For 3 Soldiers Brought to 28th Combat Support Hospital

The story of why I ordered them is bittersweet as I am sure many are. Though I did not personally know these 3 brave soldiers who were killed in action, my daughter did come to know them - briefly. She was an army nurse with the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Tikrit, Iraq and treated them all. She herself has many amazing and touching stories of her own heroism as she and her particular unit followed the 3rd I.D. in the major combat operations into Baghdad and later on she was transferred into Tikrit. She was honored to be one of the people who got to treat and serve many of our wounded, dying, or soldiers killed in action there.

She hasn't told me everything of course, but a few things do stand out that she shared. 2 of the bracelets were ordered in memory of 2 young soldiers who were killed by a roadside bomb. The night this happened she and her team of other doctors and healthcare professionals worked tirelessly through the evening/night to try to save them. They had to give many units of blood, until they finally ran out - but my daughter gave her own blood to one of them (I am wearing his bracelet on my wrist right now). Though they fought professionally and valiantly to save them - they could not. During a break that night, she e-mailed me and asked me and all of our prayer circle back home to pray for them and their families. She is wearing the 2nd soldiers bracelet from that night.

The 3rd bracelet is being worn by my husband. This was for another Sgt. that my daughter also treated and he was transported to another facility and later died. She told of his heroism of how he took the brunt of an explosion to save those around him. His heroism will never be forgotten by her, his buddies or us.

My daughter spent one year in Iraq taking care of and watching others like them die for what they believed in. She believed in it too, despite these terrible losses. She is home now, but none of us ever want to forget those who fought and are still fighting for freedom for us...even those who are criticizing what they are there for. I only wish somehow that their families could know how much they were professionally and lovingly taken care of in their last moments.

My daughter believes that she was allowed to go there for a purpose not only to provide top notch nursing care, but she felt it was her privilege to be the one who could be with many of these soldiers their last moments on earth. She talked with them, encouraged them and did all she could for them as she deeply cared for them - knowing that their families and loved ones would have loved to have been able to be there for them.

We salute here and the soldiers these 3 represent by wearing these bracelets every day!

Thanks,
Teresa