In the bloody streets of Mogadishu, Somalia on October 4, 1993, I met a man who changed my life forever. His name was Tim. He was an 18 year old farm boy from west Texas. New boot PFC straight out of The Depot in San Diego. He was born to be a jarhead. His daddy was a Vietnam War hero and many men on both sides of his family had fought and died in almost every war in American history. I fought alongside Tim on the front lines of the Battle of Mogadishu, and it was there that we both took our first lives and lost our first comrades. Something about those kinds of experiences binds you to a guy forever. I never fought with Tim again, but I remained close with him and his family throughout the years. After Somalia, he got picked up as a sniper for an elite recon team and took part in the most vital and dangerous combat missions of our time. I'll say what I've said many times before: Americans will never know how much this man did for them. Tim was wounded many times and survived being a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. He more than lived up to his nickname of "(M)Sgt of the Universe". But on April 10, 2008, he finally met his end on the streets of Sadr City, Iraq. Tim was gravely wounded by insurgent explosives, but managed to save all of his Marines' lives before being blasted in the head at point blank range by an AK-47. He miraculously survived, but underwent a torturous 4-month attempt at saving his life. Blind, deaf, braindead, and missing 3 of 4 limbs, he finally succumbed to his injuries on August 11, 2008 at Bethesda Naval Hospital at the age of 33. Only after they were done experimenting with his body of course. You don't think it happens? Well there's a lot of things you don't know folks.
Somebody started a prayer request thread here for Tim after he was wounded in Sadr. Many people stopped by to pray. Those who had known Tim here and those who knew him in real life. Our prayers couldn't save him, but we found unity in praying for his wife and three young kids after he passed on. Tim loved them more than anything. I know you hear that a lot after people pass away, but he had a special kind of love. If you knew him, you know what I mean.
Just months after Tim's death, his wife Jen was raped and beaten by 2 Iraqi-Americans at her parents' home in Texas. She took her own life in May of last year. Not long after that, their 6 year old son Kolton took his own life after months of being in and out of psychiatric care. And in early April, their 3 year old daughter Jaylie passed away from cancer only weeks after being diagnosed. Now only Jaylie's twin sister Emma remains in the immediate family, and she and her adoptive parents, Tim's sister Megan and her husband Preston, are being threatened and harrassed and have had to be put in protective custody by federal law enforcement. Tim made comments over the years about how he was worried for his family's safety because of the kinds of missions he was involved in. They wouldn't strike while he was still alive. They feared him too much. But after he was taken out of the picture, his wife and kids became a prime target. Many people don't realize that this stuff happens in America. And why should the government tell them? We've already got enough to worry about here at home and there only a select few that are "worthy" of this type of terrorism.
Tim and his family were all devout christians. They were the All-American family. Always helping others and living their lives in a truly unselfish and Godly way. I know there are many who like to call Tim a murderer or a terrorist or other choice words, but they obviously didn't know the Tim that I knew. He was the kind of person we should all strive to be.
There have been problems with people coming in and posting hate filled messages on the prayer threads for this family. I admit I've been discouraged by it in the past. It does hurt to read those things about people who did so much good in this world and touched my life so deeply. I guess we could just quit and throw them to the wolves. But there is still hope for Emma. She needs our help. She needs prayers for protection and healing from all she has gone through. Maybe none of you believe prayer works anymore. I've fought that battle many times, but when it comes to a beautiful innocent little girl who has been left virtually alone in this world, I can't just walk away. I owe it to Emma and I owe it to Tim. I know he would've been there for my family if the tables were turned.
Monday is Memorial Day, and I get real choked up around this time of year. For most people it's just another day off work. For me, it's a day to honor and reflect on the men who have died for my freedom...the brothers I've lost. And no fallen brother has meant more to me than Tim. For us who knew him, it's a void that will never be filled. I want to honor my hero the best way I know how, and that is to be there for his little girl. I won't stop praying. I won't abandon her, and I will never ever let these evil people mar her family's legacy.
So pray with me please. God bless and SEMPER FI.
