Please "remember" me.....

Memorial day, the day that we give thanks to all who serve our country, and especially the ones that have served and gave their lives for our freedom. God bless them all.

When I was a small boy a bully used to beat me up just about everyday on my way to school. A neighbor kid (Tommy Brunson) heard what was happening, so he told me that he was not going to let that happen any longer. So every day he would come over and walk me to school, and the bulling stopped. After some time went by Tommy joined the Marines and soon received orders to go to Korea. He had a "fiancee" and they were about to be married, but they decided to postpone the wedding until he returned home. He came home on leave before deployment only to discover that his fiancee was involved with another man! He was devastated. Shortly after he arrived in Korea he and another Marine were killed by an enemy aircraft as they walked along a highway! I carry his picture with me and I will never forget him. He is a true "American Hero", and a wonderful friend...I miss him dearly.

My best friend: "Van Vargas" (Army) was in Vietnam for several months, he survived but has lasting scares from the war!

My family has given much, my grandfather "Herbert Wellington Scharf "(Canadian Army)was surrounded in a tank in the "black forest" in Germany in WW2, his tank was finally rescued after several days, but he never recovered from the trauma and spent the rest of his life in a military hospital, never to know his family again!

My Cousin: "Jimmy Abbatoye" (Army) was in Vietnam for over a year, when he came home he was burned over 90% of his body. When he recovered, no one would give him a job, so he moved to Oregon where many Vietnam veterans live. He told me that one night when he was standing guard he heard a noise coming from the darkness, he fired his weapon and the noise stopped. The next morning he found what was making the noise...not the enemy, but a farmers cow! This bothered him more than the fighting because he said he took the farmers livelihood away from him. He will never be the same again.

My uncle: "Clarke Sutherland" (U.S. Airforce) is now deceased.

My nephew: "Wesley Bacon" (Marine) he too survived and lives near my sister today.

I was also in the military, (U.S. Air Force) I was also lucky, I came home in one piece.

Now here's the latest news; my grandson (Matthew Scharf)went into the military May 23,2008. He joined the Army and is in boot camp in Oklahoma. Our family never runs from a fight and responds when our country needs us. We don't want any pats on the back, because this is what all good Americans do. All we want you to do is, please "remember" that the price of freedom is great, and nothing good comes easy. Someone has to answer the call and pay the price for our freedom. I know that my grandson will stand tall and do his job like a man, because that's the way that he was raised. So please say a special prayer for all our men and women who serve our country and don't ever forget the ones who won't be coming home anymore, because they gave their lives for our freedom.

One more thing, remember all who lost their limbs and/or their buddies, who now live with broken bodies and dreams forever...and not to mention the ones who live with the war inside them everyday. For them the war will never end!