He is the only one who protects me. I am one who appreciates him. One strong soldier with dirty shoes and many scars that represent. One who didn’t deserve it but lived it. One soldier with many loved ones. From my room, I can feel him, but only he experiences it.

His strength is inspiring. He sent his signs of strength to his fellow soldiers. He woke up and he fought and hid quietly and forgot what normal was like and never quit fighting. This is how he lived.

Let each civilian remember his reason for fighting, or they’d all live in fear, each with little hope for survival. Fight, fight, fight he does when we sleep. We all hope.

When he is too sad and too frightened to keep fighting, when he is only one of many soldiers, then it is I who keeps praying. When there is nothing to look at except memories, one who fought without giving up. One who fought and did not forget to keep fighting. One whose purpose was to return home safe.