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
From the Department of Defense:
Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley, 28, of Richmond, Ky., died April 18 in Bagram, Afghanistan. The circumstances of his death are under investigation. He was assigned to the 2123rd Transportation Company, Richmond, Ky.
The Courier-Journal reports that Sgt. Sigley was found dead in his quarters, and that the cause of death is still unknown.
Troy Walton, a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, said he met Sigley while they both were at Eastern Kentucky University before he joined the Guard and remembered him as a good friend dedicated to the military.
"He was definitely a hard-charger; he was motivated to do everything," Walton said.
"I think he was pretty excited actually to go over to Afghanistan," he said.
Sigley wanted to become a Marine officer but couldn't because he had tattoos on his forearms, which disqualifies someone from filling that role, Walton said.
Instead, he joined the Guard to get back into military life and to try to finish college, Walton said.
Walton said he was surprised to hear the circumstances of Sigley's death, and said he did not know of any medical conditions that may have been a factor.
"He was very strong; he was massive," Walton said. "I thought he was in great shape."
From the Richmond Register:
"The death of Sgt. Sigley is a tremendous loss to us all," said Capt. John Moore, who commands Sigley’s unit. "His professionalism, selfless service and devotion was contagious to all who served with him. Randy was not only a great soldier but a fantastic human being who cared deeply for his brothers and sisters in arms. He was a true patriot who loved his country, state and unit."
"Sgt. Sigley’s family is in our thoughts and prayers as we grieve his loss," said Moore. "He was a fine soldier and a Kentuckian in the true pioneer spirit."
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(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 monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, CalNM, 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.