Memorial Day in USA

Today News about Memorial Day in USA: Andy was a key lieutenant of our Marine Corps classroom teaching. He was intelligent, motivated, serious and decisive. I was lucky to have him as my first roommate - he helped me in any way he could. In elementary school (TBS), Marine Corps lieutenants compete against each other for the choice of military occupational specialty (MOS), such as infantry, logistics, communications, and artillery. Day 1 TBS, the only MOS Andy never mentioned reservoirs. He just wanted to be a warehouse agent. Because there were only one or two slots for the official repository of all our company of 180 lieutenants, Andy would have to rank at the top of our class in leadership, physical fitness, military tactics, and academics to achieve its objective. Within a year of graduating TBS, I was notified that Andy was killed in Iraq. An IED detonated underneath his tank and killed him instantly. On Memorial Days like this weekend's, I think about him. I think about the family he left behind. And I think of all the others who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America. I think about their families, as well. Even though TBS is full of exceptional young men and women, Andy worked harder than just about anyone else there and ranked number 2 in our entire company at the end of the six month program of instruction. Andy got to pick tanks and became a Tank Officer. Our entire platoon congratulated him as we all knew he had been working toward that goal from the very first day. I think how is random - that they become what we call "fallen." Andy so bad sometime in the SCT, or maybe it was not a hard day here or there would be over a pair of lower slots in the final standings and did not have your choice of MOS. It was a tanker and was not in a tank over an IED that day. The randomness of it all seems so cruel.