LAST LETTERS HOME

I am a big fan of Hollywood movies. So the moment I get the remote in my hands, I flip through channels and reach the English movie channels to see what’s on them. Most of the time they play the same movies over and again, still I enjoy them... and I know many of my friends do so too.
Yesterday morning, I got my hand on the remote… probably at 8:30 in the morning {yes I watch TV early} and was flipping through channels when I stopped at HBO. 
A documentary was being played. Yes, the word “documentary movie” is enough for us to wrinkle our noses, but I watched it. And after it was over, I felt different. It affected me a lot.
The name of the documentary was “LAST LETTERS HOME” about 10 American soldiers who lost there lives in the Iraq war… and there families talk about the last letter they had sent home. I know I will never forget those 1o names.
They were 
1. Capt. Josh Byers
2. Sgt. Frank Carvill
3. 2nd Lt. Leonard M. Cowherd
4. PFC. Jesse Givens
5. PFC. Raheen Heighter
6. Capt. Pierre Piché
7. PFC. Francisco (Pancho) Martinez-Flores
8. Specialist Robert Wise
9. Specialist Michelle Witmer
10. PFC. Holly McGeogh




Capt. Josh Byers: he was 29 years old, killed on July 23rd, when a bomb detonated under his vehicle.
He wrote his last letter to his parents on July 21st. in the letters written prior to that he mentioned him being a commander. Though he liked his job, yet he accepts that war takes a lot from someone who fought it. He wanted to come home. And his letter arrived after a week he was buried.


Sgt. Frank Carvill: he was 51. Killed by an explosive device in Baghdad on 5th July 2004.
He talked of being stuck thee. Though he is committed to his duty, still he missed his home and wanted desperately to come home. In an e-mail to his friend he wrote “one of our heavy vehicles got stuck today in soft ground. The local Iraqis came by with a bulldozer and a front end loader and helped us. The Iraqi guy who organized the vehicle rescue refused to take money. We have not lost yet.”


2nd Lt. Leonard M. Cowherd:  he died on May 16th in a sniper attack.  He was 23.
His father says that before his son’s death he was told that they were moved to a green zone. He should have been safe… but things didn’t go as planned. He was supposed to be home in June that year. But received an extension up to august.  He has a wife. He had been married for just a year.


PFC Jesse Givens: he was killed on May 1st, 2003.  He was 34.  He was at war when his wife was expecting another baby. The news of his death arrived a few weeks after she gave birth to another son, and a “goodbye” letter arrived after they had buried him. He never got to see his son, who will now know his father only though his photographs and letters.




PFC Holly McGeogh: she was killed on January 31st 2004. She was 19years old. Her family read out a letter she wrote for Christmas saying that this was her 1st Christmas ever spent away from home. In her letter, she told her mother to be strong and that when she returned home, they would go together for shopping and have lots of holidays together. She never returned. Her family got the letter just shortly after they received the news of her death.
Her mother says that she wanted to see her, but the army people didn’t allow it. She never got to see her daughter’s body. She never could say goodbye to her even. She just had to say goodbye to a casket


PFC. Francisco (Pancho) Martinez-Flores: he died when his tank went into a river. He was 21. In the few letters he wrote before his death, he asked his family to send him few items including cameras and chopsticks.
He has a mother and a sister. In his last letter, he wrote that things were crazy. And he wanted to return home. His dedication for his country made him proud but it was still a crazy place to be. After his death, the army recovered his camera, and he had taken pictures. His family has those pictures that have a blue borders on both ends since they were submerged in water and partially destroyed.
Specialist Robert Wise: died on November 12th 2003. 
In his last letters to his mother, he says that everything seems to be like a move scene. He was supposed to come home in June.  His last words in the letter were “tell everyone I said hi… and I will come home one day” 
His body arrived, he didn’t.
Captain Pierre E. Pich: killed on 15th November when his helicopter crashed. He was 29.
In his letter to his mother, he wrote that he will definitely be home by early February and he wanted to get out of the military. Joining the military had done lots of good to him, but it was time he quit. 
He had got enrolled for at a college for graduate. He wanted to become a teacher. He never returned.


Specialist Michelle Witmer: died on April 9th, 2004. She was 20.
When she was 10years old, she told her two sisters that she wanted to be a hero in future. Her other two sisters are also in the military. And they are proud of her. In her last e-mails, she said that the war has changed her perspective on life and she has new experiences each day, but that doesn’t stop the need of coming home to family. She never came.
PFC. Raheen Heighter : died on july 24th, 2003. he was 22. in his last letter, he wrote to his mother that he was fine and she shouldn’t worry about him. He was happy that he would be home by September {latest}, he didn’t.


             These were just 10 stories of American soldiers who gave up their lives for their country. There are a million stories around the world.  This brings me to think why there are wars? Moreover those politicians, who declare wars, never go to fight them. While they sit in luxurious houses, eating, drinking and posing for different newspapers, millions die. 
Being in military is one of the best services a person can provide to his/her nation, but nobody can ever fill there places, when they are gone. One single word “war” slipped from a politician’s mouth ruins many lives.
While we live through grudges, greed, prejudices, hatred for our loved ones, there are people who will never return… they are gone. Can you imagine yourself in their shoes???
The families whose members are stationed at wars live each day with fear that two uniformed men will appear at their doorsteps and ask “mam/ sir I need to come in” and they will know. They pray each day that this day doesn’t come.
All those families are left with the last letters, their national flag which was used to cover the coffin of their children and Medal of Honor. Nothing can ever replace that vacant seat in their home and nobody ever be like the smiling pictures they left behind.