Memorial Day: Remembering Those Who Died

The Last Mile
By: Iain Sherwood

I walked the last mile with my brother today
In the garden of stone.
On a caisson drawn by horses gray
He rode alone.
Drum beats echoed hollow in the air
As iron shod hooves rang on the pavement.
A platoon his escort
To take him home in Arlington,
Where a century of heroes lie row on row
Their duty done.

The Honor Guard carried him lovingly
For brother he is to all those there interred.
Amid presidents, astronauts, explorers and heroes
He takes a place well deserved.
The prayers are said; the volleys fired
And the flag is folded
Carefully, never again to be unfurled.
Rest well, weary soldier, now and forever;
The Corps has called you home.
Rest well, my brother.

Iain Sherwood, September 19, 2002, MacLean, Virginia
I wrote this the day we buried my brother, Captain Charles Sherwood III, on his birthday, at Arlington.

SHERWOOD, CHARLES III
CAPT US MARINE CORPS
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 08/03/1964 - 11/29/1966
DATE OF BIRTH: 09/19/1941
DATE OF DEATH: 06/23/2002
DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/19/2002
BURIED AT: SECTION 12 SITE 2092
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Mexico Arrests US Soldier

"An American veteran of the Iraq War is being held in a notoriously dangerous prison in Juarez, Mexico, charged with carrying weapons over the border in his car.

Army Spc. Richard Raymond Medina Torres, on leave from his base at Fort Hood, Tex., was arrested in Juarez April 21 when he said he mistakenly crossed the border and found himself on the Mexican side of the Bridge of the Americas."
THE BALLS THIS TAKES.

5 Years In Iraq

Let's look at Iraq and beyond:

Iraq is simply ONE front on a global war. It is not "THE IRAQ WAR". It is a single front on the war on Islamic murderers. Islam has brought death to the people of America, England, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Algeria, Africa, Canada, Russia.....well, you get the point.

Yesterday in Yemen, the U.S. Embassy was attacked and the Religion of Peace killed a young school girl and another and injured over 20 people. On St. Patricks Day alone the Religion of Peace killed 64 people and injured over 200. From Iraq to Thailand to Kosovo. In one day.

We HAVE forgotten. We have lost sight of the reasoning behind going to Iraq. It was not the 16 words. It was not to "git Saddam". It was to begin what should have started a few decades ago and if we hadn't ignored it, we'd be a lot further ahead now.

It is a noble fight. Unless one desires wearing a burka, eating halal and being constantly afraid of being blow up, beheaded or stoned for simply existing.

"The surge ... has opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror," the president said. "We are witnessing the first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama bin Laden, his grim ideology, and his terror network. And the significance of this development cannot be overstated."

We can all argue over HOW this particular front has been fought. We can argue over semantics. But we cannot argue the fact that the U.S. has NOT been attacked since 9/11. That through our fight in Iraq we have uncovered scores of plots, plans and near incidents that would have rocked this country to the core. We have killed or captured hundreds, thousands of terrorists. We rid the world of a vile, brutal dictator. The people, the average people of Iraq are seeing freedom like they have never seen before.

To put the Iraq front in perspective: In 1945, from February 19th through March 16th, Iwo Jima.....Almost 7,000 killed nearly 20,000 soldiers injured. Think about it.

"Our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy." - President George Bush

Never forget that.

Never Forget 11/11

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My Point Radio Wednesday

Eblan Farris calls in to discuss the troubles in Lebanon. Dave and I prattle on about crap. Live in Iraq rescheduled for Monday.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE @ 7:30 AM PACIFIC, 10:30 AM EASTERN.