I spent my whole life thinking all my friends would be with me every day of the summer and school year until we all graduated. That's when my best friend Brandon became a senior and had a chance, and he took it.

The summer of 2011 Brandon made the chance to join the Army, and he did. He began basic a week after school ended. His plan was to go to Fort Jackson, South Carolina and graduate from basic and then come and finish his senior year in school. Well that was a surprise to me.

We all know that when our loved ones join the Army, they also have joined together to dedicate their lives to this country. Knowing that our loved ones are in training for killing the enemy, we need to support them for risking their lives for ours. Tears are shed for those that go to battle and die for what they believe in and sorrow is shared between others for the losses they share in this world full of willing men to fight. We support them, we support our countries soldiers, men and women.

He was gone the whole summer and we decided to do what all army friends or couples do. We wrote to each other until we met again. Writing back and forth with him made me feel more connected and I thought he maybe feels the same way, but what I didn't know is that I may never have him as my own again. He is in love with the girl he left before basic and I understand I had my chance and missed it. I thought to myself that it's better to be friends and stay together then to date and possibly in the near future spread apart and lose each other.

The letters I first received from him were asking how was I doing and everyone else back in Minnesota. I told him it's all pretty good, but I couldn't pull the guts out to tell him that I still loved him because I was afraid he wouldn't want to hear that. So I continued telling him about work and how my summer has been. I thought it was all going fine for him too, until he sent me the last letter before he came home. In the letter was what all had happened to him at basic.

" O guess what? my kidneys are failing. When you kidneys fail you die... But I'm on medicine that is generating my body so my kidneys don't fail, so I'm in good hands for now. Don't cry, I will be ok."



-Love Ponyboy (PVT. S)


Above is what he wrote me. Hearing those words is what hit me hard. That is what encourage me to write this to share. Everyone who has a family member or friend in the Army know that when they are told of dying and death the only person they think about it the one they love fighting in the wars of death. Fearing that one day they may not come home. That one day they won't receive another letter saying how his/her summer was. That one day their hearts will be broken, and that's because someone they love is MIA(missing in action), or DEAD.

"Death is easy, but living is harder."


The best part of him being gone was watching him come home. Finally seeing his face again and holding him in my arms created that sort of happiness that can only be found by two lovers. Coming home was a blessing for me, and the rest of his family and friends. When I see him home and living his life with us again it gives me the spirit to support, survive and symbolize freedom and dignity. Thank God he came home.