As I turned on my computer and television in the office at work this morning, the news was overwhelmed with stories about President Obama’s pre-dawn trip to (personally) one of the saddest, yet most honorable places in America-Dover Air Force Base.
It is here that Soldiers killed in the war are transported back to their loved ones for final goodbyes and proper burial. It is here that a mother remembers senior prom and how she took a million pictures before her son/daughter ran out of the house with their date. It is here that a father understands there will be no more pleads to borrow the brand new car to go to the movies with friends. It is here family, friends and loved ones come to the realization that person is gone.
However, it is also here that the nation pays homage and remembers what this Soldier did to protect, serve, honor and defend the freedom we love and cherish. While we are resting in the comforts of our home, these Soldiers fly in during the dawn hours of the morning in the shadows of the rising sun.
In August 2004, I received news that one of my best friends was killed in Iraq. I was in a state of shock for a week. He had celebrated his 21st birthday only five days before his convey was struck on the driver’s side (which in fact he was driving) by a roadside bomb. He was killed instantly. His passengers were severely wounded, but survived.
After his passing, his mother and father were informed that they would be flown to Dover AFB to bring his body back to South Carolina to be buried.
After that experience, I understood more than ever how sacrifices are made every day and a price is paid-whether we see it or not. We must remember the men and women who gave their lives and the ones whom are still in the fight. Let us always remember those “Arriving in the Shadows.”
Submitted By: Ashley McCall-Washington, Public Affairs Assistant
