5 Comments

1. 

   carolyn elkins on September 21, 2007 at 11:38 am

   Thank you Dave- and Mary for the idea. I am so grateful for Eddie having the heart he did- not just to serve our country, but also for writing his thoughts down for us- so we could learn from him. God Bless you all. Carolyn- (I’m going to go read now.)

2. 

   Scott Malensek, Akron, Ohio on September 21, 2007 at 2:39 pm

   I teach my kids one thing above all others. I don’t send them off to piano lessons or fill their rooms with planets in the hopes that they can be indoctrinated into becoming astronauts. Ask my 2 yr old son, and even he can answer it,

   “What’s the most important thing?”
   answer: “To help people”

   If my 5yr old daughter wants to be a doctor and immunize the sick in Congo, then great.

   If she wants to work for the UN and deliver bags of rice to starving masses in Somalia, then great.

   If my son wants to go to Myanmar and build bridges where tribes are isolated because of annual floods and swollen rivers, then great.

   If he wants to go someplace and protect people from suicidal Islamic death cult terrorists, then great.

   I’ll be terrified in all those cases-each one, but I’ll also always be proud of my kids. It’s somewhere in the genetic code of mankind I think, but the most important thing is to help people:

   feed the starving
   heal the sick
   save the drowning
   and protect the unprotected-especially when confronted so clearly by evil.

   The bravest and the best are always the first ones to stand up and help other people. Everyone else, turns on American Idol, listens to their iPod, tosses in Halo3, and makes excuses.

   If we are made in God’s image, aren’t we supposed to live in it as well? The best of mankind does. History isn’t made by bureaucrats. Civilizations aren’t saved by reality TV addicts. Lives aren’t saved by couch potatoes, and evil is not deterred by pink adorned protesters.

   History is made by the bold
   Civilizations are saved dedicated
   Lives are changed by people who care-A LOT
   and evil is deterred by courage

   I wonder if you all realize the impact Eddie has made? I marvel at it. It seems like he did. His letters seem to show that much pretty clearly. I never met him, but I am proud of him and everything he’s done. We should all be so clear minded, so committed, so filled with conviction….to say nothing of his courage.

   Our prayers are with you all and with him.
   May God grant him the peace he so greatly earned.

   -Scott

3. 

   Joyce Romano on September 23, 2007 at 3:10 pm

   I will always take the word of our great soldiers who are in the field doing the hard, dangerous and important work; over the opinions of biased reporters and partisan politicians sitting on their behinds at a very safe distance from reality.

   Thanks for sharing Eddie’s great articles. What a brave man of conviction, unselfishness and dedication. We should all feel very proud of such a fine young man and soldier, who fought so hard for us.

   God bless Eddie and his family. God bless all our troops!

4. 

   Cliff Jones on September 24, 2007 at 9:07 pm

   Eddie is still touching lives!! Today I have been printing out Eddie’s articles and passing them out at the office.

   May the God who gave you your precous son, who took him home, multiply the effect of Eddie’s writing more than we can now imagine.

   Cliff Jones

5. 

   Etta Jolly on October 1, 2007 at 7:47 am

   Just yesterday I was ask, “How does the soldiers feel when people here in the US act so stupid about the war?” This morning I finally had time to read the article that Eddie wrote. I am printing off what Eddie had to say, and hand out to everybody. First copy will go to the man that ask the question. Even with Angel Wings, Eddie is still serving his country.
   Proud Army Mom
   Etta Jolly