John's father, Robert, wrote and spoke these words at the Rolling Thunder Candlelight Vigil. John's mother, Kate, served as editor:
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
APRIL 21, 2012
Memories are what each of us
keep in mind for our future actions and thoughts. Our memory keeps us from
repeating unfavorable actions and directs us toward favorable actions.
Tonight we call upon those
memories to honor the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan. All families suffer losses of loved ones. Some
of us present tonight have suffered the loss of a soldier killed in action. We
honor the loss of our soldier by bringing our memory of the soldier into focus
and remembering the characteristics and traits that soldier personified. We are
called upon both to remember and continue to uphold the traditions each soldier
uniquely presented. Our actions tonight and in the future will be a reflection
of our lost soldier.
This vigil allows all of us
to reflect on soldiers killed or wounded in action. We are presented with the
opportunity to recall each soldier and the opportunities that cannot be taken
because of our loss. We cannot create what may have been, but we can allow ourselves
to visualize what we hoped could have happened. The dreamer in each of us can
focus on the best we wished could have happened and try our best to live out
that dream.
We cannot change the past,
but we can influence the future. Ours is a daunting task but it is our hope for
the future. Please let the good thoughts carry us forward and remember our
fallen warriors with dignity and grace.
God bless all of you, our
county and the warriors that have protected us since the beginning of our
country.
