Memorial Day may not be until Monday, but DLI had their ceremony today. Today they honored the thirteen graduates of the Defense Language Institute who have given their lives in the Global War on Terror.
Memorial services never become easy. I've been to entirely too many and today will not be my last.
This was the hardest service I have ever been to.
SGT Myla Marivillosa was one of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever met. She was also one of the thirteen. I have heard the names called at ceremonies prior. I have been able to match faces to them on occasion. This was the first one I could ever say was a friend.
I remember her helping out my soldier Goldstein. Chad Goldstein was a great guy. He was a great interrogator and I would have him with me downrange any day of the week. He had some serious knee injuries that the Army was thinking of separating him over. SGT Marivillosa, who was from the same Hawaiian Reserve Unit as Goldstein, jumped to his aid, getting in touch with the people she knew back home to make it the unit's call, not our schoolhouse's. She went out of her way to find me to make sure I got the message to him and checked up to make sure he was being taken care of.
And last year, on the day before Christmas, she was killed in an RPG attack.
When people ask me why I want to stay in the Army, I have trouble answering. I am not in for the same reasons I enlisted. I'm in because of people like SGT Marivillosa. As long as there are people committed to doing the right thing and keeping their buddies to the left and right of them alive, we won't loose as many Marivillosas. I don't do this for you, me, or the president. I do it for them. I do it for my buddies.
So tonight, the drinks are for you, Myla.
Memorial services never become easy. I've been to entirely too many and today will not be my last.
This was the hardest service I have ever been to.
SGT Myla Marivillosa was one of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever met. She was also one of the thirteen. I have heard the names called at ceremonies prior. I have been able to match faces to them on occasion. This was the first one I could ever say was a friend.
I remember her helping out my soldier Goldstein. Chad Goldstein was a great guy. He was a great interrogator and I would have him with me downrange any day of the week. He had some serious knee injuries that the Army was thinking of separating him over. SGT Marivillosa, who was from the same Hawaiian Reserve Unit as Goldstein, jumped to his aid, getting in touch with the people she knew back home to make it the unit's call, not our schoolhouse's. She went out of her way to find me to make sure I got the message to him and checked up to make sure he was being taken care of.
And last year, on the day before Christmas, she was killed in an RPG attack.
When people ask me why I want to stay in the Army, I have trouble answering. I am not in for the same reasons I enlisted. I'm in because of people like SGT Marivillosa. As long as there are people committed to doing the right thing and keeping their buddies to the left and right of them alive, we won't loose as many Marivillosas. I don't do this for you, me, or the president. I do it for them. I do it for my buddies.
So tonight, the drinks are for you, Myla.
On the one hand, they have all the loyalty and courage that I so admire in people...
On the other hand...I just can't stand to lose them...or have them push me away for fear of their own deaths...etc...
I love and hate them for the same reason.
Tonight I'll drink to your friend Myla.
*cheers*