4th of July| Independence Day: Freedom Isn’t Free

photo credit: katmouse47

The theme of this post is “Freedom Isn’t Free”.   I learned that recently when I lost a brother in arms a few weeks ago.  SSG Melton’s death in combat was a shrilling reminder of what it means to truly love your country.  The following is an email the wife of a soldier who is over in Afghanistan fighting the war right now with the rest of SSG Melton’s brigade.  He also served with me and SSG Melton in Iraq and is currently on his third deployment.  I’ll let her words speak for themselves…..

Dear friends and family,
As some of you all already know, we suffered the loss of another local soldier last week. This was the 14th KIA for the Brigade during this deployment. SSG Josh Melton had been a part of the Salem unit (D Co, 2-130, where Greg is the commander) for several years and served with Greg in Iraq in 2005. He was a good friend and soldier, husband and father to his wife and 1-year old daughter whom he left behind. SSG Melton was scheduled to return home in about one month. This one has really hit a little too close to home for all of us.

As a military wife, your job is to carry on with daily life and maintain the family and home while your husband is away. You try to keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face, while in the back of your mind you live in fear of coming home to the unfamiliar car parked in your driveway and a soldier in Class A’s standing on your doorstep. While we try not to think the worst, we know that it becomes a reality for some. I attended the visitation for Josh on Friday along with some other military wives, and as difficult as it was to face reality, it was amazing to see how the community came together in support of the family. The entire Clinton County was covered in flags and signs as far as you could see. A flag in every yard and on every flagpole and signs on homes and every business. It was the most amazing yet heart-wrenching experience. We had a few drinks with Josh’s father after the visitation was over. He told stories and talked about how proud he was of Josh. One thing he said that really stuck out in my mind was this: “The two things my son wanted in life was to serve his country and take care of his family, and he did both. I couldn’t be more proud”. One thing I have come to know and love about being a part of the military is the pride that you have for your soldier, and the support you have from your military family.

As we look forward to celebrating our country’s Independence Day, keep in mind what we are celebrating. Be proud of where you live. Pray for those who have fought for our freedom in the past and for those who continue to fight today. Without them, we wouldn’t have the privileges that we do today. For SSG Melton’s family, this day will have a whole new meaning. Remember, freedom isn’t free.

Have a safe 4th of July. I love you all!

***I have attached a picture of the ramp ceremony where they loaded the caskets of SSG Melton and the other 3 KIA’s onto the plane back to the USA last week.  Very moving…

Honoring the Fallen

This week’s carnivals:

• Carnival of Debt Reduction – “Four Pillars” Edition @ Four Pillars.
• Carnival of Personal Finance #210 – Punch Out Edition @ Suburban Dollar.
• Best of Money Carnival – June 22, 2009 @ Bargain Babe.
• Festival Of Frugality- Honeymoon Destination Edition @ Financial Highway.
• Money Hacks Carnival #70 @ Blogging Banks.
• Thrifty Thursday: Living on the Cheap – June 25th @ Thrifty Jinxy.
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 13: The Summer Vacation Edition @ 3 Princesses Momma.
• The Carnival of Twenty Something Finances: 6-29-09 @ Independent Beginnings.
• June 29, 2009 edition of kids and money @ Money Hacks.
• Financial Planning and Personal Investment This Week @ The Skilled Investor.
• Carnival of Investing Strategies #15 @ The Penny Daily.
• Economy and Your Finances Carnival July 5 @ One Mint.
• The Best of the Best in Money and Personal Finance #4 @ Len Penzo.