I want to start this post with a little story. Friday, I picked up my son from daycare and I was joking around with him. I told him I’d sell him into slavery. He asked, “To Kabul?”
“Huh, Kabul?? Why is my child’s first reaction to slavery the thought of Kabul?”
I dug a little and found out he had read a book at school about a young girl in the Middle East who disguises herself as a boy in order to work so she can help support her family.
He tells me, “Way back in the old days, they made women wear these things called burkas that covered them from head to toe! And girls couldn’t go to school!!”
I explained to him that it is still the same way in that area and he was shocked. Literally stunned into silence. I went on and explained that this is why we are in a war in Afghanistan. That there were people, radical Muslims, who hate the way we live, who hate the freedoms we have in our country, and so they flew planes into the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon to punish us. And so the next morning, we were getting up very early to welcome home a young man who had died in Afghanistan because our country sent him over there to fight those who want to end our way of life and who wish to replace it with theirs, where girls cannot go to school and where girls like his sister, who attended prom this weekend, could be killed by her parents for going somewhere with a boy.
My young man was quiet throughout my explanation and the following morning, he did not argue and he did not fuss when I got him out of bed on a dreary Saturday morning to pay our respects to a local boy who died in a foreign land on our behalf.
CPL Benjamin Neal, 21, of Orfordville, Wis, a small farming community, returned home Saturday to the arms of his family. He was killed on April 25 and the whole community and surrounding towns have pulled together to show our support his family.
In over 10 long years of war, our small, local airport has never had a Soldier or Marine returned here. They have always come in further north and so it was our duty as a family to go and stand in the color line with the Vietnam Veterans group as they stood in respect and sympathy. It was the most heartbreaking thing we’ve ever done.
We stood at the entrance road to the airport, we were such a small group. I was so sad that more in our larger town didn’t show up. It feels like the whole world should stop for a few hours while a family receives the remains of their son, but that isn’t the way it is. Americans continue living their lives, they continue enjoying their freedoms that such a small, select group of men and women volunteer to protect and it made my stomach hurt to see so few standing with us on the corner, but embedded below is video of his hometown, and almost every person living there turned out for this somber occasion. All 1400 of them.
Vietnam Veterans group waiting
My son, sad and waiting for the escort home to arrive
The Patriot Guard Riders came out and were, as always, respectful and gracious in helping to protect the family as they approached the casket and there were so many motorcycles that rode past in the motorcade. As we stood at attention with our flags, we watched police and firemen, motorcycles and cars roll past, well over 100 vehicles led young CPL Neal to his home.
It was so hard to see the friends and family crying as they drove past. I cannot imagine their devastation. Some faces were so stoic and yet, several men, even in their cars, removed their hats and covered their hearts as they drove past our flags. We are the heartland of America. We are patriotic and honorable, hard-working, and in this instance, so filled with grief over the loss of a hometown hero.
I wish to express my deepest sympathies to the widow and family of CPL Neal. We will remember him and the sacrifice he made for all of us. I am so sorry.
