan Renea Ward"
Jason Ward,Wife of Spring,Tx

"Hey "G"
Well, as we approach the 3 year anniverasry since you were abruptly taken from us, I just want you to know that even though you are not here with us I still think of you all the time. G I really do miss you. It just doesn't seem right without you. I know that you are near and watching me because I can feel your spirit. Thanks. You said that you would never leave me. G I am and always will be so proud of you. You gave the ultimate sacrifice. Please keep a special eye out for me. I love you. I miss you always. Until we meet again,
Love your sister,Renee
A big sister missing her little brother"
Renee Mercado of Escondido, Ca. USA

"Thanks for your ultimate sacrafice.
Our freedom would not exist, if people like you did not protect our nation."
USMC Cpl of Parris Island, SC

""I thank God everyday that we live in a country that we are free to worship as we please and most of all that we have brave men and women willing to sacrifice their lives so that we can keep it that way.

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Soldier saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears

How many pilots' planes shot down
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

ENJOY YOUR FREEDOM AND THANK A SOLDIER FOR IT!

God Bless Our Troops!"""
Patricia Hommel of Spring, Texas, USA

"Hi big brother I miss you and love you."
Candice Wells of Tennessee

"Thank you for triing to save our lifes.
You ment a lot to me big brother. You were always there for me and I never told you thank you so thank you. I love you big brother."
Candice Wells of Tennessee

"To the Patton Family-
May God Bless you and give you the strenght and preseverence you need to go on. Know in your hearts that Shane is with you in Spirit. He was an honorable and courageous man who put his life on the line to protect us and he will always be remembered for that.

Te Amo"
of Los Angeles, CA

"Dear Ann, I can't possibly know how you feel or hurt, but I think of you often & pray for you. Micheal may be gone but never forgotten! What a proud MOm I know you are. Much love and prayers."
Vicky Akers of Pulaski Va.

"God Bless all you fallen Heroes who have served so valiantly and given the ultimate sacrafice not only for our freedoms but to give freedom to those who have never known it.
God Bless the families of our fallen heroes for your great sacrafice you are in my heart thought and prayers."
Bob Reed of Palm Coast, FL / USA

"LIFE...so fragile.
LOSS... so sudden.
HEART...so broken.

In the wake of such a loss, we're haunted by things we don't - and may never - understand.
Yet the solace we seek, may not come from answers.
So we look for comfort in the belief of love's everlasting connection.

May that love lift you,

hold you close,

and give you peace.

to the family and friends of Chris Cosgave Jr. United States Marine Corp Reserve.........please know, that your pain is felt across The USA....Land of the Free, because of the Brave...thank you, for your sacrifice.
debey,
a Gold Star Mom
In South Dakota

forestburg_sd@hotmail.com

............."
Debey Senska, of Forestburg S Dak USA

"To a fallen hero, who bears a somewhat similar name of a girl who I loved (Molly Banazack - Free Mason Show Choir - Shell Lake, WI) when I was a young man, who joined the Army elite Ranger unit in 1988 from Wisconsin. I think about her and the current soldiers serving in the Middle East today. May she rest in peace and know that once Army always Army!!"
Ty of Bloomington, IL

"To a fallen hero, who bears a somewhat similar name of a girl who I loved (Molly Banazack - Free Mason Show Choir - Shell Lake WI) when I was a young man, who joined the Army elite Ranger unit in 1988 from Wisconsin. I think about her and the current soldiers serving in the Middle East today. May she rest in peace and know that once Army always Army!!"
Ty of Bloomington, IL

"To a fallen hero, who bears a somewhat similar name of a girl who I loved (Molly Banazack - Free Mason Show Choir - Shell, WI) when I was a young man, who joined the Army elite Ranger unit in 1988 from Wisconsin. I think about her and the current soldiers serving in the Middle East today. May she rest in peace and know that once Army always Army!!"
Ty of Bloomington, IL

"Hi Sweetheart,

I have yet had a voice in loosing you to this war, loosing you in our lives?as a son, brother and hero?I can?t comprehend how I am living life - still as a mother and a wife. I am lost for words because I am so deeply saddened by your passing and so honored to have you as my son, our hero and to many A Battled Hardened Warrior?..If only I would have known when you were born on my birthday, how really special that day was?.I knew it, but I really didn?t grasp it until you were gone?.If I only knew that people, including family would make me feel the lowest I?ve ever felt in my life. The way they stare, how they stopped communicating with us, the way they said they would be there for us always?.I wonder where everyone went after the cameras were gone?Why is it only us, by ourselves, with no one to turn to when we are feeling down? I guess we were always such a proud and private family and no matter what we went through, we would go through it together and privately. Maybe family and friends can?t be there for us like they thought they could?.nevertheless, we are now, the most noticed people in town and its so strange?If I only knew how to not pretend that I?m dying inside and scream out whenever I feel the need to without people saying I?ve lost it. Just the thought of what you?ve gone through and how much you?ve accomplished in the 23 years of your life makes me proud to be your mother and it brings me back and helps me to go on living?.How does a child of your respect and honor go before all of the bad people in the world??How does a child with the knowledge of an older person, go before an older person whose ready to die??You had so much to offer to this world, this life and your career. I can?t help but to think God made the wrong choice when he chose you to die that day?.I didn?t know that I would still be able to get out of bed everyday and breathe again without you in my life?I told the Marines who delivered the worst news I ever got in my life, that I couldn?t live without you?.Did they know I was wrong? Is that why they never looked at me when I said it?Did they see your beautiful sister standing beside me, holding my hand with her head held high with pride and tears and knew that I wouldn?t be able to give up on her?.I wonder if they knew that?.I always wondered how on Gods Green Earth this could have happened to our family?Why didn?t I comprehend the fact that you were in immediate danger when they told me you were shot in April....Why didn?t I do something drastic to make you come home?Why didn?t I lie to you and tell you I was dying, like I told my coworker I was going to say to you when you called?I think I have the answer?.I knew you wouldn?t come home until your mission was complete?I knew no matter how much pain you were in, you would finish to the end and then come home, either it be without limbs or in a body bag?I know how proud you were of your squad and how you wanted to be their fighting along side them and how you wanted to make sure they all made it home alive?Well I hope you know that they all made it back from Iraq alive?.and they have moved on with their lives?I hope they are thinking about you and remembering the sacrifice you?ve made for them?Your Bronze Star and Purple Hearts are a constant reminder that you were one of the best Marines and that you died doing what you loved?.I will forever hold you at the Highest Regard and no matter what happens in the future with your broken hearted family?.You will always be with us?We know it and we feel it everyday?.Thank you Son for all you?ve done for our family and for this Country. Thank you for being the best son a mother & father could ever hope for?.Thank you for being the big brother your sisters could ever need?.We love you!

P.S. For all of the Service Men and Women here and abroad, May God Bless You and Your Families

A Proud and Brokenhearted Mom"

"Davy Cakes...you were one of my very best friends...everytime I watch a Disney movie I will think of you!!!Your Powder Blue Ranger...getting stuck at the Bay Front...the only "boy" allowed in my room and to stay the night...totally innocent!!! So many more memories...My mom loves you! Love and think about you all the time!!! Thank You!!!!!"
Sheana Marie of W. OR

"How to put into words what we should all feel in our hearts. Kampha the pride & the sorrow we all feel is so overwhelming. All of you will never be forgotten."
Great Aunt Dee of Baxter IA USA

"Andrew. Wow what to say. I miss you so and cant wait to see you again. Everytime I see DJ I see you too. Right by his side just like the old times. Remembering those day where at 2am you would be calling him saying lets go to taco bell or can I borrow a shirt for tomorrow. Those times will never be lost. Nor will my love for you. I love you Andrew."
Jessica of Northglenn, Co

"I dont know you but I know his little brother Auston and I feel really bad that you lost your soldier in the war. Im afraid of that happening to my Grandpa every single day. Im really sorry about him.
From:
Sammy Jo"
Samantha P. of Bettendorf, IA, USA

"For our nation's heroes, especially for our fellow Navy Sailors and their proud families,
Thank you for your heroic sacrifice for our freedom. Your Sailor will NEVER be forgotten. His or her gift to our nation will never be taken for granted. Our thoughts and prayers are with you daily. "For they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Isaiah 40:31
With sincere sympathy and respect,"
The Thompson Family of Centennial, Colorado

"I want to send my condolences to the Cunningham family. I want to thank him and all that serve to ensure the safety of our wonderful country.
Officer Isidro Ramirez
University of Arkansas Police"
Officer Isidro Ramirez of Fayetteville Arkansas USA

"From one Hurley Family to another
God Bless"
William Hurley of Ireland and UK

"My name is HN Taylor a Naval Reservist who is naval corpsmen and a nurse. I am greatly sorry for your lost. Your family member has paid a great price for our freedom. We all know that freedom cost a great deal. I joined the miltary because i wanted to follow in my families foot steps.I am now assigned t Naval Hospital. I don't know how express what i to say. The military is family whether navy, marine, army or air force we look after each other and family member. We might fight among each other but that's how families are but we wont left outside hurt or detroy our family. we fight among our selves. We also take care of the families that are left behind. So what i trying say is if you need any help and you thank that i may be some assistance contract me by e-mail troyetaylor539348@yahoo.com. again i am greatly sorry for your lost.

HN Taylor, RN"
HN Taylor of kingsland, Ga. Camden

"My name is HN Taylor a Naval Reservist who is naval corpsmen and a nurse. I am greatly sorry for your lost. Your family member has paid a great price for our freedom. We all know that freedom cost a great deal. I joined the miltary because i wanted to follow in my families foot steps.I am now assigned t Naval Hospital. I don't know how express what i to say. The military is family whether navy, marine, army or air force we look after each other and family member. We might fight among each other but that's how families are but we wont left outside hurt or detroy our family. we fight among our selves. We also take care of the families that are left behind. So what i trying say is if you need any help and you thank that i may be some assistance contract me by e-mail troyetaylor539348@yahoo.com. again i am greatly sorry for your lost.

HN Taylor, RN"
HN Taylor of kingsland, Ga. Camden

"9/11

When they came they made ripples in the water,
They changed us as a country forever.

When I think about it I think of you the soilders
I cry,
I think of it every day and I can?t help to feel helpless.
Helpless for the families,
who haven?t seen you there loved ones for over five years.

I think of how much you have lost.
I feel like I should do some thing so I am writting this poem for you,
all you who are over there every day fighting.
Fighting so that I can be here sitting in my nice house,

while you are out there.
out there not here so that we can be here.


SO I AM SAYING THANK YOU!!

I know I?m not the first to say this,
but I did this so that Iknow that Icould do something to make YOU more loved.

becuse even though I may never meet you, I love you for what you do for me.

Who knows maybe I will meet you one day.

Because I am now thinking of inslisting so I won?t feel helpless any more.
So I will feel as if I can do something.

I know you get this every day people saying thankyou, but
I mean it.


Just don?t forget that I love every one of you out there so I can be here.

I may never hear from you but at least I tried to get to know you so that way I am meaning something to someone who I will never meet.



