05/25/2026
The Sacrifice and Celebration of Our Fallen
Every year on the last Monday of May those of us who survived war are confronted with our own survival as we remember our brothers and sisters in arms who did not make it home alive. The emotions of mourning and celebration are at odds with each other on this day. We mourn their loss and the pain that it has caused, but we must celebrate their lives and the sacrifice they made.
For many in the GWOT we have the names of our brothers tattoo'd on us, for me five names are forever on my arm. SFC David Salie, 1LT Noah Harris, Cpl Bill Long, SSG Harrison Brown, and PFC Neal Simmons are always with me. I carry their memory with me, telling all of the sacrifice they made.
I am sitting in my office in the dark, with tears rolling down my face, I try to keep the emotions from over taking me. Trying to keep the moments and memories alive in my mind. We all have the memories of the last time we saw each of our brothers alive.
February 14th 2005 SSG Brown and I stood in line to get some cash, on FOB Gabe, as SFC Salie walked by. We wished him well and told him to stay safe. He turned and walked towards the trucks, his hulking frame squeezed into the front seat of the truck, and he shut the door. Less than an hour later he was killed as an IED ripped through the front side of his truck. His massive frame taking much of the blast, an in effect saving the rest of the men from death.
June 17th 2005 Lt Harris normally went out with my part of the platoon, but our platoon sergeant was on leave so Lt Harris took his half of the platoon on a their patrol. They had just come back from FOB Warhorse and didn't have much time so the rest of us grabbed them hot chow before they left. We prayed and told them to get after it, every friday night patrol got into some action. A few hours later the platoon was hit with a near ambush of 30-50 guys, Lt Harris and Cpl Long's truck was hit with an IED killing them both.
April 8th 2007 The last time I was SSG Brown and PFC Simmons after I had joined the Sniper Section was on Camp Buehring in March of 2007 just before we left for Baghdad. I had spent much of 2006 training with them as a dismount on their Bradley. They were kill when they parked their Bradley on top of a massive IED. I was on a different FOB at the time, and the news of their death shattered my heart.
No matter how painful these memories are to relive in my mind, I force myself to replay them over and over. I remember all the great times, from SSG Brown taking me along to an HBCU football game, or Lt Harris never wearing his helmet right, to SFC Salie yelling at me for wearing cold weather gear in January, and PFC Simmons somehow sleeping like a baby in the driver seat of the Bradley, and of course all the hilarious nights in the "Crack House" barracks with CPL Long on Ft. Benning in 2004.
I am also scared of forgetting their voice and their face, I know one day their memories will fade away and slip from my grasp. So I hold on to them for as long as I can.
I know they are looking down on us with smiles. Even as these tears fill our eyes, their smiles and laughter should bring a smile to our faces.
Let us celebrate who they were and the sacrifice they each willing made.
FIX BAYONETS!
