Memorial Day

I can't shake a sadness today.

Monday is Memorial Day in America. A time to pause and remember our war dead. Soldiers who died in the service of our country. There have been too many.

I served, although I never served technically in combat. Mine was mostly peacetime service in the U.S. Air Force. Although, if you've served you know that there is danger in the military in peace time also. Training o be the sharp edge of the spear. I worked, for example, to train combat pilots - two of them who died in training accidents in high performance aircraft. Fine young men, lost. God bless them and their families.

My small unit did serve in combat in Desert Storm. Some in the combat area, some of us in support stateside. I wanted to go. That's what I signed up for on active duty. But I wasn't sent. I served where I was, and felt like I had a national security mission, but I wasn't in immediate danger.

Another young man was. My age, my rank - a technical sargeant, working in the building next to me. Deployed because of his AFSC - his job skill to a combat zone. Killed a week later. A fine young man. Lost. God bless him and his family. Because of the luck of the draw, I've had 17 years since then to live life and build a family while his family had to go on without him.

His death in the service of our country makes me sad every year on this day. I can't shake it. I remember him.

So many fine young men and women lost, over the years and now in Iraq and Afghanistan in combat, and points around the globe in training. Very sad.

I sent Mrs. SCM out overnight to get some needed rest and refreshing. Partly, just because I wasn't good company.

Monday I'll remember those 3 particular soldiers out of the many dead, as I focus on spending time with my wife and my two young sons. My version of a memorial.