Love,
Paula Maria Handler
Age 13
you can email me back at littlelarka@earthlink.net


P.S. THANK YOU AGAIN REALLY!!"
Paula Marisa Handler of Jackbro, Tennessee United States of Ameria

"Have you heard of THE MEMORIAL GARDEN PROJECT
This idea is to create a beautiful garden in the Los Angeles Area for the 2500 GIs who have given their lives so Iraq may live in freedom. We have this site( The Fallen Heroes Memorial) and the song THE AMERICAN GI on CYBERCLOUD.COM Please visit us and sign the guest book"
Norm Pringle of Los Angeles California

"SIR, IT WAS AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL LIKE YOU. YOU WERE A HARD CHARGER AND CARED ABOUT ALL OF YOUR MARINES. EVERYTIME I THINK ABOUT THAT DAY I GET CHOKED UP. I KNOW YOUR IN A BETTER PLACE NOW, BUT WE ALL REALY MISS YOU ALOT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP AND GUIDENCE. YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE FORGOTTEN. MAY GOD TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU SIR, SEMPER FI!!!"
CPL ASAD of CALIFORNIA

"my name is madison and i know kelly because he went to sgt camp with my step-dad steven guliickson and kelly was the most happiest person i knew and he brought so much to this world..he was so good at cheering people up and i enjoyed knowing him .. i am very sorry to the family and friends losin ghim was ver horrible and he didnt desreve to die!! i was very grateful for the time i got to spend with him and i will always pray for hima nd rememeber when he came home with ym step-dad for thanksgiving.it was such a great time and i enjoyed knowing him...

god bless!!
and im VERY sorry for your lost...."
madison of Edina Minnesota

"My deepest condolences, my deepest prayers are with you. No one will ever know what it is like/feel unless they have a family member in the service, serving our country. It is so easy for people to talk about something they know nothing about, unless you tell them, "How would you feel if your son/Daughter were in the service going thru what I'm going thru? You will never know. The love for a child never stops, They will always be our babies."
Rosa Berlanga of Cypress, Texas

"Dear Travis
thank you for serving our county.Your family misses you like you wouldnt believe.I look up to you as on eof my biggest idols for what you have done for me and othe rpeole thta you also know. I Love You so much!"
Cousin Kendall of Albany, Oregon

"Hey Edward. Its been three years, and i still miss you like crazy. The family we got has not been the same without you. Your nephew was born two months to the date that you were killed. Darvis Edward Buggs. Yep, I kept my word. First I couldnt even call him Edward cause I missed you so bad. Im still a little bit upset at the government for sending all of you guys over there. I think of you everyday. Sometimes, I catch myself doing the silly things you use to do. Ill ask my kids whats two plus eight and when they give me the right answers ill say you're wrong its sixteen. Remember? I wish you could see Darvis, not just him though, all your nieces and nephews, and especially your son. He's growing up, boy. Do you know how much I love you? Cause I do. I cant put it into words. You kept us intact. You made us a family. I really love you big brother. your baby sis dede"
Delaine Buggs of Barnwell, SC / Barnwell

"Death to the crusaders"

"dear mister wanna be terror guys ...we the people are living lives that are not about you
our lives are all goal oriented
we are about strength truth and freedom
if this doesnt interest you then you may have missed the point
you are judgemental unforgiving and living your life in the past
( power trips are for kids... no? )
no offense but you really dont matter to us
if you feel the urge to blow something up there are several 900 numbers listed"
bob sawatzky of edmonton alberta canada

"Ricky,

I am really lost for words....I miss you very much. I remember all the great times we had at Camp Garry Owen, Korea. I keep you in my thoughts and prayers everyday and I will be paying a visit to Oregon in the near future. Miss you lots and I love you, brother."
Sgt. Julian Rodriguez of Sacramento, CA

"I would like to remember EVERYONE who faught in ANY war. People usually ony remember those who died, not the ones who faught and survived. The ones who were taken before there time. I would also like to leave a memorial message, for ALL those who faught in ANY war. A message for the ones who died AND for the ones who survived. The people who many forget; the ones that survive. The ones that carried the memories, the scares and the pain untill the end of there days. Many remember the Great men and women who died, but not enough remember the great men and women who lived. To face death takes great courage, but to face death and survive, to live on takes a special kind of person."
Kimberley Linyard-Tough of London

"Thank all of who serve our country. I wish I could do somethig in return to say thank you.(chrisasmith_1@hotmail.com)"
Christopher Alan Smith of Arlington, Tx/USA

"THANK YOU AND ALL THOSE SERVING OUR COUNTRY. I PRAY FOR ALL STILL THERE AND I WILL PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LOVED ONES"
MICHELLE MURRAY of ST.JOSEPH MISSOURI

"Doc Kent, the best Doc I've ever served with. A Marine's Doc, Semper Fidelis and EER-RAH!!!! WPNS 1/6"
1stSgt William Frye of Washington DC

"The son is the soul of the father.

ARISE MY SON
by
jb Anton



Arise my Beloved Prince! Face the morning Sun!
For there to the East in Desolate Lands,
The War I feared has begun.
I knew this day was coming;
I knew it from the start.
Why was I chosen among all men
To sire your magnificent heart?
Your Majestic Father, the King of all Kings,
Has sorely tested my faith and belief;
How could He not know I would love you,
Perhaps bear some unspeakable grief?
Why weren?t you born of wealth and fame,
The son of some higher man?
Then mercifully I could live in Darkness,
Blinded to His Heavenly Plan.
I hear the Archangel?s Trumpet, my son,
Calling the Warriors from out of the West.
The Time of Battle is upon us;
You must now take your place with the rest.
How strong and straight you are, my son;
I?m so filled with loving pride.
You are the image of your Heavenly Father
By whom both of us were tried.
Go quickly now to do your Father?s Work;
I dare no more to speak.
Please don?t look back at your old Dad;
Just kiss me on the cheek."
jb Anton of New Jersey

"sleep well my brothers-in-arms, kanfei shkina yishmoru aleichem"
Michael Grogan of Albuquerque,NM/USA

"Brothers in Arms: It is a great honour for a solider to die in uniform defending the freedom of his/her country no matter if it is india or america. We both love our freedom and the freedom of other countries. he died defending the freedom of others and that is the uttermost duty of a solider. Once a Solider is always a solider. It is a saying that a solider lives by choice loves by chance and kills by profession."
Flt. Raan Vijay Singh of india

"While his fellow soldiers prepared to unleash one of the most spectacular land assaults in modern military history, Col. Ted Westhusing was studying old wars. He was in the final months of writing his doctoral dissertation at Emory University's department of philosophy in the spring of 2003. His topic was honor. As the Third Infantry Division charged into Iraq, Westhusing pored over ancient Greek texts like those once preserved in Baghdad's libraries, comparing them to modern Civil War novels and accounts of valor in America's more recent wars. He was an archaeologist carefully sifting the history of human violence: Achilles' savagery at Troy, Gen. Robert E. Lee's compassion to an underling at Gettysburg, Gen. Matthew Ridgway's turnaround of the Eighth Army's retreat in Korea. He sought an understanding of what the Greeks called arete- skill, excellence, or virtue - because Westhusing wanted to know, exactly, what honor meant for the modern American soldier. "Born to be a warrior, I desire these answers not just for philosophical reasons, but for self-knowledge," he wrote.

Westhusing stood out on Emory's leafy green campus, which is not far from downtown Atlanta. He was twice as old as some of his fellow graduate students, with a buzz cut that grayed at the temples. They showed up for class in shorts and flip-flops, Westhusing in slacks and loafers. They stayed out late at campus bars,Westhusing had a wife and three children. They were younger, but he was faster. Intensely competitive, he had a physique as lean and hard as an ax head. He could often be seen jogging through the hilly neighborhoods around campus in camouflage and combat boots, a full rucksack strapped to his back. He challenged his fellow students to race. "I'm ten years older than you, man. You wouldn't last five minutes in the army!" he'd shout as he ran past. And he finished his dissertation in three years - a year or two earlier than most students. The story about his dissertation defense was campus legend. Supposedly he had walked into the room in full dress uniform, took a seat in front of his advisers, and placed his sidearm wordlessly on the desk in front of him. It was apocryphal, but it spoke to his Pattonesque reputation: bullheaded, self-assured, and packed with military bravado.

Westhusing's unwavering belief in the United States made him a maverick in another way. In a department of professional skeptics,Westhusing was a believer. He saw things in black and white, true or false, right or wrong. There was no room for relativism in Westhusing's world. He was a deeply faithful Catholic who attended Mass nearly every Sunday. His ardent, unalloyed patriotism burned brightly in the coffee shops and classrooms of the mostly liberal institution. He loved his country, loved serving it, loved defending it. "We have the finest fighting force to ever exist, and we will get the job done, no matter what it is," he said.3 Some found his conviction exhilarating. Westhusing got into fierce debates with fellow students, leaving newspaper clippings in mailboxes with comments circled in pen. He loved arguing about Aristotle and Epictetus, Kant and Wittgenstein. "He enjoyed being the voice of dissent.He definitely had a strong contrarian streak," said Aaron Fichtelberg, a fellow student who went on to become a professor at the University of Delaware, when we spoke ofWesthusing in the fall of 2005. Others found him rigid and inflexible. It was almost as if he wasn't interested in digging too deeply into the issues, afraid of the moral ambiguities he might find. One of his fellow graduate students suggested a reading by liberal philosopher Martha Nussbaum that questioned the value of patriotism. Westhusing refused even to attend the discussion group. Instead he sent a typed three-page response criticizing the article. "There were clearly things that Ted was not willing to question. One of them was patriotism," Fichtelberg told me.

Westhusing stood out in the military too. He had graduated third in his class at West Point. He became a Ranger and special forces instructor with the legendary Eighty-second Airborne, serving in some of the world's hot spots: East Berlin before the wall tumbled, Central America during the proxy wars between the United States and the Soviet Union, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.He loved working with soldiers in the field, but it wasn't enough.He thought he could have more influence by training America's next generation of officers. He decided to teach at West Point.

There he returned to his devotion: honor. For Westhusing, honor was what set the soldier apart from the rest of society. It gave a soldier meaning, the military strength, and society structure. At West Point he became one of the army's top ethicists, contributing to military journals and grappling with the toughest issues of modern war. Emory was a chance to deepen his knowledge. He learned ancient Greek and modern Italian. When he graduated in 2003, he was one of only fourteen out of eighty thousand officers in the army with a PhD in philosophy.

Westhusing had only one regret about his immersion in academia - he had never seen combat. It gnawed at him that he missed the first GulfWar, which happened while he was earning his master's. He had also not seen action in Bosnia, Kosovo, or any other of America's myriad conflicts. "He used to say he never had a shot fired at him in anger. There was a twinge of disappointment as he said that," Fichtelberg said.Westhusing's interest, after all, was in applied ethics. He was not interested in philosophy for its own sake.He had written about the thresholds of knowledge necessary before a commander could order an air strike, and about the rules of engagement that governed when a soldier could open fire during a peacekeeping mission. The classroom was good enough for discussion. But the battle- field was where you tested ideals. "War is the hardest place to make moral judgments," he wrote.


