The quote in the title comes from a friend of one of the two men we remember tonight, but it applies equally to a small town in East Texas and a slightly larger one in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
The Department of Defense has announced that our nation has lost SGT Mario Rodriguez, 24, of Smithville, Texas, and SPC Brian Anderson, 24, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan. That's where Sergeant Mario Rodriguez's Army career had taken him. He had only been a soldier since 2003, and only served on active duty since 2007.
And in those short years, three combat tours. Mario was an engineer, the type of soldier who routinely faces danger ahead of the other soldiers. And he was a leader even among the engineers:
"Sgt. Rodriguez was an outstanding soldier and (non-commissioned officer) who cared about his soldiers and his platoon," said Lt. Col. Alan M. Dodd, battalion commander for the 27th Engineer Battalion. "On every mission, he would fight to be the lead vehicle, providing security for his unit and fellow soldiers, and they made the routes safer from the threat of IEDs."
It was on such a mission, risking his life to make others safer, that Mario Rodriguez died following an attack by insurgents. What gave him the courage?
"He was dedicated to what he decided to do," said Rosalva Rodriguez, 21, Mario Rodriguez's younger sister. "He knew what his job was, and it didn't scare him. He was always worried about others being safe."
But Mario Rodriguez was much more than a good soldier. He was a beloved member of the Smithville community, where people remember him playing linebacker for Smithville High School.
He was a husband--his wife, Leslie, calls him a wonderful man. He was a father, of a daughter, Raven George.
"Our little girl — he loved her so much. He was going to teach her how to play soccer. He always told her that he loved her big head."
Mario's friends set up a Facebook memorial to him. Almost every picture shows the smile that all of his friends and family remember.
His high school class is holding a benefit in his honor next month. The money they raise will fund a memorial in the town for the lost men and women of Smithville: barely five thousand live in this town east of Austin, but already four have lost their lives in America's ongoing wars. In a most fitting tribute to the loving young father with the great smile, the rest of the money that the Smithville Class of 2004 raises will create a scholarship for underprivileged children.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Mario Rodriguez, Jr.
and ask for courage to bear it.
This week also brings news of the departure from us of Brian "Bucky" Anderson another twenty-four year old.
Bucky was a wrestler. Twice a state champion--and in two different weight classes--this young man was so powerful that his older brother, Andy, admitted to looking up to him, and thinking of him as
Invincible
He also was a fearsome running back for his Broadway High School Fighting Gobblers, and he always felt connected to it. The school held a wrestling match in his honor last December while he was home on leave from Afghanistan, and he planned to help coach the team when he finished his time in the Army. The wrestling coach at Broadway said of him
That’s what you want to be like
Bucky Anderson is featured in Broadway High School's Hall of Honor, for his contributions to both wtestling and football. The
Specialist Brian Anderson had been in the Army since 2008. He was serving as an infantryman in the 1-87 Infantry Battalion, part of the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, New York. He was in the lead vehicle in a convoy when an IED took his life.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Brian Anderson
and ask for courage to bear it.
Material for this diary from, inter alia, The Daily News Record, The Austin American-Statesman
Helping Our Troops
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, which makes helmets safer, or Fisher House, which provides comfort homes for families near the treatment centers for our wounded veterans. Sponsoring a deployed service member at USTroopCarePackage can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here.
When our veterans come home, many will need jobs. Please look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT Series
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our U.S. troops. 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, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, CalNM, and Wide Awake in KY. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.