Memorial Day weekend is particularly laborious in our home. As a army household with somebody in uniform for each battle this nice nation has confronted going again to the Revolutionary Warfare, we have now respect for this land, what it takes to defend it, and people who do. We cherish the time spent within the uniforms he represents and are very proud to put on them.
We have been singularly blessed via the generations that we have not misplaced a member of the family whereas sporting one. There have been shut calls. Most spectacular is my reminiscence of the story of Uncle Bobby, a younger Marine on the time, who fell off three decks of the USS New Jersey throughout storm chaos whereas off the coast of Korea throughout that battle. Months within the hospital in traction, and so they weren’t positive if he’d ever stroll once more.
She did.
However that run of fortune and well being modified in 2016, when, as I described in my Memorial Day put up final 12 months, we misplaced SSG John Perry to a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.
…the twelfth November 2016 began like nearly each Saturday for the previous few years I used to be at work downtown at my buddy’s retailer. FoxNews was on – we weren’t actually busy but and will get away with it. On the rack I heard “bombing” and needed to see a newsflash of the primary experiences of a suicide bombing at Bagram Airfield.
John was at Bagram, volunteering to return to his small store as a substitute of being assigned a particular responsibility stateside.
However the experiences have been sketchy and there have been no casualties, so I stated a fast prayer and motored on.
The unthinkable occurred to our household.
It has profoundly affected our lives.
If it have been potential to like extra deeply, now we do.
You by no means know the worth of a gravestone in Arlington, Pensacola or somebody’s hometown till you pay for it your self.
Typically the price is greater than you possibly can bear if you concentrate on it too laborious.
Our John wasn’t purported to be there – a cruelty of life. However he was a testomony to the soldier and chief he was.
He was purported to be safely again within the States, on a recruiting tour or one thing like that – I can not keep in mind now. However they delay his orders till he obtained again from Bagram as a result of he informed his mom, “I’ve to go. The shop is small. And my boys want me“
He left behind his two younger kids and candy spouse as a result of responsibility known as and his sons wanted him.
The Military devoted a constructing at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) to John just a few years in the past, and I had the chance to affix his mom and fantastic household for the ceremony. The first Cavalry Wagon Masters did a decent thang-up job their soldier.
However the one factor that actually spoke to me was after they gave John’s spouse a card that was apparently taped to the ceiling tiles earlier than the constructing was renovated – they floated up from someplace on the ground because the roof was torn up.
On the day his homicide was reported at his store in Hood, John’s “boys” purchased a card on which all of them wrote their recollections of him. They then hid it on the roof as an indication of their respect and love for him.
And by no means informed a soul they did it.
Respect and Remembrance.
Three years in the past, our son sat by John’s grave in Arlington for the primary time for the reason that funeral. He didn’t return to the state for abroad PCS actions, together with his tour at Bagram.
Simply earlier than he headed to Arlington, the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan occurred. A reporter from The Atlantic wandering Part 60 – the Afghanistan-era casualty part – finds him sitting distraught subsequent to John’s gravestone and goes to speak to him. Unbeknownst to anybody, his assistant additionally took an image, which he later despatched.
The ache on my son’s face in that image nonetheless tears my coronary heart out.
However over time, I see different names and different heartaches surrounding John’s grave in Part 60. One title I acknowledge now – Chief Petty Officer Shannon Marie Kent.
Chief Kent was by each account a drive to be reckoned with – a rare Navy cryptologist who labored with particular operators just like the SEALS, spoke Arabic (in addition to different languages and dialects), 50 pound sack, most cancers survivor, paperwork fighter. , married a beautiful man… and was the mom of two stunning little males.
…months after receiving her deployment orders, Navy cryptologist Shannon Kent spends her days making ready to affix a particular operations process drive to struggle the Islamic State in Syria. For Shannon, the mission was the fruits of a 15-year army profession: language checks, health checks, repeated deployments alongside the Navy SEALs.
And but, after 4 excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan, he thought this deployment, following extremist leaders, was behind him. Her youngest son is only one 12 months previous now. At his 3-year-old age, Colt realized immediately {that a} warfare was taking his mom. “Mother do not struggle the dangerous guys,” he informed her.
She is gone. The boys wanted him. responsibility respect
…On January 16, Shannon texts Joe from Syria, letting him know she’s leaving on a mission. Town of Manbij has been principally quiet for the reason that militants have been pushed out by Kurdish forces working carefully with the US. However as wherever in Syria, the People have been the goal. Shannon and his colleagues would usually exit for a number of days at a time, sleeping of their vans as they met locals and gathered intelligence. They costume in civilian garments, hoping to keep away from consideration.
“I like you,” Joe replied. “Textual content me once you get again.”
He could not come again.
…The Islamic State was watching as Shannon and a small group of People slipped right into a brightly lit kebab restaurant off a busy avenue. It was a favourite hang-out of People within the metropolis. A person pushed previous folks on the sidewalk, hiding a suicide vest below his darkish clothes.
Inside seconds, a fireball swept via the eating room, blowing out the restaurant’s entrance entrance and scorching folks strolling exterior.
5 years in the past. Shannon Mary Kent KIA 16 Jan 2019 Manbij on her fifth fight deployment to Particular Operations in Syria.
I’m grateful for each second and the life we have created. Shannon was an incredible spouse, mom, buddy, sister and daughter.
Shannon is everlasting. pic.twitter.com/dLF8Xf6aAD
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) for WA-3 January 16, 2024
One other household in ache. Extra younger boys are too younger to know what occurred. He requested the place their mom was.
Astronomical, gut-wrenching costs paid for that gravestone.
God bless Shannon, Joe and their sons.
Might God bless and luxury each household who has that gold star that nobody ever requested for and assist those that do not perceive what it means to understand the price.
To take a second to honor and keep in mind the extraordinary sacrifices of bizarre People who selected to do extra. And gave every little thing.
We’re extraordinarily blessed right here in Pensacola to have a robust army neighborhood that cherishes the connection with these in uniform and what it means to serve. In addition to the bottom, the Blue Angels, and the plain entice, we have now an excellent Veterans Memorial Park, which is honored to be right here. The Wall South.
The Basis that cares for the park did a video just a few years in the past that I like.
Really, it is excellent – so I am going to go away you with it.
Have a secure and grateful Memorial Day.
#at all times plausible
Veterans Memorial Park at Dawn from Distant Entry on Vimeo .