THE THINKING WARRIOR

Westhusing was born in 1960, the third child in a closely knit family of seven siblings that grew up in Texas and Oklahoma.His father, Keith Westhusing, served in the Korean War and had been a commander in the Navy Reserve. He was a geophysicist who worked with NASA during the moon mission, and the Westhusing kids had grown up with the children of the Apollo astronauts. The family moved from Texas to Oklahoma when Westhusing was in the eighth grade, settling in Jenks, an outlying suburb of Tulsa across the Arkansas River from Oral Roberts University. Tim Westhusing, the oldest of the siblings, said his younger brother played the role of mediator in the competitive family, which spent summer vacations engaged in tennis and basketball tournaments with one another. "He was the one who could really calm down a family of nine.He was the diplomat," said Tim, a telecommunications executive.

Although small, Ted Westhusing played basketball for the Jenks High School Trojans as a starting guard. He was intensely driven. Joe Holladay, who coached Westhusing before going on to become an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina, recalled him showing up at the gym at 7 a.m. to get in a hundred extra practice shots. The team nearly won the state championship his senior year."There was never a question of how hard he played or how much effort he put into something,"Holladay said."Whatever he did, he did well.He was the cream of the crop. Ted was special." Westhusing was academically talented as well, with a flair for math and science. He was a National Merit Scholar and the vice president of a fellowship of Christian athletes. (He would have been the school's valedictorian if not for a B in driver's education.) Both students and teachers knew there was something different about Westhusing. "He was very bright and a successful athlete, but he didn't boast about it," said Mike Means, the Jenks principal who coached Westhusing. "He had a maturity level as far as his character and values."

Westhusing thought about going to Notre Dame or Duke University, but decided on West Point. His mother, Terry, had had to evacuate with her family when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Westhusing had always been intrigued by his family's military past. The nation's oldest military academy also appealed to the competitor in Westhusing. Only one of every ten applicants is accepted. The median grade point average of the entering class is 3.5; 20 percent are class presidents; 60 percent are varsity team captains. The roster of graduates includes many heroes of American military history, from Robert E. Lee (class of 1829) to Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing (class of 1886) to Dwight D. Eisenhower (1915) to Norman Schwarzkopf (1956).

When Westhusing entered West Point in 1979, the tradition-bound institution was in the midst of turmoil. The first female cadets were going through the system; within a year the academy would name the first black first captain, the leader of the cadet corps. A revelation in 1976 that scores of cadets had cheated on their engineering exams had resulted in congressional hearings, public outcry, and a commitment from the army to reemphasize the academy's moral code. From the moment they entered, cadets were taught to value duty, honor, and country and drilled in West Point's strict moral code: A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal - or tolerate those who do.

Westhusing embraced the code's austere demands. As an underclassman, he was the honor representative for his company, serving on the cadet committee that reviews any violations and makes recommendations on punishment. As a senior, or firstie, Westhusing was the honor captain, the highest-ranking ethics position in the cadet corps. It is a position of tremendous responsibility, with the ability to make decisions that can destroy the future of would-be officers. Each year, some one hundred cases of honor violations come before the committee. They range from accusations of lying to cheating to stealing. Most infractions result in punishments such as being forced to repeat a year of school, but about 10 percent bring the ultimate sanction: the offender is separated - expelled - from the class. Col. Tim Trainor, a classmate and West Point professor, said Westhusing was strict but sympathetic to cadets' problems. He remembered him as "introspective." Lt. Col. William Bland, another classmate and professor, said Westhusing managed to maintain the cadets' respect despite being a disciplinarian. "He was a smart guy, a thoughtful guy, a caring guy. He was pensive," Bland said. As honor captain "you do a lot of thinking."


BEGUILING VIRTUE

After graduation,Westhusing became an infantry platoon leader. He took Ranger and Airborne training and went through jungle warfare courses in Panama. He rose to become division operations officer and chief of staff for the Eighty-second Airborne, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he worked with Gen. David Petraeus. He loved commanding soldiers. Westhusing told friends that one of his favorite postings was near the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. He lived with his platoon, far from the comforts of base. "He liked it because he was with his people. He was living with them. 'That's the way you lead soldiers,' he said. 'You lead them by being with them, rather than being at a comfortable villa,'" his dissertation adviser, Nick Fotion, told me.

Nonetheless,Westhusing was always drawn to intellectual pursuits. In his doctoral dissertation, he wrote about visiting the remote village of Chipyong-ni in South Korea, the site of a famed defensive stand by U.S. and French forces during the Korean War.He "walked and studied in detail" the battlefield in an effort to distinguish "false from true honor," he wrote in his doctoral dissertation. "War is brutal; courage remains supreme," he wrote.

"True self-knowledge in the form of the moral virtue of 'honor' demands warrior recognition of that brute, vulgar fact."

He went to Emory twice, once for his master's degree in the early 1990s and a second time in 2000 to get his doctorate. He chose Emory partly because the philosophy department had one of the nation's few programs in applied military ethics, but also because of its reputation as a bastion of classical Greek philosophy.Westhusing had little truck with modern epistemology (he told one friend that society had "taken the wrong road after Descartes"). He loved Socrates, Aristotle, Plato. His favorite saying was by Socrates from Plato's Phaedo: "Those philosophizing rightly are practicing to die."

"He saw himself as a person of antiquity. He felt much more engaged in ancient Greece than the modern world. He was an anachronism," Fichtelberg recalled. To master ancient Greek, Westhusing took an intensive summer course at the University of Texas. His professor, Tom Palaima, remembered how Westhusing jumped at the chance to participate in the Aristophanes play The Acharnians. Westhusing played the role of Lamachus, a braggart, buffoonish general. He seemed to enjoy the chance to poke fun at himself and his beloved military. "He took to the role, and the self-irony to do it. He was just tremendous," Palaima remembered.

Westhusing's 352-page doctoral dissertation is a dense, searching, and sometimes personal effort to define the ideal spirit for a modern American soldier. His lantern held high, he plucked specific examples from history and picked each apart in a search for the perfect warrior. Achilles was a fierce fighter, adept with his spear and physically fit. But he desecrated Hector's corpse and selfishly pouted on the sidelines as the Trojans nearly destroyed the Greeks. Ridgway was a brave leader of men, but,Westhusing noted, some considered him too eager for his own glory. The bridge between the sometimes competing virtues of competition and cooperation was honor, a soldier's desire for approval from his fellow man and his country.Westhusing called it a "beguiling virtue"- difficult to define and difficult to recognize. The job of the American soldier was to embrace the true form.

Westhusing cautioned that devotion to honor could be taken too far. The "regimental honor" of the British infantry in the Victorian era was so extreme that officers suffering even a slight moral lapse would occasionally commit suicide rather than face disgrace.Westhusing called it a "monster" of a notion. "This sense of regimental honor tends to prevent and transfigure both greatness of mind and extended benevolence," two of the requirements needed for true honor, he said.


VERIFICATION

As planned,Westhusing returned to teach philosophy and English at West Point. He was made an "academy professor," the military's equivalent of tenure.With a guaranteed lifetime assignment, he settled into life on campus with his wife,Michelle, and their three young children. He played basketball on the weekends, and exulted in being able to beat cadets on a bicycle ride up a nearby mountain. He was not particularly outgoing. He had his family and a few close friends.His relationships with his colleagues were professional and courteous. Westhusing kept himself busy outside academia as well. He and Palaima served as consultants for a Discovery Channel re-creation of the battle at Troy. He went to a conference in St. Louis that tried to link Achilles to modern-day Iraq.

As always, he remained deeply involved with ethics. He worked with the cadet honor program as faculty adviser. Westhusing commented forcefully to Tom Palaima when his former professor wrote a newspaper column questioning an apparently inadvertent instance of plagiarism in a book by New York Times correspondent Chris Hedges,War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. Palaima, who was a columnist for a local newspaper, believed that Hedges had copied a passage from a Hemingway novel without giving due credit.5Westhusing scoffed at excuses."Do you know what this would garner Hedges in the circles I run in? If truly 'inadvertent,' and if Hedges were a cadet, he might be lucky to garner only a 100-hour 'slug.' That is, he spends 100 hours of his free time marching back and forth in the hot sun in Central Area under full dress uniform pondering the consequences of his failure (a slug). If intentional,Hedges would get the boot. Kicked out. Gone."

Westhusing was restless, however. The war in Iraq raged on, always in the headlines.Westhusing believed in the effort there, deeply, fervently. He had once criticized Clinton for using soldiers in the rebuilding of Bosnia. Westhusing's attitude, a friend said, "was, 'They are trained to kill people, not build schools and bridges.' " But now he saw the war as a way to spread democracy, to make life better for Iraqis. It was also personal. Iraq was a way to "obtain 'verification' . . . and to lend authenticity to his status, not only as a soldier, but as an instructor at West Point," his father, Keith Westhusing, said. He believed that the war would make him a better soldier, a better professor, a better man. When Westhusing got a call in the fall of 2004 from one of his former commanders in the Eighty-second Airborne, he didn't hesitate. "He wanted to serve, he wanted to use his skills, maybe he wanted some glory," recalled Fotion, his dissertation adviser at Emory. "He wanted to go."

When Westhusing finally shipped out for Iraq in January, he was as excited as he had ever been.His long, careful study had paid off.He was going to be doing what he had always wanted, serving his country in war.He had been assigned to one of America's most important missions in the rebuilding of Iraq, training new Iraqi security forces to relieve the burden shouldered by American troops. He was not just teaching a new generation of soldiers to be officers.He was teaching a new nation about honor and freedom and democracy. The future looked so bright.



Copyright ? 2006 by T. Christian Miller





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Faith of Houston, Texas

"There is so much I could say about Kendell. I will start by saying that he was loved by many. I had the honor of meeting him and getting to know him. I only wish I could share more time with him. I talked to KENDELL while in Iraq and he made the tour so much easier. I wish there was a way that I could recapture those days. My heart goes out to his family especially his brother Kwami your brother loved you and talked about you all the time.
467th B Co EN"
Trenika Kitchen of Memphis, Tn

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. -Franklin D. Roosevelt"
Steve of South Vienna, Ohio

"For the Family of Private First Class Andrew Small of Wiscasset, Maine. God Bless.

An Irish Blessing;

Remembered Joy
Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free!
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,
I took His hand and left it all...
I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief?
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow."
steve oconnell of Orono, Maine

"I want to thank all those that have served and those that continue to serve this wonderful country. I salute those that have paid the ultimate price to preserve this free country."
Howard (Retired MSgt USAF) of Hampton, Virginia

"To the families....
my name is Kristy and I am an intern @ Life and Times news program KCET PBS in Los Angeles. Our news director, Val Zavala is planning to produce a post 9/11 story. We are trying to set up interviews with deceased soldiers' parents; Mothers or Fathers, whose willing to talk about the war, opinions and etc...
Please email me if any of you are interested and if you are from (Los Angeles County, Orange County, or Ventura County areas.)
Thank you.
Attn to ; Kristy Kim, email address: LifeandTimes@KCET.org"
kristy kim of los angeles

"Please write your Congressman and Representative and ask for a congressional resolution to create Red Friday until the troops are home from IRAQ"
John Beer of Great Falls, MT

"I cherish my freedom. I honor all those who have made that possible. My heart will forever remain at half-mast for those who have paid the ultimate price for this freedom. God bless the USA!"
Victoria Sizemore, daughter of a veteran of Houston, TX/ USA

"I lost my beloved son May 6, 2006 in Al Anbar Providence in Iraq. He was an eagle scout and the youngest of 6. Want to thank all that kept us in their prayers during that time. He Just ran ahead of us to the Lord. Please pray for the troops. We miss him so."
Sandy Deraps of Jamestown Mo Usa

"My name is Renee. I am writing from Escondido, Ca. My brother Army SPC. Genaro Acosta was killed on duty in Iraq, November 11,2003. I just wanted the families and friends who have lost loved ones in Iraq know that your loved ones were not killed in vain. Their memories will live on forever. I know that I have a special guardian angel watching me from heaven. I know you all do too. GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS THE USA! To ALL servicemen and servicewoman who gave the ultimate sacrifice THANK YOU!!!!

