The Ultimate Sacrifice

It's been awhile since I did a post.
Most of you know about the horrible news our son got a couple of weeks ago.
A good friend of his from HS, who also attended ASU with him for a year was
killed in a tragic accident while in training with the U.S. Marine Corps special anti-terrorism task force.
He was a two-way starter on the football team, an honor student, and a fine Christian man.
As his dad put it, "He felt called to stand in the gap"

I won't mention his name here out of respect for the family.
All of you have the details through my emails.

When I arrived for the viewing last Thursday just a few minutes past six, there were already several hundred people lined up to pay their respect.
There were just as many waiting over ninety minutes later when I left.

His entire platoon was there at parade rest, wearing their dress blues and holding their covers (Dress Hat) in front of them.
One by one, they very precisely and somberly moved up to the front to relieve the man standing honor for him. They all took turns doing so, including the Navy Corpsman (Medical).

I saw many of my son's friends from High School. All who are still attending school in the area were there, as was the entire faculty and coaching staff from the school.

His parents and his older brother were devastated, as you can imagine.
All of us felt the worst for his finacee, who was his sweetheart since High School.
Our son remembered how they met after his friend suffered a concussion during a road trip game. She sat with him on the bus during the ride home, to make sure he was awake and OK.
They were to have been married next summer.
There is really nothing you can say under such circumstances.
Even though I didn't know her, she gave me a hug and did so with everyone who came by for over three hours.
Such dignity and grace is only granted by the Father.

Just remember the next time you see the preening idiots in our government and media using our service people for their own selfish ends the cost our young men and women, and their families have to pay sometimes.

The ultimate cost.

Our military is entirely voluntary. There has been no draft since 1972, the year I was 18 and draft eligible.

And contrary to what one particular blow hard Senator recently said (who reminds us every time he speaks about his service) our military, law enforcement and fire fighters do not choose their professions because they can't do anything else.

The Lance Corporal was an honor student.
My son is an honor student, and could do anything he wanted too vocation wise.

They are called and choose to serve.

Never forget that.

"Greater love has no man, that he lay down his life for a friend." The Saviour.