Mourning comes to a town called Comfort

The Times ^ | April 9, 2003 | James Doran

[MeekOneGOP]

Specialist James Kiehl

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Mourning comes to a town called Comfort

Excerpt:

A COUPLE of miles along Highway 87, just past Comfort High School, a collection of seemingly random objects lies on a blanket beneath an American flag inscribed with the name James Kiehl.

James, 22, was killed on March 23 when his team of mechanics, cooks and supply clerks from the US Army’s 507th Maintenance Company were ambushed on their way to repair the computers on a Patriot missile launcher near al-Nasiriyah in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Jill, whose first baby is due on May 4.

His friends in Comfort, a tiny town of 1,200 residents, a petrol station and a few antiques shops, have built an impromptu memorial to him using some of his favourite things. There is a water melon, a packet of crisps, a bottle of Coke, a model Corvette, some softball gear, a Reader’s Digest Nation of Heroes book and a baseball marked: “Thank you for protecting our and mankind’s liberty — God Bless You and may you rest in peace.”

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No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!

[Texas_Jarhead]

Ultimate sacrifice BUMP

[deport]

A tape from a Dallas CBS-TV crew gives the Kiehls what little solace they have amid their grief. Shot in the Kuwaiti desert, the tape shows an Army chaplain baptizing their son by immersing him in bottled water poured into a makeshift baptismal font.

“That little tape right there lends so much peace of mind,” Randy Kiehl said.

http://web.dailytimes.com/report.lasso?wcd=5400

Thanks for the post...........

[Johnny Gage]

The Creation of the Soldier

When the Lord was creating Soldiers, he was into his sixth day of overtime
when an Angel appeared and said, "Your doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And the Lord said "Have you read the specification on this person?
Soldiers have to be able to go for hours fighting or tending to a
person that the usual every day person would never touch, all the while putting
in the back of their mind the circumstances.

They have to be able to move at a moments notice and not think twice of what
they are about to do, no matter what danger.
They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on half-eaten MRE's,
and very little sleep.

They must have six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands...no way."

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems, " said the Lord,
"it's the three pairs of eyes a Soldier has to have."

That's on the standard model? " asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through the smoke and haze where they and
their fellow Soldiers should fight the enemy next. Another pair here in the
side of the head to see their fellow Soldiers and keep them safe.
And a third pair of eyes in the front so that they can look for the the wounded
caught in the fight that may need their help."

"Lord" said the angel, touching his sleeve, " Rest and work on this tomorrow."

"I can't, said the Lord, "I already have a model that can carry a 100 pounds of gear
for miles on end, or a fellow soldier to safety from a battle area, and can feed a
family of five on a Military service paycheck."

The angel circled the model of the Soldier very slowly, "Can it think?"

"You bet," said the Lord. "It can tell you the parts of a hundred different pieces
of equipment; and can recite many procedures in their sleep that are needed to
care for a wounded soldier until they are taken away by the medics.
And all the while they have to keep their wits about themselves.

This Soldier also must have phenomenal personal control.
They can deal with scenes full of pain, hurt, noise and smoke,
They can be laughing and joking one second and fierce and hard in the next.

And still they rarely get the recognition for a job well done from anybody, other than from fellow Soldiers."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Soldier.
"There's a leak", she pronounced. "Lord, it's a tear."

"What's the tear for?" asked the angel.

"It's a tear from bottled-up emotions for fallen comrades.
A tear for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the flag.
It's a tear for all the pain and suffering they have encountered.
And it's a tear for their commitment to defending our freedoms and
saving lives of their fellow man!"

"What a wonderful feature Lord, you're a genius" said the angel.
The Lord looked somber and said "I didn't put it there."

Rewritten in honor of our Troops 3/26/03
by David K. (aka Johnny Gage)

[Squantos]

“There are 33 Texas Rangers buried in Centre Point: more than anywhere else in Texas,” Mr Kiehl said. “He’ll be in good company.”

Stay Safe...........