Tomorrow, Sunday, November 11th, 2007, Veterans Day, is my son Scott’s 27th birthday. I always say his mother became a veteran that day.
The last time we instant messaged, he was sitting poolside in the Green-zone, on the tail end of a four day R&R, sipping a non-alcoholic beer and typing away on his laptop trying
not to think too hard about the heat and war and how much he missed his lovely wife and new home in Savannah. We messaged for almost two hours.
For some reason, I did not save the session. He was killed three days later on August 11th in an Al Qaeda ambush in Arab Jabour, along with four other men, three months to the day from when he left on his second tour in Iraq and three months ago to the day before his birthday. He was a Sergeant in the 3rd Infantry and so very proud of it.
In the next few days and weeks as news spread of his death, we began to receive hundreds of cards, emails, phone calls and friends all expressing sympathy for our unknowable grief. Cards came in from all over the country from people who were total strangers expressing sadness and thanks for the sacrifice Scott made in our country’s name. We had personal letters from Congressmen, ours as well as others. Letters from Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland. Sen. Mikulski called our home one morning and missing me, she spoke with my son Kevin for a few moments and said she would call back later. She did and we spoke on the phone for nearly 30 minutes that morning about what had happened and what we as a country lose every time a soldier falls. She impressed me greatly with her sincerity and warmth and afterwards I reflected about what 30 minutes of a United States Senator’s time is worth and marveled that she took that time out from her schedule to just chat with a new Gold Star parent. She told me there are 90 Gold Star families in Maryland and she gave me a special phone number in her office she has reserved for Gold Star families to call if we ever needed anything from her. We also had a wonderful handwritten note from Sen. John Warner of Virginia.
Governor Martin O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown both wrote nice letters to us and the Governor ordered the Maryland State Flag flown at half-staff over all State offices on the day of Scott’s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, and then sent us the very flag that flew over the Statehouse that day. There were letters of condolence from other officials up and down the Army and Defense Department expressing sympathy and generous offers of help and support if we needed it.
Such honor is properly accorded the families of our fallen soldiers and it is indeed a great source of pride and comforting support to have it. Of course, we would trade it all for the pleasure of Scott’s warm smile one more time. But past that, when I think back to all the people we heard from; family, friend and strangers all over the world, there are two people Martha and I did not hear from, ever, the President and the Vice-President of the United States. The two men responsible for his being there in the first place. Now how much does that say about them?
Ed
November 10, 2007
Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2007
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Ed…I, too, am glad you’ve entered the ‘blogosphere’. You’re a wonderful writer w/interesting things to say. And, in answer to that last question: it speaks volumes about the wreckless, dangerous and criminal ‘leadership’ we’ve endured these last 7 years. I look forward to voting in ’08.
And…I look forward to more postings from you, Ed. Love to you, Marti and Kevin. And Scott.
Comment by mj — November 10, 2007 @ 1:33 pm |
Dear Ed, I am traveling and just checked my email which gave me this link to you from my dear friend Judy who is in Thailand as I’m sure you know. I just want you to know that I care about you and your family and your loss of dear Scott, Judy’s godson I believe. I enjoyed reading your blog and about the kindness of so many. I with you regreat that our president and vice president have not written to you and sincerely hope it does come even if so very late. Love and prayers from me. I live in Colorado Springs where we are proud to host Fort Carson so we hear more news than many cities do. Your friend, Mim
Comment by Mim — November 10, 2007 @ 10:11 pm |
Thank you for these blogs, Ed. I really enjoyed reading these last few entries and look forward to more.
And on another note…Happy birthday, Scott..
Comment by Linda — November 11, 2007 @ 7:02 am |
Dearest Ed Marti Kevin and Christi
You are in our thoughts and prayers today- I will quote James when he was
speaking of Uncle Glasgow: “The worst thing about his leaving us was all the
people who would never have the joy of knowing him” – memories are a wonderful gift-hold them close-we love each and everyone of you! May God bless, Your cousin Missy
Comment by Missy Guercio — November 11, 2007 @ 7:55 am |
Christy, Ed, Marti and Kevin-
Wonderful blog. I think about Scott almost daily as I hear more news from Iraq and the Middle East. My heart and thoughts are with you always and I am remembering Scott here on his 27th birthday with fond and loving memories.
Scott and I went to a few Redskins games, in fact I went to my first Redskins game with Scott and I remeber it being a crazy time. So as I sit here this afternoon, watching the Redskins, I’ll think of Scott.
Stay strong and be comforted by all of your memories of Scott.
Happy Birthday Scott!
Comment by Melanie — November 11, 2007 @ 10:18 am |
Ed, I am so touched by this beautiful blog tribute to Scott. Since receiving the news of Scott’s death, there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think of him now. You, Marti, Kevin and Christy are always in my thoughts.
I haven’t been able to write about him yet …. it’s still so raw, surreal. But I HAVE been able to ‘do’ something: Enlist the help of *all* the local Austin knitting groups to make helmet liners for the troops this winter. I will also ask anyone who reads this blog to do the same. Sometimes we are unable to say and write our true feelings, and the only expression left is ‘doing.’ The URL for the helmet liners directions (both knit and crochet) is: http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/ . The yarn must be pure wool. I won’t go into details; the website does that. Just start knitting. All of our helmet liners leave Austin with a tag that identifies it as knitted in Scott’s honor, along with the name and location of the knitter.
Nicki Miller
Comment by Nicki Miller — November 14, 2007 @ 1:12 pm |
Incredible. Not to receive a word from the two men responsible, not even a fakely sincere “thank you for your sacrifice.” Incredible. As if we could be surprised by anything more from those two, but still. Blows me away… And says it all.
~ Suzanne
Comment by Suzanne Sutton — December 8, 2007 @ 3:49 pm |