The Light

Mudville Gazette ^ | 5/26/08 | Greyhawk

[Dawnsblood]

I spoke with Robert Stokely on the phone today. He's doing well. "Memorial Day is less a celebration and more a time of reflection for us." He told me. But after further conversation it was clear he was keeping very busy, too - and that's a good thing - with parades and fireworks and all the things that make small town America great.

The Mike Stokely Foundation is going strong. There will be another ride this Fall to raise money for scholarships, and after that another collection of school supplies for Yousifiyah.

"I want to go there some day. To walk the street where Mike was killed." I believe he'll get that opportunity, and I told him so. I was in that area last summer, and I watched things go from hot to warm - and I'm not talking about air temperature. Robert assured me that he'd heard from the folks there now that the trend was continuing.

And Mike held the line, and made it possible.

We spoke of Warrior's Walk, where a tree is planted for each fallen Soldier who served in Iraq with the 3ID. "Mike told me to avoid it when we were there". Robert said. "I don't want Abbey to see it, dad."

"She needs to see it," he told him, "she needs to know this is real. You're going to war. And one day she and I might be back here to plant a tree for you."

And a little over four months later they were. But watch the tribute video she made for him, and you'll see photos I suspect she took on that earlier day at Ft Stewart. They're from the angle a little sister would use to take a picture of her big brother before he went to war.

[Dawnsblood]

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[freema]

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