Veteran's Day

Senior year, as I was walking to class, a freshman approached me because he had seen a picture of me with his older brother's best friend. His older brother, Matt, had been an Eagle with me. I told him his brother was a good guy and that I had fond memories of him and we parted ways. Until last night, that was the last I had thought about Matt. Last night, I found out Matt was killed in Afghanistan.

Another company mate of mine, and a friend of Matt's, recently was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross making him the seventh person to receive it since Vietnam. After being shot, he treated a fellow soldier, carried him to safety, was shot again, returned to save another soldier and waited help.

A comment was left on my last post asking how I commemorate Veteran's Day. I have been thinking about it ever since, wondering what it is I can do to commemorate Matt, what I could do to emulate Bryan and I can think of nothing. The service they have given, and in Matt's case, his life, is worth so much more than a day off or a parade...but that's not why they did what they did.

The other day, my friends were making fun of me because I was excited to see the Army-Rutgers game. One asked me why it is I like Army sports so much and I tried to explain to him that I feel the cadets deserve to win, that they had earned the joy they get whenever an Army team wins. Thinking about Matt's sacrifice and Bryan's actions I can more fully explain why I respect the cadets of WP as much as I do. They not only go to school, they go to school training for situations like Bryan faced and knowing they will risk sacrificing what Matt did. That is why I love the Army team.

So, to Bryan, congratulations, and for Matt...

Be Thou at Peace.