Letter From A Soldier

I received the following letter from a friend of mine whose sister supports the troops through an organization called Books For Soldiers. Apparently her sister communicates with quite a few soldiers and sends at least ten large boxes of books to them on a regular basis. She says that the troops hear a lot of trash talk from Al Jazeera and need to know that we support them. They are thankful when they see pictures from home of events supporting the troops, of houses with flags on them, and of people wearing support buttons and ribbons, etc. Here is the letter...

Bob and Rita,
Hope you enjoy the 4th of July and know that your freedoms are being protected every day. I want you to know that it is my honor to protect our freedoms. Thank you for the card. George L Skypeck said it best when he wrote:

I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where others feared to go,
and did what others failed to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing,
and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness...
should I fail.

I have seen the face of terror;
felt the stinging cold of fear;
and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.

I have cried, pained, and hoped...
but most of all,
I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.
At least someday I will be able to say
that I was proud of what I was... a soldier.

Take care,
Kenny