Heartbreaking Reminder | Arthritis Information

I frequently get emails from one of our family's close friends (he is going to be the Best Man in my daughter's wedding) stationed in Baghdad. Often they contain photos, or something funny about vacationing in one of Saddams palaces. Today's was different, and I was so upset with it I needed to share it with you guys. I'm not doing it to start any political discussion, just want to remind everyone to stop and send up some prayers for our soliders. Thanks.

Here is the text of his email. Just the way he typed it in short, incomplete sentences tells me how exhausted emotionally and physically he is. I just can't stop crying, this is so hard. . .

its been a long dirty, hot weekend.

14 american troops have been lost in iraq this past weekend.

4 of them were killed on sunday morning, on a dusty dirt road in the
middle
of no where.

4 of them were in my battery, and good friends of mine.

I'm here, i'm alive, i'm ok. just, difficult, its going to be a long
week.

-dan

Wow... that message from Dan really made me feel so many different emotions. I'm so proud of our troops right now....Amen...however we feel about the war in Iraq we need to pray and support our fighting men and women...they are laying their lives down every day so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have in our country.

My heart goes out to Dan, and to all the soldiers and their families who have to deal with them being away from home, I am proud of them, thank them for their sacrifice and pray for the protection of God everyday.

Thank you for sharing....

delena
Hillhoney, that really brings it all home for us no matter what our political beleifs are. Sorry you are soo sad. You all have my prayers. What brave men we have over there. They are so amazing. Thank you for the reminder Hillhoney. It puts my complaints into perspective. I pray for those brave men and women every day.Hillhoney- Its so sad that these boys, men and women go through so much pain.My son is signing up for the army ( has to pass medical still) and i worry everyday that it could be him.My thoughts are with everyone of them and you too.

I am so very touched by his words.

Those short sentences speak volumes. My heart is with him and all of our other servicemen. I hope they know they are thought of here.

Take care.

Gentle hugs,

Nini

Oh that just breaks my heart. I can't even imagine what he is going thru even with what he wrote to you.

War is so political that sometimes we tend to lose sight of the human side of it. Thank you for the reminder.

And I think I have bad days. I will send up prayers.Thank you for sharing that personal glimpse.

Lest we forget.

- Joy

Thank you everyone. It's so easy to put what is going on over there out of our minds and pretend it doesn't exist, but for our young men and women in the service, it's real all the time.

I wrote back to Dan, tried to express how I was feeling, how I care. This is what he wrote back:

thank you. its gonna be a rough few days ahead. but as you guys like to say, the show must go on

(His last comment was in reference to my family's involvement in theatre.)

Thanks again everyone - as you can see, those prayers are truly needed. I think there is a lot happening right now because of the "surge". Efforts to flush out the insurgents have made things even bloodier than they were before. Let's keep them in our thoughts.

Karen

Hillhoney39237.7789699074My heart and prayers go out to our men and women in the service, stationed everywhere. What a selfless and honorable act it is to put yourself out front, to protect what and who you love. We owe them everything!!!! God be with them all...

My heart breaks for those men and mostly boys

My gf just had both her boys back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Both did two tours of duty. I have known them since they were babes. I am so relieved they came back alive but you sure can tell they have changed and have a lot of pent up emotions/anger. We need to fight for better services to "support our troops" when they come home.

Peace & Love...Neasy

Toby Keith - American Soldier

I'm just trying to be a father
Raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother
Everything to everyone
Up and at 'em, bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success
From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be

And I can't call in sick on Mondays
when the weekends been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
And sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey, I'm true down to the core
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
but if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
'cause freedom don't come free

I'm an American soldier, an American
beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand
When Liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front line
Sleep'in in peace at night
American soldier, I'm an American soldier

Yeah, an American soldier, an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand
When Liberty's in jeopardy I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front line
So Sleep in peace tonight
American soldier, I'm an American
An American, an American soldier