Renee, Big Sister of a Little Brother killed in Iraq."
Renee of Escondido, Ca.

"iam also sorry to here of your loss.
have faith, you will see him again."
daniel.b.loyd of memphis tn.

"Anyone that sacrifices his/her own safety for that of my family and country, has my love and unconditional support. To all of you brave military personnel .....

I LOVE YOU AND THANKS!"
NenaPR51 of Houston, TX

"We will never forget those who serve and those who gave all."
Catherine of Sequim, WA

"Please anyone who served in NMCB 133 Seabees from Gulfport, Miss. with my son Doyle "Wayne" Bollinger, Jr. from Sept. or Oct. 2000 till his death in Al Kut, Iraq June 6, 2003, feel free to visit his site here under Bollinger.
Thank You so much."
Wyvonne (Bollinger) Wright of Shady Point, Okla

"God Bless you and your family."
D.Mccarty-Neville of Seattle, Wa USA

"Rest now in perfect peace."
Ebi Ben-Dickson Owei of Atlanta, Georgia

"May God Bless all of you, and may you find comfort in the Love of Christ"
Dave of Wilkes-Barre, Pa

"I, have not, forgotten our heroes and former peers who died in the Line of Duty!

Absolutely, not, I have neither forgotten the spiritual side of men in
the warfare battle of the spirits -- yearning for the souls and minds
of mortal men and women -- within the spiritual forces of good vs.
evil and death vs. eternal life.

Nor have I forgotten God (Our Lord) who sacrificed his only begotten
son, Jesus Christ who shed his precious blood and sacrificed his body
& soul for the remission and redention of sinners and triumph over the
sting of death towards the everlasting life and inmortality of men, amen!

Nor have I forgotten, those brave men and women -- diplomats, freedom
fighters, intelligence agents, soldiers, troopers, warriors, law
enforcerers, and first responder who are heroes -- who had made many
sacrifices and endured suffering and angish.

Particularly, those who shed tears, sweat and blood and even those who
gave their lives to preserve the freedoms and liberties of their
fellow men and women in america and in foreign land many with the same
surname as myself and my family.

On the other hand, there are Diplomats, Intelligence Agents, veterans
or former military members and or law enforcement officers or first
responders -- who had survived the claws of death and terror in the
streets, trenches and battlefields in wars and peace keeping missions
and military operations particularly counter terrorism -- who have
forgotten their fellow peers and comrads who died in the line of duty.

Consequently, members of groups composed of the above mentioned
chategories or classifications are always soldiers and veterans, it
does not matter where they are, who they are or where they come from
-- whether they are in the military or retired living as civilians --
they always lead and follow by example and always should be ready to
respond to any threat to our Homeland and or danger in our communities.

Such warriors and soldiers who are veteran ladies and gentleman alike
live an exemplary life style and follow an honorable code of conduct
or behaviour so that their families and or love ones and fellow men
and women follow their lead in living an honorable life in their
communities!

Thus, commanders and leaders alike lead and soldiers or troops
followed always maintaining a cammaderie and Sprit D'Corps to
accomplish the mission at hand.

Consequently, a powerful and cohesive team of active, retired and
former military members and veterans trained to win over the dangers,
battles and conflicts of life designed to suppress any threat to
communities and America.

Unfortunately, there are those who have forgotten the imperative
command and resposibility of living an honorable and exemplary life
sucumbing instead to the scorch of drugs, alcohol and or other harmful
additions and other inmoral acts involving moral turpentude and or
acts of misconduct and or crimes.

Many ex-soldiers, shamefully have become predators who take away from
others by force and or trickery and even harming children, families,
the elderly and the communities at large.

My hope, is that they repent, seek God and redeem themselves in time
before the law caughts up with them and dispence justice to the
further extent of the law and or before the Grimm Reaper or the Angel
of Death take their Souls to hell for everlasting punishment after
seen Judgement Day before the Supreme Ruler and Judge, God, Lord of Lords!

Consequently, neither been a veteran of the armed forces nor been a
former member of the Intelligence Community nor been a member of the
Diplomatic Corps nor law enforcenment officer nor first responder
member -- even having earned any medal and or honor for valor and or
bravery -- gives a licence to kill unjustly or gives an excuse to
engage in ilegal acts nor gives the right to brake the law and or
commit any criminal acts against their fellow men and women or the
community.

No Sir, Madam, We are suppose to be a team of active and former
military and veteran ladies and gentlemen whose honorable acts and
actions are in the eyes of their fellow men, the regular public, the
news media and foreign and abroad dignitaries and officials and God.

Thus, no, I have not forgotten our heroes and former peers and comrads
who died in the line of duty and those who are in active and or in
inactive service who are participating directly or indirectly in wars
and peace keeping missions and conflicts abroad and or stationed in
foreign lands to spread freedom and liberty for all! May God Bless
America, the land of freedom and democracy!

--- In 911USAttack@yahoogroups.com, Daine1945@... wrote:
>
> Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
> Jesus Christ and the American G. I.
>
> One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.
>
> YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM!
>
>
> Thank God for Both............
>"
TeamVictoryUSA@yahoogroups.com of Long Island City, New York

"god bless all of you . Thank you for all that you are doing, I live in N.Y. People have no ideas and still dont Why you have to be there. Thank you again"
Marilyn of bay shore

"hallo iam rob boseld from the netherlands and i wish you all the best with the lost of your daughter"
robbosveld@hotmail.com of holland

"To the family of Sgt. Uday Singh. I served with him in Iraq and well before that. He was a great soldier and an even better friend. He really did love his job and taught all of us alot. He was taken to soon. I will always have a love and respect for him that only a brother can have. I miss him and think of him daily. Even though he is no longer with us. he and the other soldiers from Task Force 1-34 Armor are the reason I am still serving today. With respect and love for you all.
Sgt. Eric Scott"
Eric Scott of Fort Irwin, California USA

"my dad miss you we love my daughter and joey nile bentley
and with dad's baby ronna you can miss you heart you dad's baby you"
Ronna of joey

"I just learned of Tom's death and am shocked! I was his college roommate during our freshman year of college at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale from 1982-83. I lost contact with Tom in the early 1990's. I will always remember Tom as a sweet and a gentle guy who showed kindness toward everyone. May he rest in peace."
Michael J. Ginsberg of Winchester, VA, USA

"My name is Tina Anderson from Houston, Texas. I do not know anyone personally who has died in either war but as an American, all of our service men and women are MY family, just as all Americans are my bretheran. I will not forget their sacrifices and bravery which has taken them from us. They will live on though, in everything that is noble, brave, courageous, just, fair and free. We shall see them in every star and stripe on Old Glory, and in every newborn babies smile, contentedly and safe because of their sacrrifice. For that child who plays in an Oklahoma corn field with their new puppy, our soldiers stand by watching from heaven and knowing that once more, they have brought a sense of freedom, safety and honor to all of these United States. We shall see our fallen soldiers in the sunrise, sunset and the unfurling of the flag each and every morning. They that have passed on stand at the right hand side of God and keep watch over the country that they have fought to keep free and proud, paving the way for future generations who will look back one day and know that while they may not know each and every name that they were here and fought and died for them. Their spirits shall dwell in the heart of this land and it's people forever. God speed to the families of our fallen soldiers and know that while we may be strangers, we are one, united together in our pain as well as our triumphs. This country would not be what it is without those brave men and women whom have sacrificed so much. God Bless, in love and rememberance."
Tina Anderson of Houston, Texas USA

"HOORAH MARINE, THEY SAY THAT A NAVY CORPSMAN WILL CROSS THE GATES OF HELL TO SAVE A WOUNDED MARINE, I WISH I WAS THERE THAT DAY. MAY GOD WATCH OVER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY."
PETTY OFFICER VANUFFELEN, USN of RTC GREAT LAKES, IL

"I don't seem to be able to find a name listed here. The name is Private Jake Kovco, 3 Royal Australian Regiment. In all due respect, not only americans died in Iraq"
Rob of Australia

"My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Your loved ones defended our freedom, our way of life. If we did not have brave American service members, I could just imagine how horrible the world would be...that is, if I were alive. Therefore, I thank them frequently for their sacrifices and explain this to my children so they can appreciate the meaning of freedom through military victory. May you have tranquility in your soul knowing that your loved one(s)are STILL great people and helped make it possible for millions of others to enjoy life on earth in peace. America needs more people like your loved one(s). I sincerely admire their courage and honor. May their souls rest in peace."
Ken of Florida

"I want to thank all the men in 1st Cav i served with.Those who died for me and my familys freedom.We dont have to understand why there there just that they are. God speed"
Dale Labs of Fort Smith,Ar

"Thank you to all of the fallen soldiers and to those still serving. My brother SPC Robert Unruh was very proud to serve with each and every one of you. It has been almost 2 years now and I still get support from these pages and the cards sent to us. Go safely and blessed be."
Amie Jo Jellison (used to be Unruh) of Tucson, Az/USA

"I want to thank with all my heart all the brave soldiers that defend our country every day...
To all the family members who have lost a loved one in the war....I give you my deepest sympathies. I hope you find comfort in knowing that ordinary people like me, are living a better life because of your loved ones sacrafice. Words don't express how much I appreciate their efforts to keep our country safe for our generations to come. THANK YOU to our U.S. soldiers!!!!"
Pam of Wentzville, Mo/USA

"amen carl pedersen...amen!!!"
d

"To all of us:
Trying to place just the right words to make all people in this world understand the grief and heartache felt for those lost in war, is a task only to be accomplished by the sad reminders from a history of wars. The lose of life to help rid the world of hate and hell on earth is a sacrafice made by those angels of peace keepers that must use force to build a better world. God welcomes these angels into his kingdom and helps those left behind by cleansing away their pain. God bless these fine individuals that triumph with the building towards the peace in a better world, doing so while giving up their lives. Peace to all and let this world come togather as one, no wars, only a union of people we all can live in peace with forever. Please let this be."
Carl Pederson of Tacoma ,Washington

"To All Who Have Lost Loved Ones:

My heart goes out to all of you on this day. I appreciate, honor and respect the great sacrifices that you have made in order to keep our nation safe and free.
It is your loved one's sacrifice and courage that reminds us of the true cost of our nation's independence for which we celebrate its 230th year this day.

