[eyespysomething]

Three days ago, Gavin received a card Ball wrote May 20 from Iraq, saying he was looking forward to taking the boat out.

"He cried, and he bargained with God and he said, 'Please don't bury my daddy,'<0x200A>" Jennifer Ball said. "He cried himself to sleep."

Heartbreaking...God, bless this family, and all the families whose loved ones have been killed, and please God, especially bless the kids. Please help ease their pain and suffering.

[chuckles]

I'm only 54, so I don't know everything, but as I contemplate our warriors from the past wars to now, I really believe that this is the finest group as a whole that there ever was. I know how controversial that statement is, but an all volunteer military has produced the finest soldiers and patriots, IMHO, there ever was.I'm not denegrating anyone's personal service, but talking as a whole military.

My father was a WWII hero, and he had many stories of heroism he told of the bravery he saw, but he also complained of the people that flew to Switzerland to get out of the war, and since it was voluntary to fly, many chose to peel potatoes and wash jeeps rather than do the jobs they trained for. Korea and Veit Nam had their hero's and problems as well, but since it has become all volunteers, there seems to be very few. We are truly losing America's finest in this struggle.

God bless all of them and their families.