I'm Going To Visit a Hero Today

Yep, you heard me... later today I'm going to go visit one of my Heroes... not just any ole hero either... but a LOCAL hero from Georgia's 48th BCT.

I'm not "excited" about this visit... actually, I'm rather sad. In fact, I'm already crying, and it will be several hours before I actually get to leave for my visit.

You see, the Hero I'm visiting will not even know I'm there. He can't acknowledge my presence or respond to the things I'll say.

Later today, I'll be visiting the gravesite of Sgt. Michael Stokely, the 48th BCT Soldier who was from Loganville, Georgia, where I live, who was killed in August by some terrorist scum.

I was very, very upset that I had to miss his funeral this summer. I'd wanted to go, but wasn't able to find out any information about it. I posted a tribute to him on my blog and the idea of finding where he was buried and visiting his grave has continually been at the TOP of my list of things to do. Even though he was from Loganville, I never knew him or his family, or even anyone who knew him.

Until a day or two before Thanksgiving, when I got an email from his father. He'd somehow stumbled across my blog and specifically, the post about his son. Sgt. Stokely's dad emailed me and offered to send me a DVD of the memorial service they had there in his hometown. He did, along with a bumper sticker honoring his son [which I IMMEDIATELY put on my car], and a few other things as well. We've emailed back & forth since then a few times.

Last night, right before I fell asleep, I thought to myself, "Tomorrow morning when I get up, I'm gonna email Mr. Stokely and ask him where Mike is buried, so I can finally visit his grave."

This morning, I got up, staggered to the computer and logged on.

There was an email waiting for me from Mr. Stokely.

It said, "By the way, in case you ever want to visit his grave, it is located at [location, etc]."

***am I the only one here who just got goose bumps?!***

And, as luck would have it... I know right where it's at. Not only that... but I literally go RIGHT PAST THAT CEMETARY no less than twice a week. It is mere MINUTES from my home.

*more goosebumps*

So, late this afternoon, after I get my research paper about Hamlet written and after my husband comes home from all his wanderings today, I'm going to go visit with a hero.