On the way to the bus stop this morning, I was scanning through the radio stations, like I always do. I stumbled across a broadcast of “Focus on the Family” on one of the Christian stations I listen to sometimes. It grabbed my attention right away --- the title of the broadcast is “A Tribute To Men of Honor, Part 2” – and the show consisted of a discussion with widows who have lost their husbands in the war. The part I heard of the broadcast was very moving --- and I really lost it when the women started talking about the Patriot Guard Riders and how much it meant to them to have PGR at their husbands’ funerals. A couple of the women said that the protestors did show up at their husbands’ funerals, but that 1) when they saw the HUGE number of PGRs and law enforcement officers present, they changed their mind and did not protest, and/or 2) the family NEVER EVEN SAW the protestors. They talked about the PGR for a little while…then I had to go because I was nearly late for my bus. It was incredibly moving… good think I’m used to driving and crying at the same time. I didn’t get to hear the whole broadcast in the car, but found it online once I got to work, and just finished listening to it. They cover a range of topics, including their churches' reactions and support (or lack thereof in one case -- too sad), and why they believe, even now, that we are doing the right thing over there. You can listen to the broadcast HERE. (Part One can be found HERE.)
Friday, July 06, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Well, I have thought about you twice this week. In 2005 I adopted MySpecialSoldier whose MO-NG unit was attached to the 48th BCT in Iraq. To this day MSS is a very dear, special friend who contacts me at least once a week. He suffers PTSD but is getting much better now that he is getting help and meds. Monday he discussed the beginning of his tour spent in what he called The Lion's Den. And he told me how the 48th had lost 8 men in 2 days. When he mentioned them, I remembered your posts about the 48th back then. Little did you know how you were a link to info about what MSS was enduring. I thank you for that, Kat.
And today I was just sitting around so I went off to Curves to workout. While there one of the women commented about a recent coverstory on one of our local tv stations. At the request of the parents of one soldier who returned alone from Iraq, the Patriot Guard was at the airport to greet the soldier and give him a ride home. I was afraid this would start happening...the women at the gym commented about that not being the purpose of the Guard and that the soldier should not have been given special treatment. Another gym member then commented that the situation pushed her into dropping the soldier she recently adopted. This really makes me sad. I'm so happy the gym owner wasn't there today. If she'd heard these comments she might stop letting me put up signs requesting the members write words of love and encouragement to my adopted soldiers and sign the stationery I place on the table at the gym. People never cease to amaze me!
Kat - If anyone in the PGR has ever questioned if what we do matters, this interview would settle it.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I'm so glad I didn't have to read it. I never would have made it through.
BTW - I am posting a link to this and you in the Indiana PGR forum.
Post a Comment