Monday Musings

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Good morning friends, did you have a nice weekend? It was a busy and hot one here. We spent two days in our garage assembling shelves and moving stuff around. I am certain that I have now touched every box in the garage at least 5 times, honestly it is probably about 10.

We haven’t had tv since we moved into the house over a month ago; normally I would not mind because I do not watch it, but this weekend with all of the things going on in Afghanistan and in Louisiana I have found myself drawn to the internet more and more. I said this last week but I will repeat myself, I cannot get the faces of the men and women who died in Afghanistan out of my mind. I find myself searching the Internet to learn more about these brave soldiers and I am struck by their age, all in their early 20’s except one man in his 30’s. Maybe it is because my own brother decided at the age of 17 that he was not going to college, even though he could have gone to any university that he wanted to. He came home one day just before graduation and told my parents that he was going into the Army and my mother burst into tears and tried to bribe him with a car or whatever else he wanted.

My brother did end up in the Army and he served in the First Gulf War, as well as in Germany, and numerous places around the U.S and the world. He grew up and matured with every posting and with each place he went he took a piece of our hearts with him.  My brother served 15 years active duty in Army, an another 5 in the reserves, but when I look at the photos of those young soldiers who were lost this week in Afghanistan I see my brother in each one.

I want to share the names of those brave men and women who lost their lives last week in the bombing at the Kabul airport,  eleven Marines, one Navy corpsman and one soldier because I do not want their sacrifice to be forgotten. I also want to acknowledge all of the American soldiers(2,448) and civilians(3,846 contractors) that lost their lives or were wounded(20,320) over the last 20 years, your sacrifice will never be forgotten. Source: AP, and The Washington Post.

Marine Corps

• Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, assigned to 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

•Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

• Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah. His military occupational specialty was 0369, infantry unit leader.

• Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California, a rifleman.

• Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, a rifleman.

• Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana, a rifleman.

• Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas, a rifleman.

• Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri, a rifleman.

• Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming, a rifleman.

• Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, a rifleman.

• Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.

Navy

• Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, assigned to 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army

• Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. Knauss was assigned to 9th PSYOP Battalion, 8th PSYOP Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of all who have lost a loved one in the war in Afghanistan.

As for the hurricane and all of those in its path you too are in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe.

Have a good day my friends.