Because I had a unique event happen to me and I wanted to share it with you all. It's quite sad, so bear with me.
Last November I attended a wedding with my girlfriend - two Army captains who met in Baghdad, both Helicopter pilots in the 82nd airborne (Jen flies Kiowa warriors, Justin flew Blackhawks). It was, by far, one of the neatest things I have ever seen, and I felt privileged just to be able to be there. Granted, the only reason I know them is that my girlfriend was Jen's roommate at NMMI - the New Mexico Military Institute, which is a prep school for those wishing to attend a service academy.
Well, last Sunday, January 2, Jen and Justin had gone to see the family of Jen's old troop commander, another female captain who died over Fallujah. On the way back to Fort Bragg, a tractor trailer jumped the median on I-95 and struck their car, injuring Jen and killing Justin on impact.
We found out about this a few days later, and we drove down and attended the funeral service in Fayetteville the eighth, and Justin will be interred at Arlington February 2. I cannot describe in words the range of emotions that I have felt the past few weeks because of this. Despite the generalization that Liberals hate the military (something far from the truth), I have a deep, deep respect for those who serve, knowing some of them myself and once upon a time considering doing the same... you expect those who serve to be injured in training, or in combat, and to even have them die, but you never expect for something like this to happen, and it cuts you to the core.
I could go off on some rant about highway safety, or the unfairness of life, or whatever, but I won't, because that would disrespect Justin's memory. All I ask is that if you know someone who serves, thank them and tell them how grateful you are for them as a person, because you never know, combat or not, if this will be the last time you have a chance to say it.
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