My son's unit deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2009. All of these men were volunteers. Most of them raised their right hand and swore an oath after 9/11. To join the military at this point, knowing you will most likely be deployed to a combat zone is enough to make someone very proud that these young men exist.
My son's unit returned from Afghanistan this week.Seven families in his unit won't get the homecoming they had dreamed of. Seven men raised their right hand, took an oath, accepted the risks and gave all. These seven men made promises and they kept them. When these men died, I made promises to their families (if I was able to be in touch) or just to myself that I would remember them always. These men kept their promises. I am keeping mine.
LCpl. Jeremy Kane. "He felt that every American had the duty to give back to his country."
Petty Officer 2nd Class Xin Qi "."If you go into a World War II or Korean War Museum, you'll see that corpsmen have been fighting right alongside the Marines for 60 or 70 years,"
Sgt. David Smith "He brought the heart and the soul. He never quit."
LCpl. Carlos Aragon ""He was very quiet, very respectful and he was kind of -- had an outward exterior that might seem to intimidate some people, [but] he really was a gentle guy.""
LCpl. Nigel Olsen They were just good kids at school. To remember that is a positive," he said. "The scholarship just blends in with what we're doing already.""
The Carlos Aragon and Nigel Olsen Scholarship Fund.
SgtMajor Robert Cottle Read the comments left at this C Square post. It tells you so much about the Sgt Major.
LCpl Rick Centanni The Rick Centanni Memorial Fund
