collecting myself.

One thing we can do is remember these heroes as you remember them—not just as a rank, or a number, or a name on a headstone, but as Americans, often far too young, who were guided by a deep and abiding love for their families, for each other, and for this country.

We can remember Jay Aubin, the pilot, who met his wife on an aircraft carrier, and told his mother before shipping out, ‘If anything happens to me, just know I’m doing what I love.’

We can remember Ryan Beaupre, the former track star, running the leadoff leg, always the first one into action, who quit his job as an accountant and joined the Marines because he wanted to do something more meaningful with his life.

We can remember Brian Kennedy, the rock climber and lacrosse fanatic, who told his father two days before his helicopter went down that the Marines he served alongside were some of the best men he’d ever dealt with, and they’d be his friends forever.

We can remember Kendall Waters-Bey, a proud father, a proud son of Baltimore, who was described by a fellow servicemember as ‘a light in a very dark world.’

And we can remember David Hickman, a freshman in high school when the war began, a fitness fanatic who half-jokingly called himself ‘Zeus,’ a loyal friend with an infectious laugh.

We can remember them. And we can meet our obligations to those who did come home, and their families who are in the midst of a different, but very real battle of their own.

President Obama at Arlington Cemetery today (via barackobama)

1. ps120 likes this
2. davidtennantisattractive likes this
3. i11matic likes this
4. indeed-chartis-boston-insurance reblogged this from barackobama
5. indeed-chartis-boston-insurance likes this
6. mediafire-4shared-movie-ddl reblogged this from barackobama
7. lets-be-us likes this
8. fgulla likes this
9. breathless likes this
10. mediafire-4shared-movie-ddl likes this
11. ilovenicholas916 reblogged this from barackobama
12. ass-munched likes this
13. physalys likes this
14. www-sass-speaks-com likes this
15. stressbumps reblogged this from barackobama
16. weenlebowski reblogged this from barackobama
17. run-to-be-free reblogged this from silentsarcasm3
18. run-to-be-free likes this
19. givemesomenasonexyouswine reblogged this from ingenueswithlonglashes
20. ingenueswithlonglashes reblogged this from barackobama
21. armchairsoapbox reblogged this from on-the-offensive
22. armchairsoapbox likes this
23. pioure reblogged this from barackobama
24. on-the-offensive reblogged this from sean-p3
25. wesmilesvirus likes this
26. somewherethereislove reblogged this from marry-the-music
27. marry-the-music reblogged this from barackobama
28. dreamiermaalik reblogged this from barackobama
29. itssotrue likes this
30. axcelle reblogged this from maitrefox
31. maitrefox reblogged this from barackobama
32. ensouvenirde reblogged this from barackobama
33. zoshua likes this
34. rubbishandsuch reblogged this from barackobama
35. greekwords likes this
36. somethingnerdythiswaycomes reblogged this from barackobama
37. fruitflying reblogged this from otherpromise
38. iblamejersey likes this
39. littlejanelle likes this
40. occamsphaser likes this
41. rosemarymonday likes this
42. grifmoney8 reblogged this from captainfaggo
43. chrisinhou likes this
44. chrisinhou reblogged this from barackobama
45. suhnahlee likes this
46. zeetheus likes this
47. accidentalpro reblogged this from barackobama
48. goddess-donnellsxx reblogged this from kisskissjoyjoy
49. debmduke likes this
50. binkini likes this
51. Show more notesLoading...