I attended the memorial service for Marine Cpl. Michael D. Anderson Jr. yesterday. (He was killed in action December 14th while raiding a house full of insurgents in Iraq.)
I felt sick in my stomach when I saw him in the coffin. He was only 21. He looked just like all the crazy young guys I partied with on Puerto Rico and Guam.
His father stood up to say a few words. His father sounded grimly satisfied that his son's killers had been wiped out minutes after fatally shooting Michael. Such is war- completely ugly. Those insurgents have families too....but it's a world away.
A couple Marines spoke about the Corps and how Michael died doing what he believed in. All opinions aside, not many of us at 21 have the drive and ambition to know what we want to be. He was more of an adult at 21 than some people are, anytime.
Michael Dwayne Anderson, Jr. 1983-2004.
Edit to add: link to local paper with story:





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