To Relish the Tremendous Sacrifice Past and Present

Back when I was an intelligence officer not so long into the distant past, (6 months ago) I had a fellow LT who wore a bracelet for his Uncle that was a POW in the Vietnam War. I thought it was amazing way to cherish those who came before us and relish the tremendous sacrifice past and present.

The bracelet that I purchased was for a fellow Navy LT who was an OCS graduate with me in 2000. I went into the the Intelligence community and he went Spec Ops with the Navy Seals. During Operation Enduring Freedom we served together, he on the ground and I on the USS Abraham Lincoln. We didn't keep in contact on a regular basis, but we knew we were out together fighting the same fight. When I left the USS Abraham Lincoln and headed for the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington DC, he continued to battle on the arduous terrains of Afghanistan. As I presented briefs in the Pentagon, he continued to fight on the ground. One night a tremendous battle ensued and he was killed. I didn't find out until weeks later when I found a brief that mentioned the heroic actions of 8 Navy Seals and his name was a part of that list...in pure black and white. It was a surreal experience on so many accounts. Just a few years back we were training together and now he was gone.

Although I left the Navy after six years of service, I have not forgotten the sacrifice that the men and women in uniform make everyday. This bracelet acts as a reminder...although Mike died a noble cause, I will never forget his sacrifice, all the others that have fallen before and I will remind all those that see it on my wrist that they too should Never Forget.

Respectfully,

Edward