When I read articles about men like Sgt Mike Stokely and pass them on to others so they can know not only the truth but also the caliber of men and women in uniform these days, I often get the reply, “where do they make men like this anymore?” Well I’ll tell you it comes from being raised by men like Gold Star Father - Robert Stokely.
Since my post about Cindy Sheehan’s planned trip to Landstuhl and my reference to Mike in a subsequent post, Mr. Stokely and I have been conversing about Mike and how he would feel about this entire fuss about him, taking place. Mr. Stokely stated, “Thanks again for honoring my son with your kind words - No doubt Mike would be overwhelmed by those who speak so highly of him - probably say ‘what's the big deal?’” What Mike might think of being no big deal is a big deal, for Mike and men and women like him embody the soul of what it is to be an American Soldier.
When you talk to Mr. Stokely you can tell he is incredibly proud of his son. Especially when he writes something like this: “THANKS - HEY, GOOD NEWS: The State of Georgia is set to name - now get this - two different State Highways after my "boy." [W]hen I was a boy and somebody asked me if I was "Wade Stokely's boy" I beamed with pride to be able to say yes; now I am able to beam with pride that Sgt. Mike Stokely is my "boy" – a man I wish I had a second chance to grow up and be like.”
Unlike a more famous Gold Star Mother, Mr. Stokely doesn’t blame anyone for Mike’s death for he is “...firmly convinced that, if Mike were here and could look back at what happened in his life those final moments, he'd change nothing. He'd still join the GA NATL Guard as a junior in high school, go to boot camp that summer while his fellow classmates had fun and then come back for his senior year of high school. He'd still move from a Communications job to a front line Cavalry Scout unit. He'd still go with his "guys" to Iraq even though he could have had an exemption to stay home and recruit. He'd still take that empty seat on a Humvee as it was about to go out the wire the night he died, even though it was his squad going and he'd been on missions and duty for 30 hours, and had rested little in the last three days (since a soldier was home on leave). He'd still volunteer to stand cover flank watching the backs of his two fellow soldiers - one his best friend - as they walked down the road to check out a suspicious location.”
“Why would he not break the chain of events knowing that each step in his five years of duty was leading him to his death at 2:20 a.m. on 16 Aug 2005 south of Baghdad? Someone needed to answer the call to duty and each time; Mike Stokely did so someone else wouldn't have to take his place if he didn't. As you said about Casey Sheehan - he volunteered to go on a quick strike relief mission to rescue his fellow soldiers - why? Obviously, he didn't want someone to have to take his place.”
“American Soldier's understand how to answer the call to duty and service to their country - SEND ME - I'M READY TO SERVE MY COUNTRY, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND MY FELLOW SOLDIER; AND IF NEED BE, I AM WILLING TO SACRIFICE MY LIFE SO SOMEONE ELSE DOESN'T”
“Mike Stokely didn't die for a just cause,” As Mr. Stokely is quick to point out, “[h]e died JUST BECAUSE he loved his country, his family, his friends, and the cause of freedom enough that he said "Send me, I'm ready...."
Thank you Mr. Stokely for raising such a wonderful human being, he is also a man I wish I could grow up to be just like and I wish I had been afforded the opportunity to meet him before he traveled off to Fiddler’s Green.
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