The Reality of War....

Today I had a very humbling and heartfelt experience.  An email was sent out to all employees in our building that Army Specialist Will Rabon's body was being returned home to Lexington County this morning.  Specialist Rabon was killed in Afghanistan last week when the vehicle he and another SC soldier, Staff Sargeant Willie Harley, were riding in was attacked by insurgents with an Improvised Explosive Device.  Both men were killed.  The email stated that the processional of Specialist Rabon's return home would include his family and loved ones and would be traveling past our office building.  The email asked that we step out to the road side and line the main streets of Lexington to show our respects to a hero coming home. 
 
I didn't ask anyone else in my office if they were going to step outside, but when I did so on this beautiful autumn day, I was truly in awe of what I saw.  There were at least a hundred people already lined up along the street.  At the same time as I stepped onto the sidewalk, I noticed there were many others filing out of all the Main Street offices too.  The mood was somber and reflective.  Some were holding American flags, some were waiting silently....
 
When the processional approached, I put my hand over my heart and with an overwhelming feeling of respect and sadness, I watched as each vehicle passed by.  First, Army Specialist Rabon's body, draped by an American flag.  And then vehicle after vehicle of family, friends, military, and law enforcement.  When the last vehicle passed us by, all of the office workers turned and silently went back to their jobs and their daily responsibilities. 
 
Today I realized that the majority of us truly take our freedom for granted.  I think we get so caught up in our over-scheduled lives, our desire to have more and be more, and our overly secure feeling of being an American that we forget....We forget that there are people - men and women - fighting to protect our freedom.  Fighting to protect our over-scheduled lives, our desire to have more and be more, and our overly secure feeling of being an American.  And no matter how we feel about political agendas, the war itself, or the military....we are free because of people like them.  
 
I wish more people would take the time to do what I did today.  I didn't know Specialist Rabon personally.  I didn't have to.  I do know that he is my hero.  Among the many other soldiers whose lives have been lost protecting each and everyone of us.  As I said above, it was a very humbling and heartfelt experience.  It was the reality of war....
 
Lastly, and so you'll know, Specialist Rabon was survived by his wife and four young children.