His point was not to put down Jackson or his fans, but rather to reflect on how the fallen soldiers should be honored.
“…No lottery will be necessary to gain tickets to their respective funerals…I feel certain we will not see repeated special TV broadcasts about the acts of bravery and heroism these soldiers performed…” he wrote.
Lacking the Rev. Al Sharpton and “Entertainment Tonight,” Towery mused, how can we, as caring, patriotic Americans, show that we are, well, caring and patriotic.
His suggestion was simple.
Don’t take the chicken way out and put it out of your mind. Reflect on it and then say thanks.
You may not know the fallen troops, but you know what they symbolize - the very best of our nation, its honor and bravery, its inherent greatness.
I still had Towery’s insightful thoughts billowing around in my mind when I got the forwarded e-mail from my husband’s first cousin, also named Andrea. Her middle son Justin is an Air Force Captain, currently flying missions in Afghanistan.
The last time I saw Justin, he was all of 10, bouncing into a family gathering with his brothers, enduring affectionate teasing from his grandmother and tolerating amiably the obligatory “My, how you’ve grown!” comments from rarely-seen kinfolk, like me.
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even know Justin was in the military. Didn’t realize he’d taken his Clemson degree and headed to flight school. Didn’t know he’d gotten married and graduated tops in his pilot training class, winning honors along with his friend Mark McDowell. They were recognized as the “pilot and navigator you’d want to go to battle with.”
But that wasn’t what the message was about.
Justin’s squadron had lost an F-15 and its two crewmen. Justin was safe, but devastated.
One of the pilots killed was McDowell, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy whose nickname was ‘Pitbull.’ His preacher/grandfather, speaking to their hometown paper in Sanford, N.C., described him as “a young man called to fly.”
The other Andrea also forwarded an email from Justin, personal comments sent to his parents, but sentiments we all need to hear.
I share part of it now, knowing it was not intended for public distribution but hopeful that Justin will understand. All of us need to glimpse the reality U.S. military personnel are facing while the rest of us are watching reality TV.
“It has definitely been a hard couple of days,” Justin wrote. “We were pulled aside as soon as we got to work yesterday and told what happened. Many of the guys had to press right into their flights for the day, luckily I was sitting alert and did not get launched. I think everyone was in shock for the first few hours…
“The crash happened around 3 a.m. local, and by yesterday evening (the) remains were back at Bagram (AFB). We performed a fallen comrade ceremony, and had the honor of escorting the caskets down the flightline to a C-17 that was waiting to take them back to the States. It was definetely tough to leave Mark covered in a flag on that airplane. Tougher still is the fact that his wife Katie is deployed to Iraq, and (the other crewman, Capt. Thomas Gramith of Minnesota). Lag’s wife is in Minnesota with their 9-month old twins.
“I think I am doing as well as can be expected. We are planning a memorial service complete with a missing-man formation in the next few days. I can only tell you that while it hurts to be away from family at a time like this, it helps to have the bros here, and to have work to do to keep our minds occupied.
“Please continue to pray for the squadron as the pilots fight through their feelings and continue to fly and support the ground war. Remember especially the wives, parents, and Lag’s children.”
There you have it. You don’t know Justin or the heroes he calls Lag and Pitbull. You don’t know them, but you owe them.
Towery was right. Saying thanks is not enough, but failing to do so is inexcusable. Putting it out of our minds is the chicken thing to do.
Justin urged prayers for all involved. None of us should let him down on that.
Readers may contact Andrea Lovejoy at editor@lagrangenews.com
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