to be sure. Seems like I never quite stopped this week to rest my mind. About the closest I came was today, I jumped on the tractor at the plant and mowed about 4 acres. Even that wasn’t enough to shut it down, mind numbing as it is.
Monday it was to the book store, searching for just the right Bible study for my friend in need. Tuesday it was visitation night, plus delivery of the book. Wednesday was a church meeting, followed by skipping church to start up a new home Bible study group with some couples in need. Thursday was date night with SU, but I blew that by being sarcastic with her, ended up working on the riders website. And tonight, oh tonight. The mind is struggling but in the end, I know what I’m to do.
Earlier in the week, I received an email about a Patriot Guard mission in San Antonio. Not for me, too far away, plenty of others that will be there. Then, this morning, as I’m browsing the blogsphere, I came upon a note by Kevin Whited over at Bloghouston.net talking about the Veteran’s Day parade downtown and how it was almost cancelled for fear of poor turnout. This line especially caught my attention:
It’s an especially good chance for all those people who “support the troops but not the war” to come out.
And what about those who support both, I thought? Like me. What are my plans for tomorrow? I wasn’t even clued in that there was a parade. I’m scheduled to head down to Reliant for a motorcycle show with JM. Very much looking forward to spending some time with him, just chillin’.
Started thinking about the fact that I didn’t serve in the military and how much of a loss that is for me. It wasn’t that I was scared or anything, closest I came was signing up for Marines OCS, heading up to Quantico and failing the physical. Received another email about the lack of riders for this mission because it was on Veterans Day and most of the local riders had already committed to other events, so they were asking for non-veterans to ride in the soldiers honor. Decided to check out the soldier whose funeral it was in San Antonio.
Lance Cpl. Luke B. Holler, 21, of Bulverde, Texas, died Nov. 2 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, San Antonio, Texas.
Then I read his obituary. Born 1985. 1985. Just over a year before 1. Couldn’t get that out of my mind all day. So much I take for granted in life. And here was a young man that gave his very life for my country and I’m not so sure we understand what that means. Here we are expending tremendous energy, time and effort electing people that treat these young people like pawns in a chess game. Raising cain about a governor that couldn’t get our property taxes down. Or cursing people risking their own lives to enter our country in hopes of finding a better life for themselves and their families. Or pontificating about the sanctity of the life of the unborn (yep, that’s me doing that) while hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens are killed. And thousands of US soldiers.
The last straw was on Lone Star Times tonight in a post by The Pine Blogger. An account of a Marine that covered a grenade with his own body so that his comrades might be safe. What an incredible testimony of courage.
I ask myself, where are the accounts of these men in our large news outlets? Are they front page material? Must they be relegated to the back pages, their heroic feat unknown to but a few?
So, I must go on this mission, for myself as much as the family of Lance Cpl. Holler. It will be a long, grueling day and there will be no joy, just silent camaradarie. Yes, I will miss the companionship of JM but he will understand. He served.
I do hope the turnout at the parade to honor our Veterans will be large. After the elections this week, our troops in the field need to be reassured that they won’t be cast aside, left dangling in the wind as so many on the right are charging. Support the troops but not the war? We’ll see.
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