We Shall Keep the Faith
Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
by Moina Michael, November 1918
1st Lt. Daniel B. Hyde
From the Department of Defense:
1st Lt. Daniel B. Hyde, 24, of Modesto, Calif., died March 7 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained in Tikrit when an explosive device struck his unit vehicle. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
From the Times Herald-Record:
Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy are planning tributes for a 2007 graduate killed in Iraq...
The news of Hyde’s death "suddenly made the prospect of going to war very real," wrote cadet Ty Volkman, in a mass e-mail to his regiment this week. "Lt. Hyde was a phenomenal cadet, officer, and man. He was charismatic, caring, and very competent."...
In an e-mail from Iraq on Tuesday, his division mentor and former commandant at West Point, Maj. Gen. Robert Caslen, said news of Hyde’s death "ripped" his heart out. "Dan was intelligent, personal, and physically and mentally courageous," Caslen said. "He loved his Soldiers and they knew it. He was one of the most respected leaders in that entire command."
From The Honolulu Advertiser:
"Almost everyone loved him just because of his personality," said Brian Hyde, 49. "He was just a really humble individual and very friendly and very eager to help other people."
...
"We're very strong Christians — we completely know where Daniel is and that gives us a tremendous amount of support," Brian Hyde said by phone.
But the soldier's aunt, Cheryl Schmidt, said she wasn't at all prepared for the news.
"I'm having a really hard time," she said. "I was always told he was really safe."
Brian Hyde said his son described northern Iraq as being "pretty quiet."
Legacy.com has a guest book for Lt. Hyde.
Here are just a few the many touching tributes left at the guest book:
We are devastated to hear of the tragic loss of Daniel. Our family was fortunate to meet Daniel and the Hyde family many years ago as one of the original West Coast Karate families. Our son, Austin, and Daniel trained and earned their 1st and 2nd Degree Black Belts together. It is of no surprise that Daniel turned out to be such an outstanding young man, as even as a child, he showed enormous strength, dedication, and humility. We are honored and privileged that our son shared these amazing accomplishments with him. Our family is proud to have known Daniel and we should all be proud of his devotion and loyalty to our country
....
I had the pleasure of knowing Daniel from Downey, he was one of the kindest people I have ever known. Even though he was smart, popular and great at sports he never looked down on anyone. He was a true leader and a friend to everyone! The news of his passing was sad, but God keeps his angels close and with all his good deeds God took this angel home. My thoughts and prayers are with your family!
...
Daniel,
i had the privilege to attend elementary school and junior high school together. We played baseball together at Sonoma. You were a better shortstop than I was. That is not the only thing you were better than me at. I can honestly never recall one time where you did anything foolish or indecent. You were an absolute amazing human being and the nicest person i have ever met. We also spent a lot of time together playing basketball in your driveway as kids after school. I wont ever forget those times.
i want the Hyde family to know that they are in my thoughts and prayers. Glenda and Brian, you two are phenomenal parents and were great role models to your heroic son. Daniel will be missed, but never forgotten.
Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe, II
From the Department of Defense:
Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe, II, 27, of Auburn, N.Y., died March 8 in Kandau Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the40th Cavalry Regiment4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
From syracuse.com:
"He was a great person," said Patrick DeVoe of his son. The younger DeVoe graduated from Dana L. West High School in Port Byron in 2000 and lived in Auburn, working construction, before joining the Army about a year ago, his father said.
His father said he didn't know his son's reasons for joining the army in January 2008, but he knew his son was happy.
DeVoe had a daughter, who is 16 months old, said Kimberly Harkness, the soldier's aunt.
"He was really kind, smart and funny. He could always make you laugh. No matter what, he could always make you smile," she said.
Another article, also from syracuse.com has more about Pfc. DeVoe:
At her Auburn apartment, DeVoe's mother said she was worried when her son enlisted in January 2008, but said she was proud of his decision to serve his country.
Like any mother, Capone said, she feared the worst.
"I was scared to death because of something like this. But in the long run, it was his decision and I am very proud of the choice he made," Capone said.
"I never expected this to happen to my boy. Never," she said, fighting tears. "He had a great head on his shoulders. I always told him to be safe."
Pat DeVoe said his son loved collecting baseball cards and enjoyed playing goalie on youth soccer teams and camping with his family as a youngster. He was working construction when he decided to enlist.
"He said he wasn't going anywhere in construction," DeVoe said.
Caleb, a senior at Skaneateles High School, said his half brother was his hero. He wrote a poem about him in English class Tuesday, which he called, "Lost at War."
"It's about him being my hero, the things he did when he was young," Caleb said. "He still is my hero."
From 9wsyr.com:
He made the decision last year to join the army. His mom, Susan-Kealoha Capone had reservations; she was scared to death, but it was his decision, one that he did for his daughter, Jazzibell.
"He wanted to give his ‘angel’ the best of the best," Susan said. "He was gonna travel and wanted her to travel with him to see the world. Joining the military, he knew he could do that."
...
The family vows to never let Jazzibell forget him. "She'll know what kind of dad he was... Was - what a word! But she'll know all about him."
The Patriot Guard have confirmed that they will be riding in honor of Pfc. Devoe.
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What You Can Do
There are a number of wonderful organizations out there which could use your help:
* Anysoldier.com
* Operation Helmet
* Fisher House
* Books for Soldiers
* Operation Ensuring Christmas
(big thanks to timroff for the beautiful logo)
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind.; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, JeNoCo, mediaprof, and me, a girl in MI. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but, we believe, an important service to those Americans who have died, and to our community’s respect for and remembrance of them.
If you are interested in volunteering for the series please contact me, a girl in MI, at a_girl_in_mi_101 AT yahoo DOT com
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. We treat these diaries as a place to remember and reflect. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.