Today, I found out today that my classmate from grade school was killed in Afghanistan. I haven’t seen Jake in several years, but this still hit me surprisingly hard. We come from a small town, went to a small private school. And maybe a bond like that never really goes away.
When I knew Jake he was just a wide-eyed gangly kid, wandering the playground like the rest of us. And always smiling.
He volunteered to return to Afghanistan for a second tour. He was proud of what he was doing for himself and for his country. It sounds like he had found purpose in life; that he was growing up.
Jake is the first person I have personally known who has died because of this war. Something like this can fuel an anger unrelenting. According to The Washington Post’s tally, 4,531 American soldiers have fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan missions.
I wish his family the best and I hope they know how many people are thinking and praying for them.
Rebecca M Ford 