Letters Home

HunterByrd posted this letter to the editor that was published in a small Kentucky Newspaper:

To the editor:

I would like to thank everyone for your support and mostly for your prayers. The station I'm at is a calm place. I don't really have much to worry about as far as attacks. The living conditions are good here. We have a church to go to and Bible study. Now is the time more than ever for faith. God has been with us to give us strength and courage everyday.

We had a marine from my unit in the rear fall. He left a new wife. I also had a friend from boot-camp fall a week earlier. He left behind a new wife and unborn child. Please pray for them and their families. I also ask you to pray for those who have fallen and those still here. I am proud to serve my country and fight for freedom. I know and understand that these deaths are not in vain.

I look and talk to these people and see the desperation for freedom. They are all not like the stories we hear. They are very friendly, kind people. They always greet you with a smile and laughter. I now know why we are here. Everyone deserves freedom and happiness. To those who fight, I ask for God's mercy for them and their souls. I pray that one day they will understand the error of their ways. I hope they see that instead of murder, there can be peace.

Life is a gift from God that no one should take for granted, though we do it everyday. At home we enjoy our family meals, our favorite shows and our occasional night out. We fight with our spouses over money, the care, the cleanliness of the house and the toilet seat. Out here, none of that matters. Here, Christmas is another day at work with a slight relief that we are still alive. We give thanks to God for being alive and praying for those who have fallen.

Before you go to bed tonight, grant me this favor: pray for the marines, soldiers, sailors, Americans and the people here. The power of prayer is greater when more than one prays for the same cause. I thank you all.

Jason E. F.
Cpl., USMC

You can read HunterByrd's additional comments here.

But Cpl. Jason is exactly right. We need to remember to be praying for our men and women in the military. They serve not only us and our country, but those seeking freedom to gain and preserve all around the world. God Bless them.