God Bless."
Jason Hindle of Dover, New Hampshire

"Hi there:

My name is Rachel Ascione. I am the sister of the first Marine killed in combat while serving in Afghanistan, Cpl. Ron Payne. My brother was killed May 7, 2004. He was my only sibling and as some of you have probably experienced that loss is indescribable. Through this journey I have discovered that there are few, if any support groups designed just for us siblings. I received your email from all your postings on the Fallen Heroes website. I have started my own group that will work as a support system specifically for siblings suffering from the loss of their brother or sister. The name of my group is S.O.F.T (Siblings Of Fallen Troops). I am just in the beginning of it and my website should be up shortly. I hope to be able to offer some kind of network for those of us who feel no one understands this pain. I will be having local meetings here in FL but will have cyber meetings as well.

I hope that if you are or know of a sibling of a fallen troop you will feel free to contact me or pass my name to them. My goal is to have a solid strong support system and we can only do that with the love of others.

My your family be blessed for the sacrifice that you have made. It has and never will go unnoticed or forgotten.

Respectfully,

Rachel Ascione
Sister of Cpl Ron Payne
USMC, KIA 05-07-04, Afghanistan"
Rachel Ascione (RaeRie81@gmail.com) of Winter Haven, FL

"Hi America!

It's me again Aunt Tina Tamario's aunt, today is Sunday, July 2, 2006. I am so thrill to announce that my Nephew Derrick Perry (Burkett) is visiting from Iraq until July 9, 2006 when he has to return to Iraq. Derrick a wonderful young 25 year old man with integrity and is a very upright standing man. Derrick is my oldest brother son who is gone home to Glory therefore making LCPL Tamario Burkett his first cousin sister and brother children. Derrick is proud to serve his country and decided when he was a young lad that he wanted to go into the military and render his service to the Lord. America he has been in the service for 5 years now stationed in North Carolina he has decided to retire from the military.

All of Tamario's family is enjoying Derrick being home because Tamario didn?t come home from Iraq. We are not taking one minute for granted that we have with Derrick while he is home visiting. America Keep Tamario's Mother and siblings in Buffalo New York, in your prayers and thoughts Tamario's mother has finally separated from her irate husband.

God Bless you the servicemen that have wrote a message on this message board. I thank each of you and want you to know that I pray for your protection, mind, peace, family and your relationship with your family and that you live a happy and joyous life.

Please America keep all of our serviceman in your prayers way to many is dying almost on a daily base. Somebody son, daughter, sister, brother, mother, father, uncle, aunt, cousin and friend is these men and women (majority men)that are being killed in Iraq. For every soldier that dies this means his family will never be the same. America pray for the families of our servicemen because they to are being affected and especially those that lose a family member in the service its devastating some family members die because they can't handle the loss I have heard of several stories this happens to it almost happen to Tamario?s Mother.

To each of you who have taken the to write a message thank you it does mean a lot to my family and I personally want to thank you and send God?s peace and blessings to each of you.
Love & Peace,
Aunt Rutha "Tina" Burkett-Hunt"
Rutha "Tina Burkett-Hunt of Alachua, Florida

"To SSG Johnston I had the honor of meeting you while I served in Bco 1-505 while we were in FOB Volturno together! I am now stationed in Ft.Polk,la and am serving with the 10th MNT 2/40th! I tell people today of your deeds and how you were an outstanding leader and one to look up to! You will be missed!"
johnny vasquez of ft.polk,la

"SGT Lord

I can't believe this happened to you! I was visiting this to leave a message for my friend who just passed last week and saw your name... To his mom: I knew him as CPL Lord from the rifle range--we talked about leaving Cherry Point and re enlisting into the grunts. He was a Marines Marine---he helped me out one night leaving the Marine Corps Ball. I was wasted and had to make it back to the barracks. He got a cab ride for us and paid my way---he didn't even know me... He took care of his own Semper Fi and God Bless

CPL C A Tinsley
USMC"
Chad of Chicago, IL US

"To the Tucker Family: No one of us can ever understand the pain and absence you feel and will feel in the days ahead. We honor the sacrifice your son made every day and for the support and love you gave him. We humbly offer our prayers and respect for you and your son...."
Sean & Keri Satterlee of Redmond, Oregon

"Our thoughts and prayers are with each of the brave hearts who serve and with their families. As the mother of a soldier, know that each night we ask an angel to watch over you, and we ask God to deliver you. You are each a great source of pride. God speed your return."
J. Dierenfeldt of Eureka, CA

"To the family of Danny Dietz,

My heart goes out to your entire family. It was a great pleasure to work with a true soldier at SDVT-2. He will nevr be forgotten there.

Y.S."
Yvonne of Vabeach, Va

"I've never had anyone die in any war. But everytime I hear that someone else dies. It really breaks my heart. Knowing that they left someone behind hurts me. I am married and have 4 daughters I could not imagine being told that my husband or daughter has just been killed. But to those who have lost someone my heart goes out to you."
jessica leal of mercedes, tx/usa

"AS A MEMBER OF THE 652 ADA LORI STANDS HI IN THE HISTORY OF THE 52 ARTY. ADA ALWAYS FIRST ON LINE. AND ARIZONA IS PROUD OF HER, BILL 652 ADA."
BILL CLACK of PHOENIX AZ USA

"Our Wonderful Heroes! You are in my thoughts every day and night. Please take care of yourelves as well as you can. I hurt for every one of you. I Love Every One Of You!"
Marj of Las Vegas, Nevada

"Well all the men in iraq fighting for our country will forever be honored for you saved my father the one i only see 3 to 4 times if lucky a year and my life would've been ruined because i lost my brother and most my friends on christmas eve on 2003 and i had alread changed but if you wouldnt have been so honorable to your country my dad would be dead and my dads name is Ronald L Nettrouer My name is Boston Orlo Nettrouer My brothers name was Thomas L perkins and he also wanted to serve his country and when my brother died i was nine years old now im going to turn twelve in a few months and i say thank for saving my dads life for if i lost him i would have lost myself so i thank you every day for saving millions if not billions of little kids fathers Sincerily Boston Orlo Nettrouer PS:May peace rest in your soul"
Boston Orlo Nettrouer of PLY.IN.USA

"To the families of those fallen heroes, I know I can offer little to ease your pain...but I can offer you this...I can offer my condolences and my thanks......my condolences to you the families and my thanks to those who have fallen.....because of your sacrafices this country is a safer place and this world is a better world...we are free because of the brave.....God bless you all......Semper Fi...from an old Marine who will always remember."
James Dunn of Sacramento, Ca

"Casey--It takes a special kind of person to serve others as you have. Those who don't have that passion don't understand what drives us. I am proud of you even if your mom isn't."
L. Woodring of Troy , IL

"Words can not express
how Proud We are of all of
our Hero's!
Our Hearts go out to all the
family members.

Your fellow American !"
Tammy DeShazo of Canton,Texas

"Rest in Peace, Marine. I would like your loved ones to know that in a small Illinois town you probably never heard of, there is a monument to all our fallen hero's in the middle east. This monument bears the names of all our fallen hero's from the middle eastern conflict. Yesterday, on 6/17/2006, there was something called the "Freedom Run" to help raise money to update the monument with the previous years fallen heros. This year, approx. 20,000 bikers made this run to honor them. When a donation is given, the person donating is given a dogtag with one of the falles names. I was honored to be given the name of Cpl. Matthew R. Smith. Now Cpl. Smiths name will appear on the monument, and thanks to those fellow 20,000 bikers, the names of the previous 999 fallen will also be added. Here in Illinois, all were honored yesterday. God Bless you, Soldier. We owe you."
Artie Bernt of Marseilles, IL

"Dear Fallen Heroes

I have no way of truly understanding what it means to lose someone...I have 2 young daughters that I cannot imagine losing......

In my own way, the only thing I can do is send you a song that I hope you find as inspirational as I do...it is called Soldier and is written by Shawn Hlookoff, a young Canadian. The song can be heard at www.hlookoff.com

We are sending this a gift for your organization to use as you see fit....it was written with your cause in mind.

If you have any questions please contact me. I encourage you to listen to the song as it is important to let people know the plight and meaning it is to be a Soldier in todays world....Thanks

John Graham"
John Graham of Vancouver Canada

"i was lucky in my lifetime to meet lori piestewa she was the most interesting personality i met while i was in basic training with her in fort sill in march 2001 its hard to believe its 5 years since we last seen in each other i just hope u did all u came to accomplish in this lifetime love u and miss u very dearly till we meet again my friend"
Duke S. of Dallas,Tx,USA

"SOME DIED ON THE STAIRWELLS
SOME DIED SAVING STRANGERS
FLAGBURNERS WILL TELL THE CAUSE IS A FAILURE
BUT THEY LOVED THEIR DEAR COUNTRY
AND NEVER FEARED DANGER
GLORIO GLORIO TO THE 911 MEN
PAUL RAY SMITH A 911 NEW YORKER.
WWW.SPIRITOFAMERICAPARTYBOOK.COM"
TOM O'DONNELL of 911 NEW YORK

"hey i am a pettaway i am only 15 so i mean i dont think i know him but i would like to show luv to him and i am sorry for everyone who knew him and i hope he r.i.p and i hope everyone who knew him knows he probably went to a better place and thats all i have to say"
jasmine pettaway of hampton va usa

"I often think about the year we spent together in 1-32. Brian was my next door neighbor and at the time he was the HHC XO. I have fond memories of my time at Drum and they are enriched because of my friendship with Faunce. I have never known a tighter bond of LT's as I recall our time at 1-32. I can not play wiffle ball with out cracking a smile...thanks Faunce for the memories."
The Dirty leg of 121 S. Indiana Ave Watertown, NY

"It has been over three years since you have passed. I still watch the clips I taped when we served together in 2nd LAI. Shane Childer's you are with out a doubt the finest Marine I have served with or met. I continue to share the memories I have of you with my family and freinds. Thank you for your service to our country. Semper Fi Marine! KAZ (LAI Bn. 1990-1993)"
Kasey Kazakavich of Harrisburg, PA

"Thank you everyone for your prayers and support for my family through this difficult time."
Jill Desmond, widow Sgt. Dennis J Boles of Homosassa, FL USA

"hi george edward buggs its me your sis joyce i know that you would never receive this message by mail but i hope you would receive this in spirit time has flew by not a day go by that i dont ask myself why yes i know you asked mom to not interfere with you going over there it took me 3 years to get up the courage to express my thoughts to you i always treated you like the little brother and still yet to this day i still think of you like that but with more definition to it now its two of us left the only thing thats killing me is that i will never experience your warmth in this life term anymore love you always etc."
joyce buggs of barnwell sc 29812

"hi edward its me your sis joyce i know that you would never receive this message by mail but i hope you would receive this in spirit time has flew by not a day go by that i dont ask myself why yes i know you asked mom to not interfere with you going over there it took me 3 years to get up the courage to express my thoughts to you i always treated you like the little brother and still yet to this day i still think of you like that but with more definition to it now its two of us left the only thing thats killing me is that i will never experience your warmth in this life term anymore love you always etc."
joyce buggs of barnwell sc 29812

"WE WILL MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU ALWAYS PFC BRETT L. TRIBBLE .JULY 29,1985 - JUNE 2,2006"
TRUDY &MEAGAN WILLIAMS of WEST COLUMBIA TEXAS

"Today would have been our ann. and I miss him just as much as I did yesterday.
I have wrote in here before and it helps to see his name remembered..NCC S\W Paul A. Sams who was getting ready to retire from the Navy, when the good Lord took him home.
My heart goes out to all who wait at home for their loved ones who are fighting for freedom.
Tonight I lift all of you up in prayer.
GOD BLESS"
Jo Ann Sams of Bigelow,Arkansas. USA

"I would just like to say that I will keep Christian's family in my prayers. It has been a while since I have talked to him, but we went to elementary school together (St. Joseph's in East Orange). Christian was a cool person, and he was always fun to be around. He always made me smile and laugh, which are two things I love to do. To his girlfriend and daughter, whom I met once when Jaylin was born, know that Christian was genuine and he was a great friend...he kept in touch better than I did!!! Be strong, be encouraged, and know that there are people all over that will miss him as well."
Janiessa Denee Fuller of Philadelphia, PA (formerly East Orange, NJ)

""I miss you like crazy Allan"
with love Melissa Ritz"
Melissa Ritz of Linden Mi

"We miss you Benjamin. We will always love you.
Benjamin Mejia 03/23/1981-05/31/2006
died May 31 2006 in Iraq."
David Jalalian-Taylor / Brother in-law of Salem,Ma,

"My husband, Sgt. Lee Duane Todacheene. I told you I would take care of everything the night you left for Iraq, our boys, the house, your truck, the bills...but what I never imagined was doing it alone. It's tough. For some reason, I still wait for the news of you coming home, the dreams of the army telling me it's a mistake. I tell myself that is not possible, because 2 years has gone by now. I am doing what I said I would do and as difficult as things get, I know you are guiding us. Our sons and I rode for you on Memorial Day weekend. We miss you so much, Lee. As I have always called you, "My precious husband, the love of my life".

