MEMORIAL DAY

- Theodosia Pickering Garrison

A handful of old men walking down the village street
In worn, brushed uniforms, their gray heads high;
A faded flag above them, one drum to lift their feet-
Look again, O heart of mine, and see what passes by!

There's a vast crowd swaying, there's a wild band playing,
The streets are full of marching men, or tramping cavalry.
Alive and young and straight again, they ride to greet a mate again-
The gallant souls, the great souls that live eternally!

A handful of old men walking down the highways?
Nay, we look on heroes that march among their peers,
The great, glad Companions have swung from heaven's byways
And come to join their own again across the dusty years.

There are strong hands meeting, there are staunch hearts greeting-
A crying of remembered names, of deeds that shall not die.
A handful of old men?-Nay, my heart, look well again;
The spirit of America today is marching by!

Memory Keepers

I read a book in grade school, called The Giver by Lois Lowry. Essentially, in the book, its of a different kind of society where people live without emotion, without individuality. There's one person that's selected to be the Keeper of all the Memories, all the stories of the people before they become devoid of emotion. He is the only one to experience these feelings and memories so that society will continue its peaceful life. Its so that no one else feels pain, sorrow, temptation, there are no wars...
I bring this up because sometimes, that's how I think of our job. There are some really great and caring people out there that care about our troops. There are some wonderful volunteers and troop supporters. And there are also the ones that don't pay attention at all to the news, to what is going on overseas; the ones that think that since Osama is dead its all over. Whichever category they are in, there are still just a small portion of us that fit into the category of Memory Keepers..
I sit here tonight and think of the cards on my table waiting to be mailed. To someone that posts the casualty press releases they are names; to us they are stories, lives, people. I think of the card going to a wife kissing her husband's picture at his memorial service. I think of the soldier that was sent home from deployment due to a mass, only to pass four months later from cancer. There's the story of the dual military Air Force couple killed in a car accident one day after he returned from a two year tour in Korea. There's the story of the mother who wants answers to her son's death; it is explained as non-combat but she has no answers. I think of the soldier that was to be married in a few months and the other soldier with a seven month old baby at home. There's an Airman that had been featured in a magazine before, a female Airman who felt that she was taking part in history, and a soldier that lost a battle with PTSD. These are the memories we keep.

Never forget the families also serve

Rest In Peace Army Specialist Joseph A. Kennedy

To The Protesters

 

For all the free people that still protest, you’re welcome

We protect you and you are protected by the best.

Your voice is strong and loud, but who will fight for you?

No one standing in your crowd.

 

We are your fathers, brothers, and sons

Wearing the boots and carrying the guns

We are the ones that leave all we own,

To make sure your future is carved in stone

We are the ones who fight and die

We might not be able to save the world,

Well at least we try

 

We walked the paths to where we are at

And we want no choice other than that

So when you rally your group to complain

Take a looking the back of your brain

In order for that flag you love to fly,

Wars must be fought and young men must die

 

We came here to fight for the ones we hold dear

If that’s not respected, we would rather stay here

So please stop yelling and put down your signs

And pray for those behind enemy lines.

When the conflict is over and all is well

Be thankful that we chose to go through hell.

Author Unknown

Remember Him

Yesterday was a hard day for me. After finishing my April Rememberings, the current emails, and getting nine new emails while working on them, I had a total of 28 sympathy cards written. On top of working on my cards, we were greeted in the morning with the news of the Afghan officer that shot and killed eight US soldiers and a US contractor in a meeting in Kabul. At the bottom of the news article I read it included that two other troops had been killed in separate incidents Wednesday as well. I know the spring upsurge is difficult, its something that I've tried to ready myself for, but I don't think you can ever prepare yourself enough. Then I feel selfish because I've never met these soldiers, at least not yet have these soldiers been my family members or my friends; we have miraculously been lucky. But they are someone's husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter, cousin...
I can't accurately express how or why I feel so connected to these warriors; I just know that their lives, their stories, their legacies are important-they do mean something. The work that goes into the window to their life that arrives in my email is a true gift. I feel its an honor to be able to write these families and express my thanks and my sorrow. There's so little I can do, maybe nothing I can do to ease their pain; it almost leaves one feeling helpless, but I can try to give them this little piece, this little thought that their child, their spouse, their loved one is thought of, is remembered, is valued.
In one of the emails I recieved yesterday, a father spoke of his son that had been killed in action. His words were, "What he did, it was a calling--America cashed a check on my boy," he said. "Don't forget him." I think that sums up exactly why I will keep writing these cards, even when its hard-because I can give these families that; I can show them that their loved ones' are not forgotten. They will always be remembered.

Our Heroes and their families

I am proud to be a part of this group. Any kindness and help we can give the families is the very least that we can do.

This Week I Say Goodbye...

This week a Fallen Hero will be laid to rest. This fallen hero happens to be very near and dear to my heart as I knew him as a child. This week I will stand beside the family and friends not only as a faithful member of Heavens Heroes, but also as a mourner of the life now lost. I am, unfortunately, not able to attend the actual funeral but I will be there for the honor transfer, the visitation, and the burial. My heart weeps for the family, and also for myself. It will be hard to step into the church I grew up in to say goodbye to him.

Please keep the family and friends of Spc Joseph A. Kennedy in your thoughts and prayers.

I will probably post about my experiences this week at the end of the week when all is said and done.

Thank you to all of you who have reached out to show your support for his family as well as for me.