Hedrick Family photo taken in August 2009 – three months before my oldest son, Adam, and his wife, Natalie, returned to Iraq for their third tours of duty.
Dear Friend and Supporter,
Monday, Americans will pause to observe Memorial Day, a time of reflection on the sacrifices made by members of the military in wars and conflicts at home and around the globe. Regrettably, some will merely note it as a day without work or school. Perhaps they will think of it as the beginning of summer. However, Memorial Day should call our attention with laser-like focus and clarity–not only on the sacrifices of the past, but on those of the present as well.
This week marked the 1000th American casualty in the war in the Afghan theatre. It is a somber benchmark for Americans, and follows on the heels of 4400 US deaths in Iraq. These numbers underscore the fact that when our leaders put our military in harm’s way, they must be certain that the goal is worthy of the terrible sacrifice that will be exacted. General Stanley McChrystal, commander of forces in Afghanistan, expressed the reality of these sacrifices well when he stated earlier this month, “Every single casualty affects people. It affects leaders, but more importantly it affects families, it affects children, it affects parents (and) spouses. So each one of them is sacred.”
Americans may disagree on policy, but there is no disagreement on the sanctity of the ultimate sacrifice made by our military personnel. Decades ago, President Garfield expressed the sentiment concisely: “For love of country, they accepted death.” It is a sobering thought we should hold closely as we mark Memorial Day 2010.
Monday, I will think of those who gave the last full measure of devotion for our country, and hope that my children currently stationed in Iraq–and all our brave men and women in uniform around the world–return home safely to their loved ones soon.
Sincerely,
Dear Mr. Bill Hedrick:
First of all, thank you for your family’s service to country and for your heartfelt thoughts.
It is only a very small percent that volunteer to serve our nation by serving in our military; but the contributions by our veterans and their families are big and impact all of us. Our freedoms and our future arise from it.
I believe that those who choose to serve in our military clearly demonstrate the strong family values and the devotion to nation in which they have been brought up, and go on to become part of another unique family…that of the military family.
It is my hope that Americans also stop and reflect on the contributions and selfless sacrifices of our military and their families, not just today on this Memorial day, but everyday while our troops are in harm’s way.
I also believe that as citizens we need to ensure that preferably we elect leaders that have a unique, intimate, and personal understanding of the impacts that governmental laws or policy decisions have on our military and their families so that we use our troops only when necessary. This is the least we can do for those who choose to serve in our military.
May our thoughts and prayers keep our troops safe, and bring you and your family a happy family reunion!
respectfully,
Francisco J. Barragan CPA, CIA
Commander, UMAVA
United Mexican-American Veterans Association
http://umava.org/
Commander@umava.org
May God keep your family safe!
🙂