Today, while you plan a cookout, I hope my husband has a chance to get on chat later if he survives his mission today. Wives, sisters, mothers, husbands, fathers, and children of service members will spend today mourning the loss of their soldiers or worrying about their safety.
I have to admit until I was an army wife, Memorial Day was not really on my radar. I knew we honored fallen soldiers, but it mostly meant the beginning of summer. But today, as I count the days until my husband comes home, it means a lot more. Everyday I wake up and check my email I know he was safe at least a few hours ago. This morning, his email came in at 4:38 a.m. But I will hold my breath just a little bit until he is back within the wire and I hear from him again.
The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't always in the news anymore, and, unfortunately, the American public has a very short attention span. If it isn't front page, top stories, headlines, we forget. People are still dying and getting injured everyday. As recently as last Monday, soldiers died in combat.
The following is a list of service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice just this month, courtesy of Faces of the Fallen.
Age:33 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Age:21 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Age:20 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Age:23 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Age:37 years old
Died:May 22, 2011 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit:Army, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Age:19 years old
Died:May 22, 2011 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit:Army, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Age:25 years old
Died:May 18, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Incident: Died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire and mortar rounds.
Age:29 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using a makeshift bomb in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Age:29 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, Alaska
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Age:26 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, AlaskaIncident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Age:21 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, Alaska
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Age:24 years old
Died:May 15, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
Age:26 years old
Died:May 13, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Died at Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit encountered small arms fire.
Age:27 years old
Died:May 12, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Marines, 8th Communications Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Age:43 years old
Died:May 12, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Marines, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, 2
Incident: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Age:26 years old
Died:May 10, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky.
Incident: Died in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a makeshift bomb.
Age:30 years old
Died:May 9, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Died in Herat province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related vehicle accident.
Age:21 years old
Died:May 4, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany
Incident: Died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
Age:22 years old
Died:May 2, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a makeshit bomb.
Please remember as you barbecue burgers, crack open a beer that the families of these men are still in the raw stages of grief. It probably doesn't even feel real yet that they aren't ever coming home. Most of them had months left on their tours so their families wouldn't have been expecting them for awhile yet. There is just an emptiness where hope once lived. As the families and friends around them prepare welcome home ceremonies, their grief will feel fresh once again.
I can't imagine the terrible emptiness of never being able to hold my husband again, feeling like we never got to say good-bye, even though we type "I love you" every time we can. And there are literally over 6,000 families who have suffered that devastating loss since these Middle Eastern conflicts began. Take a second to pray for peace for those families and safety for those still serving. And the families back home who worry, we need some prayers too.
I have to admit until I was an army wife, Memorial Day was not really on my radar. I knew we honored fallen soldiers, but it mostly meant the beginning of summer. But today, as I count the days until my husband comes home, it means a lot more. Everyday I wake up and check my email I know he was safe at least a few hours ago. This morning, his email came in at 4:38 a.m. But I will hold my breath just a little bit until he is back within the wire and I hear from him again.
The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't always in the news anymore, and, unfortunately, the American public has a very short attention span. If it isn't front page, top stories, headlines, we forget. People are still dying and getting injured everyday. As recently as last Monday, soldiers died in combat.
The following is a list of service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice just this month, courtesy of Faces of the Fallen.
Staff Sgt. Kristofferson B. Lorenzo
Hometown:Chula Vista, California, U.S.Age:33 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Pfc. William S. Blevins
Hometown:Sardinia, Ohio, U.S.Age:21 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Pvt. Andrew M. Krippner
Hometown:Garland, Texas, U.S.Age:20 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Pvt. Thomas C. Allers
Hometown:Plainwell, Michigan, U.S.Age:23 years old
Died:May 23, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Sgt. 1st Class Clifford E. Beattie
Hometown:Medical Lake, Washington, U.S.Age:37 years old
Died:May 22, 2011 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit:Army, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Pfc. Ramon Mora Jr.
Hometown:Ontario, California, U.S.Age:19 years old
Died:May 22, 2011 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit:Army, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with a makeshift bomb.
Cpl. Brandon M. Kirton
Hometown:Centennial, Ohio, U.S.Age:25 years old
Died:May 18, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Incident: Died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire and mortar rounds.
Staff Sgt. David D. Self
Hometown:Pearl, Mississippi, U.S.Age:29 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using a makeshift bomb in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Spec. Bradley l. Melton
Hometown:Rolla, Missouri, U.S.Age:29 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, Alaska
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Pvt. Lamarol J. Tucker
Hometown:Gainesville, Florida, U.S.Age:26 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, Alaska
Pvt. Cheizray Pressley
Hometown:North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.Age:21 years old
Died:May 16, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, Alaska
Incident: Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan.
Spec. Brian D. Riley Jr.
Hometown:Longwood, Florida, U.S.Age:24 years old
Died:May 15, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
Sgt. Amaru Aguilar
Hometown:Miami, Florida, U.S.Age:26 years old
Died:May 13, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Died at Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit encountered small arms fire.
Sgt. Kevin B. Balduf
Hometown:Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.Age:27 years old
Died:May 12, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Marines, 8th Communications Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. Benjamin J. Palmer
Hometown:Modesto, California, U.S.Age:43 years old
Died:May 12, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Marines, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, 2
Incident: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
1st Lt. Demetrius M. Frison
Hometown:Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.Age:26 years old
Died:May 10, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky.
Incident: Died in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a makeshift bomb.
Sgt. Ken K. Hermogino
Hometown:Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.Age:30 years old
Died:May 9, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Died in Herat province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related vehicle accident.
Spec. Riley S. Spaulding
Hometown:Sheridan, Texas, U.S.Age:21 years old
Died:May 4, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany
Incident: Died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
Cpl. Kevin W. White
Hometown:Westfield, New York, U.S.Age:22 years old
Died:May 2, 2011 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit:Army, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a makeshit bomb.
Please remember as you barbecue burgers, crack open a beer that the families of these men are still in the raw stages of grief. It probably doesn't even feel real yet that they aren't ever coming home. Most of them had months left on their tours so their families wouldn't have been expecting them for awhile yet. There is just an emptiness where hope once lived. As the families and friends around them prepare welcome home ceremonies, their grief will feel fresh once again.
I can't imagine the terrible emptiness of never being able to hold my husband again, feeling like we never got to say good-bye, even though we type "I love you" every time we can. And there are literally over 6,000 families who have suffered that devastating loss since these Middle Eastern conflicts began. Take a second to pray for peace for those families and safety for those still serving. And the families back home who worry, we need some prayers too.
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