Lohan who?

A friend of mine wrote the following on her Facebook page yesterday:

Lohan who? I can't believe the news coverage being given to a spoiled 20-something year old. Here are a few 20 year-olds worth knowing about: Justin Allen 23, Brett Linley 29, Matt Weikert 29, Justus Bartett 27, Dave Santos 21, Chase Stanley 21, Jesse Reed 26, Matthew King 23, Christopher Goeke 23, & Sheldon Tate 27. These 20-somethings gave their lives for you this week.

Her post really struck me. Like a lit match in a dark room, it stood in stark contrast to anything else people are talking about. It's tragic, of course, that anyone dies at such a young age, even for a noble cause. But it's a worse travesty that fewer and fewer people take notice. After all, the sacrifice of these "20-somethings" helped preserve the liberties, rights, and freedoms we possess.

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I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the kind words of support folks have sent my way, and the many thank-yous I've heard. For the most part, Julie, Ken and I are doing fine. But for some families, deployment is quite a hardship, especially for those who serve on the homefront. So, if you ever have an opportunity, find a deployed Soldier's (or Sailor's or Airman's or Marine's) wife, husband, son, daughter, mom, or dad, and ask what they need. Usually, the answer is "nothing", but there's always some small way to help them endure the absence of their loved one. Pay special attention to those young wives and new moms who quickly become overwhelmed when there's no one to help share the load. Cut their grass, shovel their snow, babysit their kids. In this way, you'll be serving your country every bit as honorably as those of us here in the sandbox. It turns out service members like to say "thank you" too!

Abi out.