| Memorial Day 2003 |
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| Friday, 30 May 2003 18:00 | ||||
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Memorial Day 2003 Greetings, Family & Friends! These men and women served their country with honor, courage and commitment. Like thousands before them, they knew the risks involved but every one of them was a volunteer. Certainly some performed their duties more begrudgingly than others, but when the call came to service came, they all answered. When the call came from Our Maker, they answered as well. For the past 227 years men and women have given their lives to defend this Great Nation. As long as tyranny, oppression, hate and fear exist, our country must continue to be the bastion of all that is right and all that is just. Like many men and women, I served in our country's armed forces (6+ years in the United States Navy). While I served in a combat zone, all I lost was a little bit of time. My sacrifice was nothing compared to those who have given their lives and sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. As citizens of the greatest nation, our consciousness demands that all citizens be aware of and recall on special occasions the deaths of their fellow countrymen during wartime. Far too often, the nation as a whole takes for granted the freedoms all Americans enjoy. These freedoms were paid for with the lives of others few of us actually knew. Honoring our fallen is a civic and moral obligation. By honoring the nation's war dead, we preserve their memory and thus their service and sacrifice. Perhaps the most profound tribute of all was made on the first national memorial observance in May, 1868, by then General James A. Garfield when he said, "They summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and virtue." Every year, I struggle to put down words that will compel people to stop and think about what Memorial Day truly means. For this message I am not going to do all of the talking. You will have to forgive the length of this message as instead I am going to let some of those who made the ultimate sacrifice tell you what they were thinking about as they were preparing to and ultimately engaged in battle. The following are all excerpts from actual letters to friends and family written by those who died in Iraq so that we and others may enjoy our freedom. To all of them and the many others, Fair Winds and Following Seas, my shipmates!
From Captain James Adamouski, 29, in a email to his newlywed wife on March 30, 2003 My Dearest Meighan, How is my beautiful wife doing? I can't wait for this to be over with so I can get back home to you and we can start our lives together. I am still planning on getting home the first week of June so keep praying that happens. All I know is I miss you terribly and I get very sad because I am separated from you and can't touch you or talk to you. I take quiet time to myself to reflect on things and I think about you constantly. I don't care about the job or the money, I realize that stuff really doesn't matter and all that really matters is us being together and sharing our lives together. Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be a soldier and proud to be doing a noble job and leading my soldiers is an honor and something I cherish. I know that my being here is making the world a safer place for our children and in that respect I am glad to be fighting for that. However, when I have some down time and get to really thinking about things I realize that for all the good things we are doing here, I just plain miss you and after doing my good deed over here and serving my country on a deployment for the fifth time that I should be proud of that and start concentrating on you and starting a family. I miss you and will continue to stay safe. I'll be home shortly and pray for you that everything is going alright. I love you more than you know. Jimmy Captain James Adamouski was killed on April 2, 2003 in a helicopter crash in southern Iraq.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Captain Tristan Aiken, 31, in a letter to his parents on March 8, 2003 Dear Mom & Dad, First, I want to apologize for not writing as often as I should. I can't tell you how busy I have been. ........By the time you receive this letter, I will probably already be on my way [into Iraq]. Please don't worry. My life is in God's hands and I am sure I will be safe. Please don't call it naïve. I just trust that everything will be fine. The Lord hasn't made me feel otherwise. Please just continue to pray for our safety and for the protection of all the men and women out here doing what we do best...taking care of one another and kicking ass and taking names. I love you all. Please know that. I am also very sorry for the pain I have caused you in the past. Especially to you, Mom. I know I haven't been the perfect son. But, I have been doing my best to be a son you can be proud of. Yes, I was a pain in the ass son in my earlier years. I hope and pray someday you will see what I really am and what I am doing to be a good example to my soldiers. I love you no matter what happens. I love you. Tristan Four weeks later, on April 4, 2003, Captain Tristan Aitken was riding in the lead vehicle in a convoy near Saddam International Airport in Baghdad. He was killed by a round fired from a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.
From Lance Corporal Andrew Aviles, 18, in a letter to his parents dated March 6, 2003 Family, ..........I'm pretty sure that I'll be back for football season so Dad better make sure you buy a lot of beer - I'll have some catching up to do! Your son, Andy Lance Corporal Aviles was killed in combat on April 7, 2003 in central Iraq when an enemy artillery round struck his amphibious assault vehicle.
From Sergeant Michael Bitz, 31, in an undated letter to his mom. Dear Mom, .....Honestly, between God, you and I, I would rather be home with my wife and kids. Janice and all the other wives were able to come out and stay for three hours the night before we splashed our amphibious assault vehicles out to the ship. That last five minutes was the hardest of my life. We both were full of tears. It was easy for Joshua cause he was asleep at that time. But I am sure he woke up wondering where Daddy was. That alone makes me want to cry. Love, your son, Michael Sargeant Bitz was killed in action March 23, 2003 near Nasiriya.
Julie, First I want to thank you and Randy for all the help you have been to Miyuki. It is a relief to me to have family nearby she can rely on. I am sure I'll be fine and I don't plan on getting killed but you never know so just in case I don't come back I have just a few things to pass on. First, please make sure Miyuki is assisted with anything she needs. The Marine Corp will take care of most of the arrangements....I wish to be placed in the Roy Cemetery near Mom and Dad. I would like full military honors which the Corp should provide. The things I would like at the service is that, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" be played as well as "Hymn of the Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan. And maybe you could find someone to say a kind word or two about me. Thanks for all you do! Love, Jim James Cawley also enclosed a note for his son Cecil: Just a quick preface before I start in earnest. When I wrote this you were 8, still a little boy. In 2002 I was called to active duty in the Marine Corps in the War on Terrorism. I knew on the 11th of September 2001 when America was attacked that I would eventually have to go and I was filled with a deep sense of sadness. That night as you and Keiko were asleep I looked at your little faces and couldn't help but fight the tears. I knew it would be hard for you because I had a similar experience. When I was a little boy aged 6, my dad, your Grandpa Cawley was sent to Vietnam during the war there. I remember how much I missed him. But, being a child, I didn't realize how hard it must have been on him too. But now unfortunately I have come to realize just how rough it must have been for Grandpa to be away from his children for a year. Thinking about this, I wanted to put my thoughts and feelings down for you and your sister. I am so sorry that I had to leave for such a long time. There is no place I would rather be than with you and Keiko. You two are the lights of my life. I have known no greater joy than in the past few years since you two were born. I hope to have many more years with you. If this doesn't happen then know that I love you more than words can express. If for some reason I don't make it home, I will need you to take care of your little sister and your mom. You will be the Man of the Cawley Family. Be good my son and God will watch over you as he has me. I will be waiting impatiently for the time when we can all be together again. All my love, Dad Staff Sergeant Cawley was killed on March 27, 2003 when he was accidentally struck by a Humvee in Iraq.
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