It is human to grieve over the loss of dear ones. We love them and cannot help missing them, but a true realization of the immortality and continuity of the individual soul will rob our grief of hopelessness. We shall realize that they are in God's* keeping and they are safe. We shall know that loving friends have met them, and that their life still flows on with the currents of eternity. We shall feel that we have not lost them, they have only gone before. So we shall view eternity from the higher standpoint, as a continuity of time, forever and ever expanding, until time, as we now experience it, shall be no more. Realizing this, we shall see in everyone a budding genius, a becoming God*, an unfolding soul, an eternal destiny.
Time heals all wounds, adjusts conditions, explains facts; and time alone satisfies the expanding soul, reconciling the visible with the invisible. We are born of eternal day, and the Spiritual Sun shall never set upon the glory of the soul, for it is the coming forth of God* into self-expression. We must give ourselves time to work out all problems. If we do not work them out here, we shall hereafter. There will be enough time in eternity to prove everything. Every man is an incarnation of eternity, a manifestation in the finite, of the Infinite which, Emerson tells us, "lies stretched in smiling repose."
~from THE SCIENCE OF MIND by Ernest Holmes, pp 387-388
*Please do say the Higher Being of your own personal belief and understanding.
Pfc. Brandon T. Thorsen
Gainesville, Florida native Brandon Tyler Thorsen was moved to join the Army following the events of September 11th.
"He wanted to serve his country," his father, Donald E. Thorsen said. "He believed in the mission. He loved his job." Brandon was assigned assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Brandon graduated Chiefland High School in 2005, and had been serving in Baghdad since November 2006. While in school, Brandon played defensive lineman, left tackle and special teams on the Chiefland football squad. A true outdoorsman, Brandon enjoyed hunting deer and hogs, flats fishing and golfing with his father.
"Everything outdoor, that was us," Donald Thorsen said.
Mr. Thorsen said that Brandon planned to marry his long-time fiancee Chana Gilbert in April of 2008. He was going to spend his December leave making plans for their wedding. Following his tour of duty in the Army, Mr. Thorsen said that Brandon wanted to be a game warden for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Brandon Thorsen died in Baghdad on September 15th, 2007. The family plans to hold a viewing at Watson Funeral Home and funeral at Pine Grove Baptist Church, pending arrival of Brandon's body. Thorsen's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal. Thorsen was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
A video news story about Brandon can be viewed here.
A photo of this handsome young man can be seen here and a second one here.
Our deepest sympathies to Mr. Donald Thorsen, and the grieving family and friends who loved Brandon T. Thorsen.
Sgt. John Mele
Family members report that John Mele was not from Bunnell, Florida; that he and his two younger brothers grew up in Union City, Tennessee. (Mele has many family members in the Bunnell area, though.) John Mele attended South Fulton Elementary, and graduated from Obion County Central 2001. Mele's father and stepmother, Mike and Linda Mele, still live in Union City today. John has two brothers, Michael and Nick Mele, and his mother, Kim Gilzow, lives in Key Largo, Fla.
Family members say even at an early age John took interest in the outdoors and the military. It started in his back yard digging ditches and building forts.
"He was a good man," said his younger brother, Nicholas Mele. "I'll always remember him as a war hero."
Mele was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. A combat engineer, Mele was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Platoon, Echo Company, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart. He had spent the last five years in Fort Stewart.
Mele leaves behind his adored wife, Jennie Mele, and their daughter Clarissa, 6, of Glennville, Ga, which is about 30 miles from his Army post. The couple bought a home there, and his wife's parents, Lloyd and Corene Jones, sold their home in Daytona Beach, FL, and moved to Glennville to be closer while Mele was deployed. "John and I met on Daytona Beach when Clarissa was only 10 months old, so to her, John has been her wonderful daddy. He adored her," Jennifer Mele told the Savannah Morning News.
"John had always wanted to be a soldier," his wife remembered. "In fact, he joined when he was 17 and underwent his training during his senior year, so as soon as he completed high school, he could begin actively serving. The Army was his chosen career; he simply felt led to serve his country.
"He was a really great soldier, and the absolute greatest husband and father," Jennifer Mele said. "He loved what he did, and he died doing what he loved best - being a soldier."
There is a large photo of this handsome man available at this Palm Coast Florida blog. A smaller sepia photo can be seen here.
The magnificent Patriot Guard will be keeping vigil for Sgt. Mele as he is laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetary. Details of their ride can be viewed here.
Our deepest sympathies to Mike and Linda Mele, Kim Gilzow, Michael Mele, Nick Mele, Jennifer and Clarissa Mele, and the many grieving friends and family members who loved Sgt. John Mele.
Staff Sgt. Michael L. Townes
Department of Defense reports that Staff Sgt. Michael L. Townes, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada, died September 16, 2007, in Balad, Iraq, from a non-combat related illness. Townes was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
I am grieved that, other than the official notice of his death, I have been unable to find any additional on-line information on Staff Sgt. Townes that would allow us to celebrate his life.
He mattered.
There is a lovely guest book with well-wishes that can be viewed here.
The IGTNT team sends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends who loved Michael L. Townes.
As of this writing, Iraq Coalition Casualties reports that 3791 American soldiers, sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Guardsmen have been confirmed killed in action in Iraq; 441 have died in Afghanistan; and 8 additional deaths are pending notification of the families. The DoD news releases can be found here. The death toll among Iraqis is unknown, but is at least in the tens of thousands.
You can help our military men and women! Please consider sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. It doesn’t take much time or money. Just send letters or care packages to your soldier, sailor, Airman, or Marine. Remember, "mail is gold" for a deployed soldier. A few minutes of your time and one airmail stamp can make a real difference in a military person's life. anysoldier.com, Operation Helmet, and Fisher House are also wonderful organizations that provide comfort and care to deployed American troops. Finally, if you would like to assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Animal companions can provide such solace and comfort.
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
Click here to see the entire series, which was begun by i dunno and which is now maintained by monkeybiz, Sandy on Signal, silvercedes, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, MsWings, twilight falling, labwitchy, moneysmith, joyful, roses, and sistwo.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and families of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.