Your wife, sons"
Jackie Todacheene of Arizona

"To the family of Sgt Cataudella,
I had the pleasure of serving with Cat as I called him. He was a very unselfish soldier. He was always hard at work. He knew his job and did it well. Rest in peace Cat."
Sgt Rosvi Hernandez of Walnut CA

"Jeff is a true american hero. I went to school with him my entire life, practically grew up with him, as well as his brother Brian and his sister Kim. My deepest condolences go out to the Boskovitch family. Jeff did not die in vein, he was doing what he always wanted to do. And for that I thank you. To jeff and all of the other fallen heroes it is because of you that this world will become a better place."
Ashley Kennedy of Parma, OH, USA

"thank you to everyone who gave their life to further guarentee our freedom and to liberate Iraq. God Bless you all!"
drew conklin of chincoteague,virginia

"I Had the great Pleasure of being Dustins supervisor in Iraq he was and always will be the best Marine that I had working with me. There is not a day that goes by that i do not think of him he will always be in my heart and thoughts along with his family God Bless and SEMPER FI!"
Sgt S.R Vandecoevering of MARCOR DET FT. Leonard Wood, MO

"Hello,
My name is Rhiannon Petriken and Brett Petriken was my father... I would like to say that my father was a bright and funny man and he will never be forgotten. LOVE YOU DAD!!! UR DAUGHTER RHI-RHI!!!"
Rhiannon Petriken of Beulaville, NC

"my dearly beloved brother,
How time passes swiftly; like the very eastern wind that washes over us in a moment, and then its gone and forgotten. But you live forever Brother- you live forever. We, your family, are doing well and strive to live on the legacy you passed down to us. No need for goodbyes because you have eternal life.
Your sibling
Olushile akintade"
olushile akintade of brooklyn, NY

"I am a military wife. Those of you reading this are living out my greatest fear. Please know that my heart breaks as I can imagine what you might be feeling. I send my prayers for the healing of your heart. Your loved one may be gone...but they will never be forgotten by this woman. I send you my thanks!"
Carrie of Fort Hood, Texas/USA

"To my brother, Shawn Michael Davies, I will always remember you and keep your spirit with me. Sissy"
Toni Peters of Ohio

"To the Family of Stephen. My name is SSG Brian K. White. We were "Bull-Dogs" for about 4 years together. I loved him as a Brother. We were the "Twins". The entire Battalion refered to us as such. He was a very professional Soldier and a dedicated Leader. during OIF 1, he was always placing the needs of the Bull-Dogs ahead of his own. He would always ensure the Soldiers had all they need for every mission. During the Garrison, FTX's and NTC rotations, he always ensured we had all we needed. I will always consider him my Brother and always refer to him as my Twin. We lost an outstanding Soldier and Man. I will never forget all he has done for my soldiers, my Unit and myself."
SSG Brian K. White of F-Co 703rd BSB, Ft Stewart, GA

"Today is Memorial Day and my American Flag is flying in loving memory of my Husband, as well as all Military who has given their lives for our freedom and safety..God Bless All Of You..
My heart goes out for the ones serving today, be safe and come home safe.....
My husband was NCC S/W Paul A. Sams."
JoAnn Sams, sandy1@arbbs.com of Bigelow,Arkansas

"Dear Tim,
This is Aunt Tammy. I am sitting here thinking of you. I would like you to know what a better person I am because of you! You knew how proud we ALL were of you. I'm glad When Aunt April and I took the trip to Pa from Texas to see your Dad June 2003 that We got to talk to you on the phone. it was not a long conversation but I could feel all your Love comming through the phone lines even with you so far away you were still very close in my HEART!
(I miss you! )
with all my Love!"
Tammy DeShazo of Canton,Texas

"Thinking of you today and your family as well. May God always be our rock. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort otheres. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
Always in my prayers"
Teresa of Walnut, Illinois

"On behalf of your fallen loved ones, please accept my gratitude for their service and my heartfelt prayer that your pain may grow less, day by day. May their memory be eternal--"
Gregory Grant of Las Vegas, Nevada

"Hi anh Ba, chi Ba and everyone (Amanda, Mel, The Twins:-)

It has been 3 years since Alan passed away, I've always thought of him and missed him very much. I used to baby sit him and his sisters. We used to eat icecream everytime the kids were there, it was cute to see Alan would eat 2 big bowls of it;-). I haven't spoken to you or the family since you moved to NC. I went back home (Springfield, MA) often, and visited chi Hai and Chi Hue several times and got the news from them.
I've always thought of you guys and will pray for everyone.

I miss you little cousin"
Lethi H. Lam of Los Angeles, CA

"Hi anh Ba, chi Ba and everyone,

It has been 3 years since Alan passed away, I've always thought of him and missed him very much. I used to baby sit him and his sisters. We used to eat icecream everytime the kids were there, it was cute to see Alan would eat 2 big bowls of it;-). I haven't spoken to you or the family since you moved to NC. I went back home (Springfield, MA) often, and visited chi Hai and Chi Hue several times and got the news from them.
I've always thought of you guys and will pray for everyone.

I miss you little cousin"
Lethi H. Lam of Los Angeles, CA

"Our deep felt appreciation of each of
our countries heros, and in grateful recognition of your valuable service
contributed to the Nation. You were
all committed to the old fashioned principle of 'death before dishonor'
as you continued to press forward.
In loving memory of your service,
we honor you by remembering that our Freedom was your gift to us. Your
names are on that Roll of Honor for
your service to God, Family and Nation."
Bob Shook of Modesto, Calif, U.S

"Hi: On this Memorial Day Eve, 2006, I want to say a special prayer for those Tommy left behind. Michael and Peggy: You will always be part of the 133d family.

Those moments when I last saw Tommy and Lynn before they headed to chow will forever be frozen in my heart.

God Bless.

Dwaine"
MAJ Dwaine Drummond of China, Maine

"On this Memorial Day, we had the privilege of meeting the family of Bernard Ceo, who have recently become our neighbors. They were holding a Memorial cookout in his honor and we stopped in to express our sorrow for their loss and our gratitude for their sacrifice. May Bernard and all his fallen brothers, rest in peace."
Ellen & Howard Shoul of Baltimore, MD

"My sincerest thank you to the soldiers for having the courage to do what was asked of you under any circumstance, and for paying the ultimate sacrifice in the process. Bless you and your families, you will not be forgotten."
Taylor Reynolds of Loves Park, IL. USA

"My friends, "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder, Diego Will Be There". Today I am thinking of the special people in my life that are heros because of their service to our great country. My dad was one of these in WWII. Diego is in my thoughts every day as I look at his picture in my collection of family and young friends on my fridge. I just want you to know we are thinking of you today, and you are in our prayers every day. We are so glad to be your friends.
Susan, David, Isabella, Tom, Jennifer, Jason, Justin and Jacob. We love you all."
Flemings of Conyers

"On this weekend, our family's Love, Prayers, and thoughts are with the families who have given the ultimate sacrifice;

Remembered Joy
Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free!
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,
I took His hand and left it all...
I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief?
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow."
steve oconnell of orono maine USA

"Just thinking about you this weekend and praying for your family. God Bless you all."
Teresa of Walnut, Illinois

"As the Famous quote "United We Stand" today I can Say "United we Suffer" may God be consoling each and every one of us thats lost a loved one. Remember People In Christ every thing is possible (Fil 4:13). My only hope is that our nation keeps believing in God "In god we trust""
Johnard of Yauco

"Mi Manny, papa ya no nos volveremos a ver hasta que nuestro Dios lo permita sabes que te llevo en mi corazon te vere en el paraiso. Te fuistes a preparar nos morada papa, ya tu sabes tq 100pre
tu Broquis Yoko"
"Johnard Irizarry of Yauco Puerto Rico

"I love you Brad"
Joshua Thomas of Milton WV

"IN LIFE YOU CARRIED YOURSELF WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH.YOU WORE YOUR HONOR WITH PRIDE AND YOU CARRIED YOURSELF WITH ALL THE CONFIDENCE OF ONE WHO HAD COME TO SERVE.YOU TOOK WHAT CAME TO YOU AND WAS GLAD TO RECIEVE IT,GOOD OR BAD.YOUR BELIEF IN HUMANITY SUSTAINED OUR WAY OF LIFE AND MADE A BETTER WAY FOR THOSE WHO CAME AFTER YOU.YOU NEVER FOLLOWED PATHS,YOU BLAZED TRAILS.YOU WENT TO HEIGHTS THAT WERE NOT ASKED OF YOU AND YOU GAVE IT ALL,EVEN WHEN YOU HAD NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE.
NOW IN DEATH,YOU STILL CARRY YOURSELF WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH AND YOUR HEART BEATING IN THE CHESTS OF THE THOUSANDS OF MEN BEHIND YOU.THE TRAILS YOU BLAZED FOLLOWED BY THOSE WHO NOW SERVE PROUDLY.YOU WOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF OUR HISTORY AND NOW YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICES YOU MADE.I STAND PROUDLY AS AN AMERICAN AND SALUTE ALL OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS.FOR THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO SAY.YOU CARRIED US WHEN WE COULD NOT WALK ALONE AND NOW WE SHALL CARRY YOUR MEMORY IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER."
lara morris of charleston,sc,usa

"It is awe-inspiring and heartbreaking to learn about the spirit of the soldiers who answered the call and served in the military in all past conflicts. The sacrifices of those who still live and serve and the ultimate sacrifice of those who gave their lives, deserve our highest respect and honor. The innocence, the desire to make a difference in this world, their courage and their sacrifice is humbling. There are no words or memorial that rises to the level they deserve.

