I was asked by some to go and help confront Cindy Sheehan. I declined. My viewpoint is I will not give her a forum to debate, for my son and our family are more important than that. Cindy Sheehan lost a son. I lost a son. We each had the same two choices from which to select - blame in bitterness or remember with honor what our sons stood for, fought for, and would have wanted to be remembered for.
Her choice, based on what I have seen, is to blame in bitterness. So be it, but I don't quite see what she hopes to accomplish with that. Does she really think her tantrum words and diatribe will so wound George Bush that he will bow and scrape to her demands. Is she so high on herself that she thinks she can run for public office and take the country by storm and be the one that "brings the troops home"? No doubt, if those in power who seek to vote to cut off funding and force troops to withdraw from Iraq are successful, Cindy Sheehan will take great credit for that, and thus align herself with local roosters who strut after a morning of crowing to bring the sun up.
As I said, Cindy Sheehan can flitter about the country and world to her heart's content. She can blame in bitterness as much s she wants. But, for me and our household, we will REMEMBER WITH HONOR what our son and brother, SGT Mike Stokely believed in -
DUTY - HONOR - COUNTRY
He believed in it so much, he willingly gave up a "pass" to stay home and recruit; he believed in it so much he jumped into an empty seat of a soldier home on leave, even though he had already pulled over twenty hours of missions; he believed in it so much he didn't sit tight as directed, for he was a CAV Scout working Dismount and wouldn't let his fellow soldiers walk down a dark road toward a suspicious location without cover and he took their flank, rifle up; he believed in it so much, he willingly gave his life, even though he had as much, if not more to live for than his fellow soldiers as a 23 year old young man, newly married to his high school sweetheart, just three months before; he believed in it so much he would rather fight a war there than here; he believed in it so much, he died having accomplished those words, and what he wanted most in life - serve his country. THAT IS WHAT WE WILL REMEMBER WITH HONOR, for it was a privilege as his family and his fellow countrymen and women to have such a gift of loyalty and service given us and sacrifice for us.
Cindy Sheehan made her choice as to how she would handle the death of her son - blame in bitterness.
I made my choice as well - REMEMBER WITH HONOR what my son was about, who he was, and what he was willing to die for -
DUTY - HONOR - COUNTRY
and I try hard to let these words be a reflection of the love of my heart, for SGT Mike Stokely at least deserves that much.
Robert Stokely
proudly remembering SGT Mike Stokely, my dear and much beloved son and friend
KIA 16 Aug 05 near Yusufiyah in the Triangle of Death south of Baghdad
US Army E Troop 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG
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