A DEAD SOLDIER'S LETTER TO HIS SON

[kpete]

A DEAD SOLDIER'S LETTER TO HIS SON
by spread the word IRAQ NAM
Mon Dec 18, 2006 at 08:46:43 PM PST

Dearest Son,



Hello Jaxon. My name is Joshua Barrett Madden. I am your father. I know you are far too young to read, but I wouldn't want you to feel left out. I'm writing from a far away place from where you are right now in this world — I am on the exact opposite side. I wish every day and every night that I was home with you and your mother.



Try to understand, your father made a commitment. In the process of starting one's life, one must make a foundation. To build my foundation, I chose the military.



I'm a soldier now and I have been for almost three and a half years. Out of those three, only one year was spent in America. The rest have been dedicated to conflict in the middle east. I have seen much in my young life, different countries and races of people. I have done more with myself then most people I know, enough to make this old war dog want to slow down a bit.



Right now Jax, I am 21-years-old and I have to admit, I had planned to have a family when I was older and more mature, but after seeing the horrors of this world and how short life really is, let's just say it elevated my thinking.



The pieces all came together when I came home on leave from Iraq in July of 2004. Your mother, as she still is today, was so beautiful and full of life and I pray one day that you feel what I feel, that you see someone as I see your mother. Be prepared for it son, when a girl looks at you and you feel like the sun just shown one cloudy day. Your heart beats so hard you actually feel faint. I pray you find someone who haunts your dreams as your mother does mine.



People have asked me, 'So why do you do what you do?' and I cannot answer for they'll never understand. Let's just say your mother gave me a new reason on September 1, 2006. You, my boy. I'd cross hell and high water for you and your mother. Believe me son, family is worth everything. All that I am and have become is now devoted to our family. I learned this from your grandfather, the greatest influence of life and wisdom a boy like me could have.



Well, look at that. Looks like your ol' dad forgot — I can send more than one letter. I love you son. Be good to your mother. She's come a long way for you, trust me. Be good Jaxon.



Your father,
Specialist Madden, Joshua B. US Army



"That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Read the rest at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/18/233629/13

[fishnfla]

1. was that last line really a part of the letter?

wow.

I am reminded of a scene in Catch-22 that went "something like this" IIRC, they were discussing war:

Soldier: they say its better to die standing on your feet than live the rest of your life on your knees

Old man: No, no. They got it backwards. Its always better to live the rest of your life standing on your feet.

[kpete]

4. I believe so

[aaronbees]

2. How many more lives shattered?

Ugh, he's from my area. The local news report said he planned to go to college next summer when he left the military. How many more in his position? How many more to die?

Touching letter, and I hope it's a comfort to his son in the future and to his wife now. :(

[orleans]

3. heartbreaking. n/t

[wicket]

5. Oh god

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Carni]

6. He was just a kid himself--God this is so F'd up

Heartbreaking and for what?

BushCo should be tarred and feathered, stoned and then imprisoned.

[Mad_Dem_X]

7. I've shed so many tears this morning

Watching Ava's new video, and now this. God, how tragic. As someone else said, How many more? How many more families have to be destroyed before it's enough???:cry: :argh:

[zulchzulu]

8. The letter a chickenhawk dares never to see

Armchair warriors and chickenhawk cowards need to read letters like this. They need to tend to the graves of the soldiers they willingly view as pawns in the chess match of lies and greed.

They dare not read these letters. Their squirrelish fears would overtake them and they'd have to resort to bumper sticker untruths like "freedom isn't free", "hey, they were volunteers" or "there were a lot more deaths in World War II"...

Implanting a conscience into armchair warriors and chickenhawk cowards is not a worthy cause. May they merely rot in their pools of selfish hate.

[ceile]

9. Incredibly sad. n/t

[Marie26]

10. Too tragic. nt