the Right Angler
I saw that same smile years later after a football game at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. He was the quarterback of the football team and my brother, Chad, quarterbacked their opponents that day, Assumption College. Both Kyle and Chad had played well and our families gathered at mid-field afterwards to exchange greetings and salutations. It was a nice moment between two families that shared similar values and hometowns.
I didn't see Kyle again until last week when I picked up the Free Press and saw that smiling face. Somewhere between that Saturday afternoon at St. Anselm's and last week, Kyle had become a man, a Marine, a husband, a father and a hero. That picture of Kyle and his wife on their wedding day was a powerful reminder of the sacrifice that Kyle and his family has made for us. It was humbling, inspiring and heartbreaking.
So on behalf of my family, I want to thank Captain Kyle VanDeGiesen for making the ultimate sacrifice. We are safer and freer because of it. He will always be a hero to us and a role model for our children. We will never forget him. God Bless you Kyle and Thank You.
The Soldier
It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.
By Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC