Memorial Day Speech – May 23, 2009
Vickie Strong
Growing up as a young girl in a large suburban town in the 60's and 70's, I had no experience honoring Memorial Day as it should be recognized. I have no memories of being introduced to proud veterans who had served our country, and I had very little knowledge of, or appreciation for, what my freedom had cost thousands of men and women throughout history.
How dramatically my life was changed when our son, Jesse, graduated from Marine Corps boot camp just two weeks before September 11, 2001. As I proudly watched our son march onto the field with his graduating class, I had a new respect and admiration for these amazing young men and women who wanted to serve our country in our military. Jesse was deeply grateful for all that our country had given him, and as a young man, he wanted to give something back to it by volunteering to preserve and protect it. He worked hard to be the best Marine that he possibly could be, earning the distinction of company high shooter.
As we were raising our three children, my husband often took our family on trips to famous historical landmarks such as Gettysburg and our nation’s capital to view the Vietnam Memorial and other war memorials that honor the men and women who have given their lives in protecting our freedom throughout history. On Memorial Day every year as our children were growing up my husband and our children would pick lilacs and place them on the Civil War veteran’s graves in our local cemetery on Chamberlin Hill. I believe it was those childhood experiences in Jesse’s life that planted the desire in his heart to consider doing his part as a young man in serving his country. That appreciation of what our freedom has cost our country led Jesse as a seventeen year old young man to speak to the Marine Corps recruiter that stood proudly at the table at our local high school one morning.
After Jesse’s graduation from Marine Corps boot camp at the end of August in 2001, he was able to continue his college education at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, while he served in the reserves in Lynchburg. It was several weeks later, as we watched the shocking events of September 11th on our television screens, that I realized that our freedom is defended and protected by brave, proud, young soldiers like my Marine son, and most likely we would see the day that he would be called upon to leave our country for foreign soil. In the following anxious months I was learning to not take so many things about our daily lives for granted. Things that we as Americans usually don't even think about...our form of government, our freedom to worship, to shop, to be educated, to work at careers of our choosing, to dream, get married, have children, and live quiet peaceful lives in our own communities and homes...
As we waited during the next few years to see what would happen, Jesse was able to graduate from Liberty University with a degree in history and a minor in biology and Bible. We were so proud of him, and he had become such a handsome young man with a big smile, a wonderful sense of humor, and a contagious laugh. He loved to come home to Vermont whenever possible, and he was the best son that a mother could ever have. He had many talents and interests, and we enjoyed him so much. Several months after graduating from college, he enrolled at a seminary in North Carolina, and he was there for a semester before his Marine Corps unit was finally activated to go to Iraq. As we said goodbye to our son, we committed him to God and prayed for him daily.
One week before the first free Iraqi election in January of 2005, Jesse called us on the phone from Iraq to let us know that he would be busy securing the polls for their upcoming election day. It was our last conversation, as four days later headlights came up our driveway on a cold dark January night, and two solemn looking Marines got out and knocked at our door. When we opened the door we knew instantly why they were there and what they had come to tell us.
As our bodies and minds went into shock we learned that our brave son, along with three other fine Marines, had been killed 24 hours earlier by a rocket propelled grenade in an ambush during a night mission. As we tried to grasp the unbelievable news, numbness filled our hearts and minds, and we started to take our first baby steps into the painful and difficult journey of grief. There are no words that can describe what a parent goes through in the loss of a precious son who was killed so suddenly and traumatically, and life without Jesse seemed unimaginable. Even in those first distressing moments of our grief, we sought to honor his sacrifice in every possible way because of the immense pride that we felt for his brave service for our country. It was the three words of the Marine Corps motto, that I kept repeating to myself over and over again, that got me through my first sleepless night after hearing the news of Jesse’s death – honor, courage, and commitment.
While we were experiencing our first agonizing days and nights of grief, and as we were anxiously waiting for our son's body to be returned to us from Iraq, the Iraqi people stepped out of their homes for the first time to vote and experience the new responsibility of freedom. Our son died helping an oppressed people to gain that freedom, and he died proudly serving his country.
Exactly one week after Jesse’s death, as we sorted through the pile of mail that was arriving at our house daily, a post card flitted onto our kitchen table in Jesse’s own handwriting. We suddenly realized that he had written it to us a week before his death, and he had mailed it to us from Iraq. On the postcard he had written the words that would be his goodbye to my husband and me, “Mom and Dad, You are both very special people and I thank the Lord that He let me know you guys – without you my life would be empty. Love you guys! Peace out, Jesse.” His own words comforted our grief stricken hearts.
Because the ground is frozen in January, we had to wait until spring to bury our son's body, so we chose Memorial Day of 2005 for his burial. Many of his Marine Corps comrades, who had served with him in Iraq, were able to attend the service and be his pallbearers. We will never forget their tears or their hugs at the cemetery that day.
Today our family has no anger or regrets in the loss of Jesse, although we miss him deeply and we continue to grieve our profound loss. He willingly served his country with pride, and before he left for Iraq he, himself, said with conviction, “I am bulletproof until God determines otherwise.” Now on Memorial Day, my husband and I take lilacs to the cemetery our son is buried in, that same cemetery that our children and he used to take lilacs to years ago, and I not only remember our son and his ultimate sacrifice for freedom, but the many men and women who have served, and are presently serving, our country for the cause of freedom in the world. The precious cost of that freedom is foremost on my mind and heart every day as we mourn the loss of our son. Our freedom is awesome, and it should not be taken lightly by those of us who enjoy its blessings every day.
Memorial Day is a reminder to us as Americans to be thankful for the men and women who have given their greatest treasure -- their lives -- to protect us and to defend us, so that we can lead abundant lives of our choosing. May we strive to never take that price and the resulting freedom for granted, and may we seek to live lives of gratitude for the price that is being paid on our behalf daily.
Thank you so much for taking the time to honor Gold Star families today. Your kindness and appreciation has given us much comfort and encouragement in the loss of our brave son, and we are very humbled and grateful. May God bless you and continue to bless our country as we trust in Him.