Honor your hero with thoughts, memories, images and stories.
On April 28th, our daughter's 1st birthday, they came to my home to inform me of my husband's death by IED blast in Afghanistan... our newborn son was 10 days old. He had never seen a picture of his boy... our last call together was via a poor SAT phone days after a complicated c-section and thankfully, he heard him cry and I got to tell him how much I love and miss him... later, I found out that he was in and out of consciousness, and every word he spoke was of his love for me and our children. That was very typical of the man I called my husband, my best friend and my lover. He gave me a card that started out: I love you more than life. I know he did... he showed me every single day of his life (and after thanks to the snail mail still arriving even weeks after his funeral) and everyday I fall in love with him all over again... which is the hardest part. I am a widow with 2 infants and in a doorbell ring, my life changed. Forever. I know the Lord will piece this shattered heart back together again as only He can. My goal is to celebrate him everyday...keep his memory alive for my children and follow the path the Lord opens for us. If the Lord told me I could have the love of my life, a great husband, a great spiritual leader of our home, a great father to our children and would only have him until April 28th, 2011... I would marry him all over again. He enriched my life so much and gave me two little Dougs to see grow up. Our daughter has his eye sparkle and grin and our son has some looks too... I am confident in 3 things. 1. I KNOW where he is and that our time apart is limited, 2. I KNOW he didn't CHOOSE to leave us... God numbers our days, and he would have been taken in battle, or in a car accident etc That day was coming and no changes in our plans could have prevented it and 3. God will and has promised to carry us and put things back together again. To all who had the fortune of knowing my husband, thank you for being there and the kind words and memories...and to the communities, organizations and country as a whole that have extended their prayers and thanks as well, a big thank you. Military service is a family sacrifice...we all enjoy the freedoms...but only some make them possible. Remember that. The only medal he never wanted was the one they awarded me graveside. His Purple Heart. Semper Fi & God Bless. Stay safe over there Marines.