WIFLI Briefing for May 27, 2012 - The "Flavor of Freedom"

UPDATE May 28, 2012:
I am dedicating the this WIFLI Briefing, "The 'Flavor of Freedom'," to possibly the bravest in the land of the brave and home of the free.

UPDATE May 30, 2012:
I am extremely honored and humbled by the inclusion of this column in an article written on The Christian Post by Alex Murashko on May 28, 2012, "Survey: Nearly Half of Americans Lost Relative or Friend to War".

"Those who expect to reap the benefits of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." ~ Thomas Paine

I don't think that anyone could have said it any better. Fighting for our freedom takes a major toll on us. The flavor of freedom can be very bitter.

We honor, on Memorial Day, those that gave their lives in the defense of this country, and the freedom that it stands for. While those that gave their all are our heroes, I have this feeling that it is the loved ones of our fallen that are our true heroes, the ones that have to endure the sacrifice of one of their own. Our children, parents, grandparents, or friends, it is not easy to accept the loss when it happens.

No, the flavor of freedom can be very difficult to swallow. While there are many of us that have never had to taste the feeling of that loss, it is important to know that we can almost comprehend the sorrow. 

As an American who has served in the military, there is that feeling within me that I must continue to do what ever I can to keep the cause of freedom alive. I believe that I must do something today to help with the healing process for those that have lost somebody that was defending our liberty. It is my duty to keep the families and friends of those who gave it all for our freedom in my constant thoughts  and prayers. They are the ones that have to go on with life without a loved one in their immediate sight... for the time being.

You must be warned that what you will read and see in this post could possibly cause uncontrollable weeping. I apologize for the pain that you may encounter, but darn, the flavor of freedom isn't always that tasty. It's my hope that this assignment was a reminder that there are many that will endure the pain of a loss and we must help them endure a hole in their hearts, the best we can. I'm just sayin'...

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Welcome to this edition of Time 2 Escape WIFLI Briefing!

What is WIFLI?
You may be wondering what the acronym "WIFLI" means. I started out by calling these issues the Time 2 Escape Daily, but that didn't work out very well. I quickly learned that putting these issues together on a daily basis was a task I was unable to accomplish. To replace "Daily" in the title, I borrowed the acronym WIFLI, which literally means "When I Feel Like It." Putting together a post on this blog WIFLI works much better for my schedule, and for the higher quality of each issue that is eventually published!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This edition of the Time 2 Escape WIFLI Briefing may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes only. This constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law.

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Fallen heroes and the 'flavor of freedom'
See powerful wartime story of loss and survivors' incredible journey to healing
From WND ~ By Chelsea Schilling ~ Published May 26, 2012

CHELSEA SCHILLING

Meet Sgt. James McIlvaine of Olney, Md. – a handsome 26-year-old U.S. Marine, devoted husband, loving father of two young children and dedicated man anyone would want the privilege of calling a friend.

McIlvaine, known for having a splendid sense of humor that could make a room full of people roar with laughter, served in the U.S. military for nearly eight years – including combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A natural leader, he knew a thing or two about loyalty, love of his country, service and sacrifice.

Marine Sgt. James McIlvaine

In fact, he sacrificed his own life for your freedom.

On April 30, 2009, his five-man explosive ordnance disposal team retrieved a roadside bomb beside an Iraqi police station in Al Anbar province, Iraq. A robot was used to disarm the device, but when the bomb was being transported to a safe location, it exploded without warning.

The blast killed Sgt. McIlvaine instantly.

Several Iraqi policemen and two other team members were killed as well: Staff Sgt. Tony Wojciechowski and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Trahan.

Acting quickly, Staff Sgt. Dustin Velzeboer risked his own life to save the remaining crew as a trailer filled with explosives caught fire after the initial blast. The wounded Marine jumped into the truck and drove it away as quickly as possible. As soon as he was far enough away, Velzeboer ran for his life. A large explosion decimated the vehicle, but everyone, including Velzeboer, was shielded from the blast. The Marine Corps awarded Velzeboer a Bronze Star with “V” device for his courage that day in Iraq.

But the deaths of those Marines filled their families and friends with unbearable heartache practically unimaginable by those who haven’t experienced such profound loss.

Sgt. McIlvaine left behind his wife, Cheryl, and children, Michael and Alexa, who were just 7 and 3 at the time of their father’s death.

Related video and link dealing with the grief of a tragic loss of a son or daughter in another war, and the healing process:

Video provided by THE FENCE:
A new short film, premiering at Arlington National Cemetery on May 26, 27 and 28.

~~~ READ MORE ~~~

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A tribute to those who gave all... Remember their sacrifice and courage, today and everyday.

Memorial Day Tribute 2012

Video provided by MojaveTraveler11 on May 21, 2012

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The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Video provided by Wiley Home Productions on Dec 21, 2006

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Don't be afraid!

WE the PEOPLE

are the MOB
ONE NATION UNDER GOD

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
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