Honor your hero with thoughts, memories, images and stories.
My son was a CPL at the time he was KIA and was promoted to SGT upon his return to the USA. He was a dedicated soldier and Father of two. He was a HERO to all of his family and will all ways be remembered for who is was and what he stood for. He loved what he did for a living so much that he often talked about getting out of the Army and joining a SF Guard unit and or going back to Iraq or Afgan as a contractor, so you see we LOVE him dearly but he was KIA doing what he loved doing. Rest In Peace Son your mission here is compleet and we have the watch now.
My Hero, my Strong Soldier, My "Big Brother", my friend, my cousin SGT James C. Robinson - Jimmy (13 years my senior). It feels odd to write this as if Jim no longer lives, because I believe that, in a way, he still does. Honestly, I have no idea what words to use to make a tribute to the one person I knew well enough I could never deal with losing. Jimmy was my closest cousin. I felt that I could tell Jimmy anything in the world and that he'd always be there for me. He might have picked fun of me or told me he'd teach me "Awesome Army Moves" only to put me in a headlock or other painful positions, but that was Jim's way of showing he loved me. Jimmy is everything I want to be - strong, selfless, proud, loving, family-centered, witty, and the best cousin in the world. No matter how much pain my heart endures because Jim was taken from me and the rest of my family, I am so proud of Jim. Not only for everything he's done for our country, but also because he's my cousin. Jim, like my Uncle said in another tribute, loved what he did, and so there's no doubt in my mind that Jim's still fighting in some way in Afghanistan. When someone with that much life in them is killed so suddenly, they can't just stop living. Jim's a firework - still burning on even after the colors have faded. There really aren't words to describe Jimmy, he's the kind of guy you'd really just have to know. But if you knew him...God, you loved him with your whole being. Which is probably why losing him has been the hardest thing I've ever been through.
Jim/Adulto, thank you for living, for fighting, and for dying for my freedom, for shaping me in so many ways I never even realized, and, most importantly, for being my loving cousin. God, I miss you so much. I can't even tell you how much I love you.
With all the heart I have left,
A proud Army Cousin,
Hanna/Kiddo