Before you go out tonight to celebrate the new year. before you sing that Auld Lang Syne raise your glass, toast your friends, kiss your love, and start your count down.
Remember those who are not seeing it.
Not the celebrities, the politicians, the journalists or others whom have held the public eye for years.
But rather The Fallen.
This is the most complete listing of the fallen soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines that I could put together for the year 2010. If I missed one let me know so I may add it.
A handful I knew, some in passing, some from my time with their units, such as 3rd Brigade 2 Infantry Division. At least one is from my home in Georgia. At least one served in my own last unit, 5th Battallion 5th Air Defense Regiment, The Dragonslayers, though I do not know which battery he served with.
I am willing to bet that chances are good you know someone on this list, or may at least know of them, as well.
I challenge you, to think, as I thought:
While typing each name, each city, and comparing them with places I have worked, lived and been I could not help but ask myself: did I pass them on the street? Was I kind? Did I buy them a drink never knowing who they were? Did we walk past each other in a store, or perhaps drove past on the high way? Until my fingers touched keys to type out the names, and the places they called home, had we crossed paths before, even in passing?
Ships passing in the night, one to continue on, one that has stopped.
We who are left how shall we look again
Happily on the sun or feel the rain
Without remembering how they who went
Ungrudgingly and spent
Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?
~Wilfred Wilson Gibson
They died, as they lived, for a belief, to the fullest, and for reasons that they can only call their own.
Raise your glass to them this night, and give them a moment of silence, and reflect on their sacrifice which brought this new year to the rest of us.
And here is to hoping I will not have to update this today as well
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Tags: 2010, 2011, Air Force, Airmen, Army, Casulty, Death, Marine's, Military, Navy, New Year, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sailors, soldiers, Technorati
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