Posted on 11/11/2026 9:42:59 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
“Veterans Day is very different now,” said Charles Simmons, the father of Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, who died in a refueling plane crash in Iraq in March. He added: “It takes on a whole different meaning because it’s come home. The bell tolls for thee.”
Mr. Simmons said that he and his family “have a profound sense of pride” for all of his son’s accomplishments. But above all else, he said, there is “a profound hole in our hearts.”
Mr. Simmons said his son died doing what he loved, but before his deployment in February he told his father he had a premonition and believed he might not make it back.
Today, Mr. Simmons wrestles with many unanswered questions about the crash that killed his son. And lately, he has thought about whether the war was necessary and whether his son’s death was worth the possibility of saving the lives of many others in the future.
He was “so overwhelmed” at one point, he said, but he writes music about his grief, seeks refuge on his motorcycle and leans on his Christian faith.
“The same God that I trusted to protect my son, now I have to trust to heal my heart,” he said. But it’s a process.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
What a bunch of disgusting freaks at the NYT. They would never produce a story like that is Bidung or their 1/2 black savior Barry was POTUS.
This day is for VETERANS.
Exactly. It would be interesting to see what they wrote about those who died in Benghazi (as an example) and how their families coped with what happened.
It is never discussed that the Democratic senate blocked funding for the US military during the Iran war.
Exactly. Disgusting to see this blatantly biased drivel posted, here.
Headline says Iran. Story says Iraq.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.