Remembrance

On June 11th, 2009, I posted this blog:

http://gibandlaura.blogspot.com/2010/06/gone-but-never-forgotten.html

With a heavy heart and tears streaming down my cheeks, I am writing again of their unit--the loss of 6 men. One of the wives I mentioned, lost her Hero. Her son lost his Hero. His daughter lost her Hero. He was a wonderful father, an amazing husband, and one heck of a man. I have never met him, but through his wife and their pictures, it is beyond evident that he loved his children and his wife with every ounce of his being. There are couples out there that you know love each other, and then there are couples out there that you can see it in every photo they take how in love they are. That was this couple.

My thought for this post is remembrance. Just to emphasize what I wrote on June 11th, 2009.

Just because they are supposed to be home soon, doesn't mean they are out of danger yet. Just because people hate the war, doesn't mean there aren't brave men and women sacrificing their lives for us. Just because the war has been going on for so long and people are coming back, doesn't mean that they all will. There is no guarantee that people will hear from their loved ones again. That dads and moms will come home and give their children hugs and put them to bed at night. That husbands and wives will get to kiss and feel each other's touch again.

It is important to always keep these Hero's in our thoughts and prayers, regardless of the time of year or the holiday. Rejoice when they come home and pray for comfort when they don't. I truly believe that there are things in life that I will never fully understand. The tragic loss of life, especially when they are so close to being home, is at the top of my list. Instead of planning for a homecoming, families are planning a funeral.

When I woke up this morning, I expected today to be one of happiness and full of getting things done. But, this was just not so. Tears have blurred my vision since I first learned of this tragedy, my stomach turning and my heart breaking for these families. There are so many lives changed by this loss. These men are true American Hero's and will never be forgotten. In both our minds and our hearts they will live on. Pictures and memories are what is left to hold on to. Heaven now has 6 more angels to join the others that I mentioned in June. They will watch over us and they will protect us, just like they did while they were on Earth.