every month the numbers are rising… you see it in the paper, you hear the stories on tv, but until you know personally know one of the soldiers killed in iraq, it doesn’t quite hit home. that was me, until yesterday, when i received a phone call from a high school classmate, spreading the news that kenny locker had been killed in iraq. while i wasn’t a close friend, i feel awful about the whole thing. he was a quiet, well-mannered gentleman in our class, and went out of his way to lend a helping hand. i remember him signing up with the army before we graduated and he was so excited to be able to serve our country. it was a good fit for him as he wanted to travel the world and could learn valuable life lessons along the way.

i hadn’t seen him since we graduated in may of ‘97, and am extremely sad that i won’t get the chance to see him at our 10 year class reunion this summer. i was talking with mom last night and she ran into him a few times around town on his return visits, and he was excited about sharing stories of the places he’d seen around the world and was proud to be serving in the army.  the army gave him the confidence to dream big and hold his head high. 

i am so grateful that our young men and women put their lives on the line to make the world a better place for the rest of us. i just wish this war ends soon so the number of casualties stops going up!