Walking through the Gold Star Hall

of the Memorial Union is normally a very annoying process for me.

Not because I have to observe some stupid superstition but because

I have to remind some dumb civilian to do the right thing once

again. How hard is it to really remember to show some respect for

those that made the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom? Why do I

have to take time away from my schedule to remind you to do the

right thing?

Maybe it’s just the difference of

culture that the military has from the rest of the United States. I

remember my platoon would meet up regularly before going home for

the day, and we’d read a citation of someone that won either the

Medal of Honor, Navy Cross or any other award, even after action

reports of fellow Marines meeting with the enemy. I remember

reading the citation of Cpl. Dunham, the first Marine to receive

the Medal of Honor during the War on Terror. We exonerated that

kind of selflessness and praised his sacrifice. Many of you won’t

know why he made the decision to dive onto that grenade or why

anyone would do that.

For me, walking through the Gold

Star Hall, every name up there is a brother or sister to me. Every

name up there reminds me of friends whose funerals I sat through,

my stomach twisting in knots as my mind went numb as my unit said

its last goodbyes to them. You can’t know the anger that I feel

when I walk through Gold Star Hall and I see someone with a hat on.

Sure, my friends’ names might not be up there, but every name up

there left behind friends and comrades who had to say the same

painful goodbye, so my friends’ names might as well be up

there.

I’m sure many of you won’t read this

letter, and even fewer will care. But I do, and I’m happy to keep

reminding you why you should show some respect for those who gave

all, as those who gave some as well as the fallen’s families who

are still here and THEY still remember. Sure you might think it’s

nothing, but to me it’s everything; you are disrespecting the

memory of MY fallen comrades, and I will correct that behavior and

I hope that those who do read this and care will correct you as

well.

By showing disrespect to the fallen

you are not making some political statement about the wars in Iraq

or Afghanistan, you are merely acting like a petulant child. You

are disrespecting those that stood ready to do violence on your

behalf so that you can sleep soundly in your bed at

night.