I honor all of them in my heart and give my complete empathy and sympathy to their families. Your soldier may now rest in peace, but you must continue with this pain in your heart where you fill the emptiness of loss with the loving memory of your child. My heart aches for them as well. I understand the sacrifice that your child and your family has made. How I wish that the politicians in our government were worthy of it. Your child is worth a million of the politicians in Congress or in our Administration.

Some of us will never forget you and will look for ways to show our respect for your soldiers' sacrifice by living our own lives with more purpose and courage."
Nicholas D. of Ridgewood, NJ, USA

"My husband NCC S/W Paul A. Sams served 30 years in the Navy and we were getting ready to retire and he passed away and it was service connected. The last thing he told me was I am in the next room and I am proud to say I served my country.
He passed away 1-21-02.
I pray for the safety of all Military serving and protecting our country from harms way..
GOD BLESS YOU,"
Jo Ann Sams of Bigelow, Arkansas

"TO MRS CAROLYN EZERNACK: FROM THE MENDEZ WHITTED FAMILY . WE ARE SO SAD TO HAVE HEARD THAT OUR FIRST PASTOR BACK IN TRINITY BAPTIST IN LITITZ PENNSYLVANIA HAS PASSED . ALL THESE YEARS WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN HOW LOVING, WONDERFUL, CARING SPECIAL YOU ALL WERE TO ME AND MY FAMILY. PASTOR EZERNACK HAD MARRIED US ( ISABELLE AND FRANK )AND THE CONGREGATION WERE JUST ALL A BIG FAMILY. TRULY A PART OF ME HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITH THE EZERNACKS, MY CHILDREN (NATASHA, RICHIE, ANIBAL AND HECTOR) REMEMBER OUR PASTOR AND ALWAYS THINK OF THE TIME WE ALL SPENT AT CHURCH HAVING FUN AND A GREAT ALL BAPTIST PREACHING SERMON. TRULY HE WILL BE MISSED. MRS CAROLYN IF YOU HAPPEN TO READ THIS MESSAGE I SURE WILL LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. MRS GAIL IF YOU SEE THIS MESSAGE I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU TOO, WE HAVE KEPT ALL OF YOU IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS. BUT ABOVE ALL, I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE OF PASTOR EZERNACK BEING THERE FOR US AND THE LORD, WE ARE STILL GOOD OLD BAPTIST FOLKS AND REST ASSURE THAT THE LORD HAS A PURPOSE FOR ALL OF US NO MATTER IF WE A HERE IN EARTH OR FAR IN THE HEAVENS. OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO YOU . TO MRS FRANCES AND FAMILY I SEND MY CONDOLENCES. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NEVER MET, I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT NOT ONLY DID YOUR SON FIGHT FOR OUR SOULS TO BE WON TO THE LORD BUT HE FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM. HE WAS TRULY ONE OF A KIND.HE WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF US AS LONG AS WE LIVE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, TO TROY EZERNACK WE LOVE YOU AND SURELY WILL SEE YOU AGAIN, BUT NEXT TIME WALKING ALONG SIDE, WITH OUR FATHER IN THE STREETS OF GOLD. email: sasha_pt_purple@yahoo.com"
ISABELLE MENDEZ of THEN: LANCASTER, PA_ NOW: BRADENTON, FL

"THANK YOU DADDY FOR BEING SUCH A DEDICATED SOLDIER & FATHER/HUSBAND TO YOUR COUNTRY AND FAMILY! WE PRAY THAT YOU ARE RESTING IN PEACE AND LOOKING OUT FOR US ALL STILL! LOVE YOUR LITTLE GIRL STILL!"
JUDILEE of SEBASTIAN,FL ,USA

"THANK YOU DADDY FOR BEING SUCH A DEDICATED SOLDIER & FATHER/HUSBAND TO YOUR COUNTRY AND FAMILY! WE PRAY THAT YOU ARE RESTING IN PEACE AND LOOKING OUT FOR US ALL STILL! LOVE YOUR LITTLE GIRLS STILL!"
JUDILEE of SEBASTIAN,FL ,USA

"Chris, You will always be in mine and my family's Prayers. See you one day in the next life..."
Jimmy Valencia of Fayetteville, NC

"for the family of lcpl. STEPHEN PEREZ

I knew stephen for a short time before he went over, and was able to make his rosary.He will never be forgotten.
His sacrifice will live with me and my family forever.I cry as you do for your loss but remember his tooth paste story and smile as i do...

a soldiers prayer

james williford and family"
james williford of san antonio texas

"Teodoro Torres,
You are a TRUE HERO. Your ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten. Thank you for your service for this nation. Your family and friends will always be in our prayers."
Silviu Marinca of Gurnee, IL

"Carlos N. Saenz,
Your ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten. You are a true hero. Thank you for your bravery and service for this nation, you will always be honored and remembered."
Silviu Marinca of Gurnee, IL

"Carlos N. Saenz,
Your ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten. You are a true hero. Thank you for your bravery and service for this nation, you will always be honored and remembered."
Silviu Marinca of Gurnee, IL

"Hello, My name is Tanya I am the Mother n Law of Spc Joshua James Munger who was killed on Nov 2 05 Josh left a very young wife Alysha and A BABY SON COLTON.. I am now in the process of making MEMORY BOOKS of Josh for his Son Colton. IF YOU SERVED IN BASIC in Georga, IN AFGANASTAN or IRAQ with the 82nd AIR BORNE OF N.C. and you HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF JOSH... ALSO.. Prior to Josh death he told Alysha he had some film to send to her WELL WE NEVER HAVE GOT IT !! Just like his Wedding Ring Just like HIS WALLET JUST LIKE HIS CROSS NECKLACE, AND I COULD GO ON ... Even tho those things need to be with his Son we do not ever expect to see them. SO IF ANY ONE has photos of Josh on THIS LAST TOUR to IRAQ could you please get in contact with me the last tour was spent with 502nd of Ft. Campbell KY spcmungermothernlaw@yahoo.com or momwithwings1963@yahoo.com
Thank You so very very much Tanya Bush of Missouri I would also like to say that I Honor each and every life that has been lost in order for myself, my family my grandson to be free. I also want to thank the VETS GOD BLESS YOU ALL !!! Pray for our Men and Women as they go thru pure hell ever day."
Tanya Bush"mama" of missouri

"Lori, since I heard of you and your fate, you have been in my thoughts and prayers. As a fellow military woman I know how difficult it can be to just want to do a good job that will make our families proud. My heart is with your children, I am a mother of two also and can't imagine their lives without me, but your children will grow strong and will continue your legacy and that of the great Hopi Nation. I am proud of you Lori. May you rest in Peace."
Yvonne of Edinburg, Texas,USA

"Dear Billy, I still remember standing in the back of the old church (SNMBC) and you telling me how scared you were and I tried to make light of it and tell you, "just think Baby Dukes (Alexis) will be walking when you come home" and you turned and started talking to her and for just a minute we were able to pretend that you were not going into a hellish battle! Well Baby Dukes is running all over and starting to talk! What a treat she is, but I am sure that you know that cause you are watching us from above. I sometime feel such anger about what happened to you that I feel I will explode@! Kela misses you every day. Thank God, and God alone that we have hope....I loved you like my own kid!"
Missy A of Thompson, PA/USA

"Thank you for giving me and my family the opportunity for freedom and to be able to live free."
Sterling Boyles of Omaha, NEB

"ARMY MASTER SGT. WILLIAM L. PAYNE
TOP PAYNE
We honor you today,3 years have past as a blur to the reality of your absents,Being a sister not seeing you often at all for years just hearing there moving here or their this state that state, Its like in alot of ways that it's just hitting me that I'm never gonna see you hear you yell at me, get mad at you because not wanting you to be right and you would of been,I want to be mad at you. but I can't because you did what you loved it was in your blood I knew that when you inlisted, That who you were the way you were your being to the end you will always be TOP PAYNE and I want to THANK YOU FOR BEING MY BROTHER, And I'm sorry I could never tell you How I really felt about you until now, I LOVE YOU and I MISS YOU DEARLY. Your sister TAMMY"
Tammy Payne Vargo of Clarkston, Washinton USA

"While walking through a park one day not long ago, I saw an old
man sitting on a bench. I sat beside him and we talked of days
gone by, sharing memories we both had. We talked about family, and about friends. About places that we've never been. About this great Country that we love, and our heavenly Father above.
Then he looked at the Flag waving in the sky. He sat there silent as tears fell from his eyes. I wondered why the flag would make him so sad, but then turned to me and I'll never forget the words he said.

Each time I see Old Glory fling high, I can't hold back these tears
that fill my eyes. I just think about the price that has been paid, so
that I can have the freedom I enjoy so much today. When I fall down to
my knees, I ask God to hear me pray, Lord never let me forget
the sacrifices my fallen Hero's have made.

Some just see Stars & Stripes the Red, White and Blue.
Look at the Flag and tell me, what does it mean to you? Does it stand for Justice, Freedom and Liberty? Do you think of Those who have sacrificed for you and me? I haven't seen each face I don't know every name, but in my heart they're all Hero's just the same. It wasn't fame, fortune or notoriety, but love for God and this Country they sacrificed to keep us free! And that's why!!

Each time I see Old Glory fling high, I can't hold back these tears
that fill my eyes. I just think about the price that has been paid, so
that I can have the freedom I enjoy so much today. When I fall down to
my knees, I ask God to hear me pray, Lord never let me forget
the sacrifices my fallen Hero's have made.
By Steve A. Green ( Heros Sacrifice)ascap Rights reserved www.2ndgenerationministries.com
green_steve69@yahoo.com

This is in memory of all those who have paid the ultimate price for my freedom. Thank you."
Steve A Green of KC MO

"15 May 2006-To my husband SFC Allen C. Johnson. It is been a little over a year since I received the horrible news about your death. I still feel that horrible cold sensation in my stomach. The only thing that has changed from that moment until now is that notion of blury, or numbness that I felt for the first three months or so. Any way, Josh and Naomi are growing like weeds. Naomi's B-day is next month, I can't believe my little baby is turning three. Baby, they sure miss you so much a lot. Joshua made me cry tonight, as was putting him to bed he turned around to face me and told me that he misses you. What am I supposed to say to a four year old child? That you were killed by the enemy? instead I tried to say that you are in the company of God and the Angels in heaven, and that even you are an Angel now. Baby, this situation brakes my hearth all the time, specially when he mentions you. We miss you so much. I hope that you indeed became an Angel, and more specifically became our Guardian Angel, this idea gives me comfort. Well baby I love you and I miss you."
Vanessa Johnson (evanem@yahoo.com) of Fayetteville, NC 28306

"To all the Mothers of our Fallen Heros:

