As I worked with our Special Forces prior to 9/11, I thought I understood soldiers speaking to me of their buddies they had lost in the tight streets of Mogadishu, Somalia and why they encouraged me to help get them the upper hand in close quarters.
But, I didn't fully understand. Because on January 26, 2005, what they and the families of those who have sacrificed feel suddenly became all too real as my nephew, Marine Sgt Jesse Strong, was killed in Iraq along with three other Marines: four of America’s best young men.
Now, I realize that until it is someone so close, you can never really understand. And yet, I know that I still can’t fully comprehend the impact on the parents, on my brother and sister-in-law, on the parents of Cpl Jonathan Bowling, LCpl Karl Linn, Cpl Christopher Weaver, and of all who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We owe these families so much.
This dedication is to remind us of this sacrifice. It is to hold us to honoring all of our Fallen and their families everyday in our decisions. It is about efforts to support our men and women who are still in the fight and are urgently needing new equipment and capabilities to accomplish their missions. This is to remind us that the work of this program is not a “dry cleaning business, or toy development, or easier-to-use nail clippers”. Decisions we make, and actions taken or not taken, effect lives and consequences that effect history and future lives.
Just as the memory of my Fallen Hero drives me to be the “Pitbull on the pantleg” for change needed for our soldiers, Americans across our land feel similar in honoring their Fallen. And relative to this program, they understand that it is unacceptable to say something can’t be done just because it is tough or not normal, because this is what we are asking every day of our men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the globe.
So, here we thank our men and women and their families for their sacrifices and we have them in mind everyday to counter any tendency for inaction at a time with so many of the buddies of these Fallen Heroes still in harm’s way.
With them in mind,
