When The Shooting Stops: Memorial Day 2012 - My Favorite Pictures From Arlington

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Memorial Day 2012 - My Favorite Pictures From Arlington

I went to Arlington National Cemetery for the first time on Memorial Day to celebrate the life of 1LT Kenneth Ballard, with his mother, Karen Meredith, and the other proud members of "Team Ken". It was a moving and inspiring day and I'm posting some pictures that I especially like.

Washington DC on the other side of the Potomac

A Reminder...

The sun breaks through on Memorial Day

All white marble... Row upon row...

Upon row...

A single rose...

Section 60, where those we have lost in Iraq and Afghanistan are at rest

Headstone at Site 8006 for 1LT Kenneth Ballard

Karen tells me these stones are called "Mother's Tears"

Karen hugs an arriving member of Team Ken

As only she can, Karen speaks to us of Ken's life and memory

"To Ken!"

A bagpiper plays and walks the rows...

The newest graves really get me

Marines... Always faithful.

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Why This Blog?

I spent a lot of the last decade pissed off -- really pissed off. And my writing at the time reflected it: Angry, pointed and focused like a laser on everything I did not like about the previous administration and, in particular, the war in Iraq, which as a military Veteran, left me fuming more days than not.

My opposition to the Iraq war was specifically because of having been in the military and my unshakable belief that our men and women in uniform were serving honorably and with tremendous courage in a war that was not worthy of their sacrifice. I stand by every word I wrote during that time, but I would be lying if I said there were not some things that I wish I could take back. Thus is the lot you draw for yourself when you are angry and where most of what you care about is what you are against, rather than what you are for.

This web site and my upcoming book, When The Shooting Stops, will be all about what I am for: Our newest military families who have sacrificed so much over the last 10 years, the people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and our duty as a nation to see that what they gave -- and what they risked -- is honored and never forgotten.

I can't promise I will never take a political tone -- can any of us ever swear to that these days? What I do promise is that I will damned well try to keep this blog about the people who are wearing the uniform, those who have served and their families. I may call some people out, but I will try to make the criteria for that criticism what they do for or against the interests of our military people and Veterans and not what political party they belong to.

After feeling at odds for so many years with my more conservative friends, it feels good to come back to something that, at its core, is something most people can agree with -- our military families and Veterans gave to us and we must remember to give back to them.

Thanks for reading.