As this Sunday rolls closer my mind is a constant stream of thoughts. The first one being that this is the first year in 32 years that I will not receive a visit or a call from our son. Of course, that thought brings the usual sadness; the usual tears; the usual thoughts of "why why why"..... but it also made me think, this year, of all Mothers everywhere and especially for those of us in the situation we are in. There are literally thousands of us, just here in this country who have to be having the same thoughts as I am right now.
>For some of us, it will be the first Mother's Day without our Hero, for others the second or third - the timing may be different for us all, but the feelings, I'm sure, are all the same.
>After the tears that I dried this morning with these thoughts, I was reminded that we have to be happy for what we have and not just mourn what we have lost. For those of us who have other children - hug them tight. For those of us that may have had only one child - remember them with a smile along with the tears.
>On this Sunday I'm asking all of us to say a special prayer or have a special moment - just a few moments of silence within ourselves to think not only of ourselves, but to think of every other Mother out there who is missing that call this year. As we are having that moment, think not only of what we are missing, but remember the beautiful years we had with our sons or daughters that can't be here this year and THANK THEM and thank whoever you believe in for allowing us the time we had.
>
>From me to all of you -- I wish you all a Happy Mother's Day from the bottom of my heart! Remember that someone from PA will be thinking of you all on Sunday.
>Hugs and warm wishes"
A Mom in PA

"Tim,

I would like to talk to you about your database of soldiers. I'm part of the American Legion and we are starting our own memorial for all those who gave their lives and need the information on your site. Please contact me at webmaster@alr182.org"
Laron Cheek of The Colony, TX

"To the Holder family, your son was an excellent leader of marines. Iwish i could have known him longer. he was an awesome marine you should be very, very proud of him he saved my life and many others that day thank you for blessing this earth with Ssgt holder.Thank you so much."
Cpl Armendariz, George of odessa,Tx

"To all the fallen soldiers and their familys. God bless you. These times are hard but we gatta remember what amazing men and women their were and that they will always be remembered and loved. Its real hard to get threw these hard times.We just gatta keep praying for the ones that are still over there and the ones that have gone away. They all need to know that they will never be forgotten. I pray for each indivitual and familys god bless you all."
Kristan Doty of Portland, Oregon

"Our son,
PFC Allan Morr. Its been over 2 months since we recieved the news. We miss you so much, not a day goes by when we don't have a cry for you. We know your in a better place and soon we will be with you. Until then you will be missed everyday. We love you son."
Tim and Mary Morr of Byron, Michigan

"To the family of Lee D. Todacheene, our condolences are with you and you are always in our prayers for all that your family has sacraficed for our great nation!"
The Gibson Family of Wagoner,OK USA

"You are my brothers and sisters. May God bless you for your sacrifice that you have all made. And may the people of our great nation one day realize what you have given for them."
Jonathan Shiyou of Yermo, CA USA

"Thank you to all who care so much for my kind, goodhearted son, LCPL Ryan S. McCurdy. He is missed very much and your words of comfort have helped me so much. To any other mom out there who is experiencing such a great loss my heart and prayers go out to you. I know God has his best, my son, in his hands and no evil plan formed against him will stand. "For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day." We will see and be with them again soon if we put our trust in the Lord. Thanks for all of your prayers and I pray for all of you."
Jan McCurdy of Baton Rouge, LA

"I pray each day for our fallen soilders that they rest in peace with God and that their families find strength with Gods help to get through each day without their loved ones. You are all the sons and daughters of the American people. Rest in peace."
Lida Pizzuco of Yonkers, NY

"May Your Soldier Never Be Forgotten for Their Ultimate Sacrifice for Our Freedom. I Salute Them for Their Courage."
Jeff Hall of N.W. Ohio

"I just got finished watching 3 wishes and saw your story, I can't stop crying. My husband is in the Marine Corps and has lost a close Marine in Iraq. It hit close to home seeing your story. I just want to let the family know my thoughts and prayers go out to all of you. I will continue to have your family in my prayers as well as all the other service members."
Kali and Sgt Metzger, United States Marine Corps of Okinawa, Japan

"To all the fallen soldiers, for all the wars past, present and future. From deep within my heart thank you, for keeping me safe giving me security and freedom allowing me to live in this awsome place we call .....America. If it were not for you soldier's giving, caring understanding bravely defending .....America I would'nt have the comforting liberties you fought to provide me with. I think about this everyday and want to thank you, God bless you for giving your life so that I may live here safe in .......America God Bless you, and I love you."
Ms L. B. of Santa Barbara, Ca.

"Holly I was there when you born and it was a wonderful sight !!! We had just been renuited jan. 05 and I was getting to know a little about my daughter through email.and snail mail.
I wanted to see my daughter when she got home , but God had his plans for Holly, and from what I did learn about her she was a treasuer and was LOVED and REPECTED !!! Holly your Dad has missed you for years, now I will wait to see her in Heaven !!!! Please if you have anything about my daughters last monments contact me rarook@yahoo.com"
Mr. Raymond A. Charette Sr. of 180 Bobby'- Cleveland , Ga. 30528

"To My dad, Sgt. Lee Duane Todacheene. I am sorry you went away. Your birthday is coming in May. I miss you and I always will. I think of you and Grandpa as our lovely angels, so we are not alone. I love and miss you very much, Dad."
Your son, Dylan Todacheene of Arizona

"KYLE SON
THIS YOUR DAD AND MINE LAST NIGHT AT THIS APT. YOU SAID YOU ALWAYS WANTED A HOUSE SO WE FOUND THE PREFECT ONE.YOUR BED ROOM FACES A HILL BY A STREAM SO YOU CAN HEAR AT NIGHT. YOUR CARS WILL BE IN THE GARAGE SO WHEN YOU COME HOME THEY WILL BE THERE. WE MISS YOU MORE AND MORE EACH DAY, LIKE YOU ASKED, WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.OUR ONLY SON BE SAFE NOW WITH GOD.
LOVE YOU BUD,BUD..MOM AND DAD
1983-BRATTLEBORO VT
2006-IRAQ"
REGINA GILBERT of BRATTLEBORO VT

"i want to first thank the fallen heroes that fought for us and our freedom to live as americans and the ones that are fighting right now i want to say good bless your kind loving hearts for fighting for us please do what you do best and come home safe and soon take care of one another while your all over there fighting."
TONYA of from LACONIA NH

"american soldiers and all the soldiers in iraq you are in our hearts and i pray god to bless you and help you to destroy the terror and get the victory, i want to say that i and my family and my friends will never forget the soldiers who died for their country and those who made iraq free , god bless you and help you, thanks alote to the u.s.soldiers and all the soldiers who are serving in iraq ,italy ,romania,u.k. etc.special salute to the u.s.soldiers and italy soldiers , i want to say that we will never forget those who protect us , i salute them,god bless you all.my prayer to the 3 italian and 1 romanian soldiers who had been killed in iraq, my prayer for all american soldiers"
zainab of iraq

"i want to say god bless all of the soldiers who are serving their country , god bless all of the soldiers who died for their country and i want to say thank you because you made us free and now we can live well, thank you so much for this i hope that you will destroy the terror and make the world live well, thank you again for every thing,god bless you"
zainab of iraq

"To the memory of LTC Kim Orlando:
I served under Kim Orlando with the 442 MP Company (NYARNG) in Iraq. I have fond memories of him walking in the chow hall in Camp Babylon, as the commanding officer of our Battalion, soldiers would call out 'Attention' when he was coming to dine; he would reply 'Air Assualt..Air Assualt' in a very relax way...
Sir, Rest in Peace.... You will not be forgotten!!"
Staff Sergeant Willam Grodnick of ANA-ETT Kabul, Arfghanistan

"To everyone reading this page and who has or has not been directly affected by this war: I wish I could sign every single page of every single courageous soldier who lost his or her life, but I cannot. Please know my heart, thoughts and prayers are with everyone. We don't know each other, will probably never meet, but have unwillingly joined a group none of us wanted to join - a group of families mourning the loss of our loved ones and praying for the safe return of those still fighting. We lost our son 12/1/05. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to set up these sites, takes the time to view and sign these sites. It lets me know that our Hereos truly will not be forgotten."
Pam Adams (SFC Brent Adams) of PA

"I along with many others have seen the episode of 7th Heaven. I first saw it a while back and I was sad. I respect all those who fight for this country. I saw it again not to long ago and I became more curious. I decided to get on the internet and find out more about SSGT. Dwight J. Morgan. I am glad that I did and as I read these messages I am deeply touched. Many people take our freedom for granted. Now I realize we were just lucky to have been born here and have people who care about our feedom as much as SSGT. Dwight J. Morgan did.For the Morgan family I'm sorry you had to go through the pain but know there are many Americans who deeply care. I can't even imagine the pain you've been through. But as it goes on know it will get little by little easier. For all men and women who have fought or are fighting for this country know that I care. I was deeply touched by this episode of 7th Heaven. We are all lucky to have men and women fighting for our freedom and putting their life on the line for us, our families,our freedom, and most of all our country."
Cara of West Virgina

"This message is for Michael Owen and all who are left to continue loving him. My name is Dustye. I am Danny Billiott's sister and I want to say I think about Mike and all of you often. I hope each of you are doing well, and I pray your hearts, although forever broken, are at least able to remember Mike without breaking all over again. Although I have never met any of you, my brother loved and cared about Mike and speaks of him with pride. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts."
Dustye Billiott of Nome, Texas

"Brian, you are in my thoughts today as you are so often. Remembering you and Mikey growing up with each other always makes me smile. I think of the time i took you and Mikey to Summersville Lake and actually let you guys jump off the cliffs. You were brave even at that young age. I am proud that you grew up to be the man that you were, and I thank God everyday for what you believed in and done for me and my family to make life better for us and our children. I will never forget you."
Stephanie Hellems Sullivan of Kannapolis, NC

"i'm sorry your father never knew the man you became. but for those of us that invested in you selflessly...we are better people because we knew you. we hold you dear to our hearts in the loss becaues of your sacrifice, semper fi my beloved hero on behave of your family and friends."
diana boye of grand island nebraska usa

"HI SHANE MY NAME IS ANGELICA AND I AM JOE LOMBERTO'S FIANCE. I NEVER GOT THE PLESSURE OF MEETING YOU:( BUT I KNOW JOE IS VERY PROUD OF YOU AND TALKS ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME. I WISH YOU HERE TO MEET OUR LITTLE GIRL CARMELL MARIE LOMBERTO WE CALL HER CONNIE FOR SHORT. SHE IS BEAUTIFUL! BUT I KNOW YOU SEE HER ANY WAY. WE ALL PRAY FOR YOU AND ARE VERY PROUD TO BE APART OF YOUR FAMILY. RIP SHANE AND WE LOVE YOU."
ANGELICA LOMBERTO of KINGMAN,AZ

"I have just finished wathching the epoisode of 7th Heaven, I couldn't believe it was all real. That was a picture of the actual Staff Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan. A brave and thoughtful man who fought for our freedom. I am in shock and can't believe anyone would have the courage to do something like that. I can honestly say I don't think I would ever do something like that and I want to thank each and every Marine, soldier, air man, and anyone else who has fought for this country. Especially those who left behind there family and friends and made what is the biggest sacrifice I think a person can make. I am proud of all our men and women fighting. I look up to the heavens and thank the angels who have fought that are looking down on our free country."
Hannah Mills of Chesterfield,Virginia

"God Bless you forever for your sacrifice. I can live free and my family is safe because of everything you do."
Cindy of Emmitsburg, MD, USA

"God Bless You Shawna"
Tim of Bellevue, NE

"To the family and friends of Vandy, what a great, funny and cool guy i still cant believe your gone you will forever be in my heart as a brave war hero. I miss you man."
Scott Tejada aka TJ of Brooklyn, N.Y. USA

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