Please Pray for Them...

I don't know where to begin as my heart is breaking. June 4, 2008, my son's unit A Company was hit hard and lost 3 soldiers. Legg, Duffy and Emard. I personally knew Emard and his family and he will be sorely missed by his family, brothers in uniform and friends.

I spoke with Emard's mom and she is a wonderful woman. In spite of her loss, she shared concerns with me regarding his "brothers" in Iraq he left behind. She wanted me to let my son know they need to carry on with the work that they do and to no blame themself for his early departure. Wow, I'm not sure I could be so strong to think about others in this great time of sorrow. She told me she would also continue to pray for them all.

My son is having a difficult time with Emard's passing. There is a certain amount of blame he has for himself eventhough there wasn't anything he could do or the reality of it wasn't his fault. But these are the things that soldiers go through when they lose one of their own. Everyone in the military world feels the loss. The families, the friends, and the fellow soldiers. It's hard on other military mothers as well. It's a reminder to us all how short life can be and how dangerous these deployments are.

In some ways it makes me angry. Angry that there are people who haven't given this war a second thought, or who trash these troops who are fighting and dying on behalf of this country. Emard wasn't old, very young man, but old enough to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country. It also reminds me how it angers me to hear those who say, oh your son isn't in Baghdad, then he should be safe. Well tell Emard that, he wasn't in Baghdad and they came under serious gunfire and grenade attacks.

I'm fighting back the tears as I type this so I will close for now. I ask of you while you go about your day and you complain about the traffic, your day at work, your spouse, whatever, remember there are those fighting for you to keep the freedoms we all take for granted. Stop and say a prayer for the men and women fighting for you and the sacrifices they make and their families make.

The picture above is of Duffy and Emard, both KIA June 4, 2008. Not pictured is Legg also KIA, June 4, 2008.

RIP and God Bless.

Army Mom Out