Lives lost will never be forgotten

To the editor:

Recently, I had the honor of participating in the 10th annual Andrew Whitacre Memorial Ride.

This year’s event was also tagged with the sad notation of it being the final such event. 

While it’s certainly going to be sad to not have this annual event in Andrew’s honor, it is understandable as to the reason from the family’s perspective.

After speaking with them, I can sure see how planning and coordinating this large event is, in many ways, almost like reliving that tragic day 10 years ago when we heard the news of Andrew’s loss. 

In no way will we, as a community, ever forget Andrew’s sacrifice. In our county seat here we have 179 bricks in a local park with 179 names on them.

All 179 are names of those who have paid the supreme sacrifice.

The first of the 179 is Robert Guy Ayers, whom your Portland American Legion Post is the namesake of. He was killed in World War One, a century ago.

Brick 179 is Andrew’s, lost in Afghanistan a mere 10 years ago.

None are forgotten, and will never be, as long as we care, remember and, most importantly, keep alight those fires of freedom.

As Andrew’s father said at the end of our recent event, “Andrew was not the first, and sadly he almost certainly won’t be the last Jay County native son or daughter to be lost.”

As he said this, he was wearing a shirt with an image of his fallen son’s Marine Corps dog tags on the front, and on the back of the shirt it simply read,

“It can not always be someone else’s son.”

Respectfully and benevolently yours,

James D. Fulks III

Dunkirk