"IN A MOTHER'S EYES"
Songwriter © 1999 Andrew Dean
The day our flagpole was ready, We had no flag to fly
A mother stepped forward and said I have a flag with a tear in her eye
It was given to me the day that we laid my son to rest
He was a true blue soldier who gave his life his best.
I got a knot in my throat and a chill in my bones
A tear rolled down my face
A mother has lost her son at war
The pain on her face.
(We continue below, in honour of the Moms who have lost their sons and daughters, and in honour of the Dads who have lost their sons and daughters, for our dear Otteray Scribe.)
Love and Hugs,
For Dan,
Heather
In a mother's eyes you can see red, white, and blue
In a mother's eyes you can see the pain so true
Freedom comes with a cost of sadness and loss
You can see in a mother's eyes.
When someone puts their life on the line so others can be free
It's a selfless act of courage and love, how thankful we all should be
And when I look at the flag today, I see a whole new meaning there
I see the men and the women who died for her
So in this freedom we can share.
In a mother's eyes you can see red, white, and blue
In a mother's eyes you can see the pain so true
Freedom comes with a cost of sadness and loss
You can see in a mother's eyes.
In a mother's eyes you can see red, white, and blue
In a mother's eyes you can see the pain so true
Freedom comes with a cost of sadness and loss
You can see in a mother's eyes.
In memory of PFC Lynn Robbin Krotzer, USMC (KIA 1969 Vietnam) Gibsonburg, OHIO
Listen to the song wma -Windows Media file (0.84 Mb)
Hugs,
For Dan,
Heather
Sgt Edwin Rivera
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Edwin Rivera, 28, of Waterford, Conn., died May 25 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained May 20 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire at Contingency Outpost Xio Haq, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry, Norwalk, Conn.
Sgt Edwin Rivera
"When the U.S. soldiers drive by, the children will scramble like mad in the dust just to get thrown a simple pencil from us. They don't even have pencils. I was born for this, it's my duty, to protect those families over there." That was what what Sgt Edwin Rivera told his mom Gladys last summer, six months before he was deployed to Afghanistan for the second time.
Heartbreakingly, Sgt. Rivera died this last week at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, from wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by enemy forces in Laghman Province in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Rivera was deployed in January, as part of the 1st Battalion of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, a Connecticut National Guard unit based in New Haven. His first deployment had been in 2006, a promised 12 month tour, which was extended to 15 months.
From a hard-working and very proud Puerto Rican American family, while not on deployment, Sgt. Rivera worked the night shift, as a security guard at the Millstone nuclear power plant. His wife, Yesenia works the day shift as a dental assistent, so their time together was precious. Sgt. Rivera was also a stand up Dad to his two children.
Last November, while Rivera was preparing for deployment to
Afghanistan at a training base in Indiana, Gladys found his son,
Lorenzo, lying on the couch in her living room, staring at a
photograph of his father in his Army uniform. Lorenzo was 4.
When his grandmother asked him what he was doing, Lorenzo said, "I'm
just looking at Daddy. I miss him already."
Army Major Ronald Wayne Culver Jr.
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Maj. Ronald W. Culver Jr., 44, of Shreveport, La., died May 24 in Numaniyah, Iraq, when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, Shreveport, La.
Major Ronald Wayne Culver Jr.
"The Army has the seven core values of loyalty, duty, respect,
selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage," said
squadron Chaplain Capt. James Collins of Norman, Okla. "To me, Wayne
exemplified those Army values. We learn them and we are supposed to
live them. Not everyone does...but he did. He was a friend to
everyone, regardless of rank. It didn't matter if they were a cook or
a general, he treated everyone the same. He was a good husband, a good
father and a good Soldier, but most importantly, he was a good man." This was what was said of Army Major Ronald Wayne Culver Jr. after his death, from an IED, on May 24th, in Numamiyah, Iraq.
Major Culver was the executive officer of the Shreveport-based 2nd
Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment. For 22 years, he was part of the Louisiana National Guard, during which time he earned the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army
Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the National Defense
Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal
with M Device, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq
Campaign Medal, the Louisiana War Cross and the Louisiana Commendation
Medal.
Tracey Culver, Major Culver's widow, is the kindergarten and daycare director First United Methodist Church of El Dorado. Major Culver was wel known in the community for his organization of boss days at camp Minden prior to the depoyment of 1/156th Armor Battalion in Iraq in
2004-05, and through the unit’s work in responses to hurricanes in the area. Before his deployment, Major Culver was employed by Americable.
In addition to Mrs. Culver, Major Culver leaves their two children: Michelle Francis, 16, and Ronald Wayne III, 13, and his parents: Ronald Wayne Culver Sr. and Betty Culver, who live in Shreveport, La.
"Major Culver's positive influence and sense of duty will be felt in
the squadron for years to come," squadron commander Lt. Col. William
Rachal of Breaux Bridge said.
"He was loved and respected by all. I have known Wayne Culver for more
than 10 years and will always remember his sense of humor, sound
counsel and his constant concern for soldiers. We are deeply saddened
by the loss of this fine officer and friend."
Leaving the last words to Major Culver himself, I will quote the words he himself declared in a 2005 interview with The Times, when he was a captain:
"The general public may not know or understand how much of a sacrifice
these soldiers have made for our freedoms back home," he said.
Army Pfc. Christopher R. Barton
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Christopher R. Barton, 22, of Concord, N.C., died May 24 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Pfc. Christopher R. Barton
"He volunteered thinking about public service. He volunteered for airborne and got his wings. He wanted to do that." A grieving father paying tribute to his son, Army Pfc. Christopher R. Barton, who died May 24th, from wounds suffered when his unit was attacked in Khowst province, Afghanistan.
Barton was an infantryman in C Troop, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
After joining the Army in December 2008, Pfc. Barton was assigned to Fort Campbell in January 2009. His deployment to Iraq began on January 26th.
During his time in the Army, Pfc. Campbell earned the Army Commendation
Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global
War on Terrorism Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; NATO
Medal; Army Service Ribbon and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Along with his father, Pfc. Barton is survived by his wife, Heather N.
Barton; his mother, Elaine Schmiedeshoff; and his brothers, brothers, Bryan Schmiedeshoff and Corey Barton.
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT) I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, TrueBlueMajority, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma, Ministry of Truth, WideAwakeinKentucky and CalNM.
.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.