In loving memory- by MW

All,

On this day, four years ago, a patrol from B Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, from the 1st Infantry Division was ambushed in the streets of Tikrit Iraq. While driving down a street known as “RPG Alley” at 0300, the second vehicle in the patrol was attacked with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and small arms fire that mortally wounded CPT John “Hans” Kurth and SPC Jason Ford.
As the Company Commander, CPT Kurth constantly made sacrifices for the soldiers in his command. On this night, only two weeks into the unit’s one year deployment, Hans assigned himself the midnight patrol. Being the third patrol of the day and the middle of the night, this was the hardest patrol to conduct. It was also the most critical, because it helped demonstrate to the good people in Iraq that coalition forces would not allow insurgents to move freely through the night and conduct acts of terror at will. Hans was a leader and always led from the front. This night was no different. Only, on 13 March 2004, Hans made the ultimate sacrifice, not only for his unit and his men, but for his country (each and every one of us). Hans was a father to a beautiful young boy, a great American Soldier, and a dear friend to many.
As the commander, Hans knew the strengths and weaknesses of each soldier in his unit and subsequently selected the best soldiers in the unit to accompany him as a part of his regular patrolling force. Not only was SPC Jason Ford selected to join the patrol, he was selected as the Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) to manage communications in commander’s vehicle. Jason was an outstanding soldier who knew his trade better than most. He knew how to manage the command group’s difficult communications setup, had a masterful understanding of all the weapons within the convoy, and was an expert marksman. Jason jumped at the opportunity to join this patrol group. Not only because he wanted to show that he was the best, but he knew that this group, led by CPT Kurth, would push itself to its limits to accomplish their mission. He knew that this group would be responsible for a positive impact on tens of thousands of lives in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, Iraq as they eliminated the violence and acts of terror that were present from insurgent forces. On 13 March 2004, Jason also made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his life for his country. He always had a positive attitude and was fun to be around. The officers and non-commissioned officers admired his motivation and the soldiers loved his sense of humor. He was a fine soldier and also a friend to many.
While I could write about how these great men and that night have impacted my life, I will not. There are over 3000 American soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in our current war on terror. Each have people whose lives they touched who could write a novel on their behalf, but that is not why these individuals choose to serve. There is an old phrase that is used everywhere from country songs to Hollywood movies stating, “Freedom Isn’t Free.” The freedoms that many of us take for granted were earned by the sacrifices of our forefathers over two hundred years ago and are maintained by our brave men and women in uniform today. Whether you agree with our current military campaigns or not, the service members and their family members are making tremendous sacrifices on a daily basis for each and every one of us. If you see a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, or their families…just take a second to say “Thank you” for the lives that they have chosen and the sacrifices that they have made.
There is no need to reply or forward this e-mail. The intent of this e-mail is to ask each of you to take a minute during your day today to stop and reflect on your own lives. Be thankful for the family, friends, and freedoms that each of us hold dear. This day is especially important to me since it is the anniversary of when a close friend lost his life and serves as a time for me to pause. All I am asking is that you add meaning to their sacrifice. Take a minute to appreciate all of the little things in life and remember what it takes for each of us to be able to enjoy them. Thank you for your time.