growing up in a military community i have a strong sense of appreciation and pride for the military. i have grown up with their children, served them food (and frosty beverages) in the jobs i held, and even had the privilege of working for the Army for a year. i have seen these people in their every day lives as well as in their professional field. many of my friends have joined the services or have become my friends because they were stationed in my home town. each one having a profound impact on my life and gaining a respect that can never be diminished because of their willingness to step in to their uniform.
every year one of these people comes to my mind consistently. my friend maj. michael green. two and a half years ago michael made the ultimate sacrifice. there isn't really a day that goes by that i don't think of him, but on days that are set aside to celebrate the men and women of the armed forces his memory is always so much stronger.
i had the great privilege of meeting michael while he was "doing time" in leavenworth for cgsc. he began coming to the bar i was working at for beverages and meeting up with a couple other fellas that were also attending cgsc. while michael was only present on the weekends (greg and mikey were pretty much daily staples during their year in lv) his infectious smile and witty personality were enough to endear him to the staff after only a visit or two. he was the true representation of a southern gentleman. hailing from louisiana, he had a soft southern accent, was tall, dark haired, genuinely attractive but unaware of this, would open doors, give up his seat, and always include others in the conversations. above all, he had a true passion for his work. i have met many people in the various branches but i have yet to meet a person that was so passionate about serving his country as michael was. second to his passion for service was his love of his family (including his twin sister michelle), his love of boats, a cold mgd, and the love he developed while in leavenworth for an old friend of mine from preschool, lora. i began to look forward to visiting with michael when he would come to the bar. the stories he would tell and his lively personality were much like a light to a moth. you couldn't help but be drawn in.
for those unaware of how cgsc works, the students come to the school for a years time. to me this may be one of the hardest situations i had to deal with while in lv. although you are aware that people in the military will be re-stationed after a few years, with cgsc there is only 1 short year to spend with them. in the year that michael was there he was one of the 3 men that endeared themselves in my heart for the rest of my life (greg and mikey being the other two). i had the privilege of celebrating birthday's, holidays, graduations, relationships starting and even some ending, and many other life moments that occur in a years time. as june of 2007 approached we began to cherish those moments we spent together a little bit more because we knew they were becoming fewer. one of the last nights i recall getting to spend as a whole group was for my birthday. it was not a birthday of any significance but i treasure the photos and memories from that night because it was the first and only birthday that michael was present for.
that june my friends were scattered to the winds when michael, mikey, and greg left us. mikey was re-stationed to ft. riley (where is still is but is currently serving us in the big sand box), greg went to north carolina, and michael left for germany. shortly after arriving to germany he was called to serve in afghanistan. michael was doing work around ieds, a clearly dangerous mission but again his passion was in his work so he didn't complain. on january 7th, my friend michael was killed by an ied. when i heard the story of the night before my admiration for this great man grew more than i even thought it could.
i have been told that the night before (jan 6) one of the men in michaels unit had become a proud father with his wife back home. in an act of brotherhood michale offered to take this young mans place that night for duty so he could celebrate this great news. michael left to go invesigate an ied that had gone off, while out on this mission another remote control ied was set off. my friend michael was gone. over the next few days the friends amped up our phone calls sharing any information we gathered or waiting impatiently for whatever scraps of news were being shared about this situation. my heart, and that of the many people who had had the pleasure of meeting michael, was breaking to hear of this great loss. within a week i had befriended michelle, michaels twin sister, and she kept me posted on any and all news she could. with the exception of lora, none of us had met michelle since she lived in louisiana. i still occasionally talk to michelle to let her know i am thinking of her, and michael, and their family. over the past couple years many honors have been bestowed upon michael or in his memory and michelle has been present to accept them on his behalf. her strength amazes me and i know how proud she is of her brother.
i know that my story of the loss of a friend is not the only, or even hardest story out there. while i know some could be bitter at the loss of a friend i can't think that way. while i will always be sad that i will only be able to see michaels smiling face in a photo or a memory, i know that he died doing what he loved. what an honor! but more than that, it is what he loved that even brought him in to my life to begin with! if the pieces of the puzzles had not aligned when they did... the boys being assigned to come to cgsc at the same time, and in that same year that i was working for the army, living in leavenworth, working at the bar, i may never have had the chance to meet them. so every 4th of july as i thank all of the men and women who serve our country i also say thank you to the us army for giving me the chance to be a better person by putting so many amazing people in my life. one of these people being my friend michael! i love and miss you dearly friend and i hope that you are able to enjoy a cold mgd on a boat upstairs while watching the fireworks down here below tomorrow!
