Something has been on my mind since I found out yesterday. I had to write a post about my friend. We had great neighbors at Camp Pendleton. One family, the Franks, moved in a few months after we arrived there. They had a newborn daughter and a great big dog that my kids loved. Allie, the mom, was super strong even though she had her baby and moved into base housing all while her husband was deployed to Iraq. Fast forward a couple of months and her husband comes home, they find out they are pregnant with Baby #2 and they are moving to Okinawa a month before we do. How fun!
Yesterday I found out that Allie's husband had been deployed to Iraq (again, like so many Marines). Unfortunately, he won't be coming home this time. He was killed by small arms fire. This is the first person that I have personally known who has been killed. They now have a one year old and a newborn. My heart is just aching for her and the girls.
My first reaction was that I am so grateful for Warren for his enthusiasm to serve and for his sacrifice to help the Iraqi people. Now I'm just filled with sadness for all Allie is going through. I'm sure she'll be leaving the island in a couple of days and that Warren's unit will pack up their belongings and send them home. She will try to go on with life with a giant hole in hers.
I just wanted my friends out there in cyberspace to know that families are paying the ultimate sacrifice. Please pause a moment when you hear that a service member has died on the news. Think about Allie and all the other families out there that will never be the same for the cause of freedom.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Grateful
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14 comments:
Thanks, for sharing that Melissa. That is so sad and my heart just breaks for her and her girls. We've just recently had some sad news in Gibb's family and it really makes you stop and think about how blessed we are, and not to take things for granted.
Oh my goodness.
My thoughts are with them. And I am grateful for their incredible sacrifice, and the ones that others make daily in our behalf.
I'd like to do something for them - I'll email you.
Thank you Melissa for typing that about our very loved Allie, her two beautiful daughters and her well respected and heroic husband Warren. I am just so saddened about this and will be seeing her when she comes back to CA immediately. He will forever be in my thoughts as he is also the first one that I have known to pass in Iraq. Dan called tonight and I had to tell him over the phone. He said he knew that someone had been killed but he didn't know who it was. He is very sad that this happened to Warren and who was such a great guy. He will forever be in our thoughts as well as Allie and those two beautiful babies!!
Take care,
Melanie
Wow that just breaks my heart! It is so easy to forget what is going on over there until you hear stories like this or turn on the news. Thank you for the reminder that we need to remember the people making such huge sacrifices for us! I will definitely be thinking about this family today.
Oh, that is so sad. I hate war. My heart aches for your friend Allie. I can't imagine how I would even cope. It isn't fair!
Wow, that is so heartbreaking. I am grateful for all the men and women out there serving our country. We will definitely keep Allie and the girls in our prayers.
On other news - I feel kind of bad typing a happy message on this post - but congrats on being preggers! For some reason I missed checking up on your blog or something and when we were in Utah last weekend Spence's sister Abi told me you were expecting, and I was like - no way, I haven't read anything about it on her blog! LOL. Anyway, I just saw the "expanding" family picture and I am thrilled for you guys. Hope you are feeling ok! Love you guys!
Its so easy to forget that soldiers are still in Iraq in harms way, especially when we don't hear about it any more in the news, and especially sitting here in my quiet living room in small town America. Thanks for the story, its so humbling.
Thank you for the reminder it really is so amazing the freedom we have we are so blessed.
Thank you.
that does put my little troubles into perspective, i needed to read that. thanks for sharing.
Oh, that just gave me goosebumps. It becomes so much more real when it is someone you know. I volunteered in welcoming home the single soldiers from Iraq, and ever time I went to welcome a group home, I loved seeing all of the families so happy to be reunited. I always drove home thinking about those families who wouldn't be welcoming home their soldier. SO Sad! We had a ward member killed over there right before Michael left. It made me so grateful for those who sacrifice for our freedom.
Thank you for sharing this story. Eric's father was killed active duty in the marines. He was only 8 These families do pay the ultimate sacrifice. And I am very grateful for all that serve. May god bless your friend and her family.
I am so glad you wrote this. Thank you. We all need a reminder of the sacrafices of our troops. Love to that sweet family.
This made me tear up. Please let Allie know that strangers in the US are praying for her.
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