My Grandson was a Genius
Memorial Day. The day the US of Northamerica honors its military veterans, living and those lost in battle.
I am a veteran of six years in the US Air Force. Many of the adults in our family are also veterans of all the military branches—my brothers, uncles, and cousins. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanistan, we were there. We had lost only one in battle.
My grandson, Army Ranger 2Lt Travis Alan Morgado, leading his platoon in Afghanistan ten years ago was blown to bits by an IED. What remained of him was gathered up and returned to the States to be cremated. When Travis was being driven home from the San Francisco Airport to San José, his birthplace, where I held him in my arms the first day of his life, the procession driving down the Bayshore Freeway was lined with hundreds of military veterans standing alongside the freeway who saluted as he passed.
My grandson was a civil engineer, a graduate of the University of Washington. He was a genius. Travis had memorized every trooper's phone number and Social Security number under his command. I want everyone to know that my grandson Travis died for his country. ¨Why do they hate us, grandpa?¨ he asked me before he shipped out, in one of our last conversations. I was never able to answer him.