Remembering the Fallen

I'm having a very nice holiday weekend, and I'm hoping everyone out in the blogosphere is doing the same. Enjoying the sun, spending time with family, however you're doing it.

I'm taking a moment this morning to remember what holiday it is. Memorial Day. A day to honor those men and women who sacrificed all in wartime to defend their country. To pay them their due.

I'm remembering one Sargeant in particular today. I can't forget him. A fine young man in my squadron. Same rank. Same essential duties - to maintain the aircraft assigned to our squadron in operational condition. He worked on the flightline. I worked in a shop.

Within hours of Sadaam Hussein's forces crossing the border into Kuwait our squadron answered the call to deploy. This young sargeant answered the phone, packed his bags, and said a quick goodbye to his wife and kids before boarding a plane for the desert.

My phone never rang. I was willing to deploy. That's what I volunteered for. If my country needed me, I was ready to go. But my assigned task was not to touch the plane in that faraway land, but to service the components back stateside.

The young Sargeant went over there and set up operations and began working in a hostile environment.

And within a day or so, that young Sargeant was one of the first to die in Operation Desert Shield.

Over the next 3 months, some were even deployed from my cozy stateside shop. For a while, it looked like I was going too. I was ready. But the deployment stopped, and I stayed stateside.

I served for more than a decade and was never once, not even for one day, in harm's way.

So, today I'll remember the Sargeant and the sacrifice that he gave that I was never called on to give.

Today we have troops again in harm's way. Almost every day we add to the fallen. Courageous young men and women who volunteered to serve. They are all heroes to me.

I don't know if you support President Bush, as I do, or oppose him. Like him or hate him, knock yourself out. Whether you support the effort in Iraq, as I do, or oppose it. Today, let's just all remember the fallen, from all nations.

God bless President Bush and the commanders of these soldiers who make fateful decisions evry day to protect this great nation.

God bless the troops. I salute you all. Serve well, and then come home safely.