For those of you that do not know, Mr. Stokely is the father of Sgt Mike Stokely who was killed in battle on August 16, 2005. Mr. Stokely sent a letter to the Washington Post to let them know that he supports the mission in Iraq, but the Post would not print it. Well, the blogoshere did and Mr. Stokely is now read world wide thanks to us.
While newspaper readership dwindles, interent news and blog readership continues to soar and it is no wonder. No where can you receive at the touch of a button so many views on one topic as you can via the interent.
And so without further ado I give you Mr. Stokely in his own words:
Even now, people continue to be curious about whether I think "Iraq" is worth it - that is, worth Mike's death.
Nobody made Mike Stokely join the National Guard - he was so eager, he joined on the delayed entry program a few weeks before his 18th birthday while a Junior in High School - then spent that summer at Ft. Benning GA in Army Basic Training / boot camp while his classmates worked or played as rising seniors are expected to do. Mike was in a communications unit, but wanted to be front line as a Cav Scout and jumped at the chance to join the 108th CAV two years into his six year hitch. When the call-up to go to Iraq came, nobody made him go - he had the opportunity to exempt and remain home and recruit, but wouldn't take it because he wouldn't "run out on his guys". The day of the night that Mike was killed, he could have gone up to Baghdad for an overnight trip to take equipment for changeout, but a fellow squad member wanted to go as well so he could see his brother in another unit - upon learning both couldn't go, Mike gave up his seat so the other soldier could go see his brother. That night when Mike was killed, he had been on duty 30 hours or so, and saw three Humvees about to go on a mission - one had an empty seat due to a soldier being home on leave rotation - Mike jumped in the seat without being asked. When the patrol stopped, the guys were instructed to "take it easy" while the two squad leaders walked back down the road to check out a suspicious site, yet Mike voluntarily took cover flank position.
Just before Mike left, I asked him if he was "ready" to serve in Iraq. His response "that is what I trained for these past five years - to serve my country when and where I am called upon to go". I guess you would have to say that Mike Stokely thought that not only was Iraq worth it, but more importantly, his guys and his country were worth it. No doubt, he was willing to pay the ultimate price, for we talked about such just a week before he died, his words "I have to die some time, some where, and I can't think of a better way to die than serving my country and if my time is here in Iraq, then I am ready". Mike understood the lineage or service - it is an unbroken chain which sustains our freedom. That, my friends, is why Mike Stokely - and I - think that Iraq is worth it.
God Speed Sgt Stokely, God Speed and may you roam freely in the fields of Fiddlers Green. Mr. Stokely, I hope you know that you raised a wonderful man in Mike and I know that you are as proud of him as we are of him and you. Thank you for sharing him with the rest of us.
Let me end this by parphrasing a bit from Mike's memorial service. Mike's pastor noted that honor is not the way we live, it is the reward for how we lived. Will you live a life that will garner you honor in the end, or will you live a life in pursuit of an honor you will never attain? Mike lived the life that garnered him honor in the end...will you?
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