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An 8th Grade Lesson to a Combat Veteran
Koby Langley | November 25, 2009
the living heroes that walk amongst us every day, while Memorial Day is a time to reflect on those who have passed. Sergeant Sean Scarborough had died from a closed head injury sustained after a seizure just a couple of weeks before Veterans Day. I spent an hour or so with Sean before he died, and I laughed silently though the tears as I retold the story to him. As I was kneeling at his bedside, Sean was in a coma, but I know he heard me. As I came to the end of the story, I could hear his characteristic rough and raspy guffaws piercing the silence of his hospital room in my mind. 

I did not tell the kids that day that Sean had passed on -- he would not have wanted that. Even in his death, Sean was able to remind me, just as this young shy 8th grader was able to remind me, that the best part of Veterans Day is in the celebration of the lives that Soldiers lead, and the joy that they bring to all of us in their acts of selfless sacrifice and courageous displays of humanity in austere conditions and even humor in the face of unbelievable dangers. I plan on celebrating every Veterans Day this way, and maybe next year I will be brave enough to share this story in person. Thank you Sean, and thank you Natasha, and thanks for teaching me the meaning of Veterans Day!

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Copyright 2012 Koby Langley. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.

  
About Koby Langley

During his 4½ year tour with the 82d Airborne Division, Langley served as an officer at Battalion, Brigade, and Division levels as a Prosecutor, Operational Law Advisor and was task organized as a Public Affairs Officer for Operation Joint Guardian.

Langley served in two combat zones with the 82d Airborne Division as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Red Falcon (Operation Joint Guardian), and the Second Brigade Combat Team (Operation Iraqi Freedom).

After leaving active duty in 2006, Langley served as a volunteer Veteran organizer, and writer for the first Iraq War Veteran elected to Congress, and went onto to design and assist in the implementation of a volunteer veteran outreach field team in all fifty states for President Obama.

In 2008, Langley served on the Presidential Transition Team as a member of the Agency Review Team for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and served as a Special Assistant to Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.  In 2010, Langley was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and served as a Senior Adviser in the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy at the Pentagon, and was the principal strategic planner for www.VeteransJobBank.org , created in coordination with Google and www.schema.org.  Langley now leads the strategic efforts for wounded warrior, Veteran and military family initiatives at the Corporation on National and Community Service, as the Senior Adviser to the CEO.

The views expressed on this site do not represent positions formal, or informal of the United States or any governmental entity. Any links to any site, likewise do not constitute endorsement, formal or informal.


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