On Tuesday December 18th, 2007 - John was awarded the Governor's Patriot Medal from the State of Maryland. There were about 25 awardees, including Maryland police officers, firefighters, first responders, and military men and women who died in the line of duty. The presentation was made at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, and the Governor and Lt. Governor were among those who spoke movingly in tribute of those honored.
John's parents were there, along with John's Aunt Linda and Uncle John and John's cousin David. Here are pictures of the front and back of the medal, along with a picture of everyone after the medal presentation. Here is a picture of the medals before they were presented; and a picture during the benediction during the service. More official photos can be found here.
After the service, John's parents and Aunt & Uncle visited John's grave at Arlington. Here is a picture of the wreaths, and a another picture of the medal.
John's parents also recently received a Gold Star Service Banner and fly it at their home.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Veterans Day 2007
Veterans Day 2007
John Andrew Quinlan
(Reflections from his mom)
One of the very last conversations John and I engaged in had to do with a bill that sat on Gov. Corzine’s desk. This was a small bill embedded inside a greater piece of political nonsense. John was rather hot to trot about this small bill aimed at dropping the mandatory teaching of Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Columbus Day in the public schools. Both of us fired letters off to Corzine expressing our strong feelings about this. John left for Afghanistan and my last letter to him was to let him know the bill did not pass! I am not sure he read the news before he went down.
On this Veterans Day pause for a few minutes to remember all who have served. We who knew John also knew and still know the tremendous commitment he and all military have made and continue to make enabling us to live in peace and safety each day. Pass the message to your children so they will not become complacent as they grow older.
Veterans Day was always the special day I would either call or email John to thank him and let him know how much I loved him. (This was not the only day!!!)
This year I cannot call him, however I do find myself reflecting on all the good he brought to the world both in his life and in his death. Although we are still working through tremendous feelings of loss we have also been overwhelmed by all the good that has returned to us as a result of his huge circle of life and kindness. He now has two little babies who were given the names Andrew John and Paul Andrew in his memory. His old buddies call and keep in touch. Each week a new kindness is returned to us in his memory.
Above all, John left us the gift of his beautiful girls, Julie, Keely, Maddie, and Erin. All are his bright lights in the world and we love them dearly.
Each night I go outside for a few minutes and look up at the sky always imagining the beauty of the night stars and the sunrises John saw on his many flights. Looking up, I reflect on his short lived yet beautiful life and these lines…..
In one of the stars
I shall be living
In one of them
I shall be laughing
And so it will be
as if all the stars
were laughing
when you look
at the sky at night
The Little Prince ~ Antoine de Saint- Exupery
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Eulogy for a Veteran
John's uncle, John Mocko, asked that this be posted:
"One day, the sky he loved so well, parted, and God reached out and took him by the hand."
"Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
I am not here,
Search your heart,
I am there."
- Author unknown
"One day, the sky he loved so well, parted, and God reached out and took him by the hand."
"Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
I am not here,
Search your heart,
I am there."
- Author unknown
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Words on August 18, 2007 about John’s death
It has been a long time and in ways it has been a short time since your death six months ago. Your extended family prays for you (and all of us) all the time. People say that “Time heals all wounds.” But I would say time renews all wounds. We will never forget our wounds, but we have learned how to live with them each day.
Your family misses you. We all miss you. You were a shining light that will not go out. The sound of your laugh, light of your smile and presence will be in our thoughts forever. We expect to see you come through the door every day and wish we could give you one last hug or say goodbye for one last time. This will not happen but we still continue to expect it to happen.
Yours was a relatively short life in years but a long life in accomplishments. A husband and father to three children, a grandson, a son, a brother, an uncle, a brother-in-law and a cousin are part of your legacy. All roles you filled in an outstanding personal manner.
Your services to your country (8 years in the US Marine Corps, 10 years in the US Army) all speak to your valor and dedication. Twenty-seven service medals for efforts above and beyond the call of duty received in five wars cannot be underestimated. Few servicemen have duplicated or exceeded this effort. What your future accomplishment could have been is only for you and God to know.
Last week a Chinook helicopter crashed in Iraq killing five US soldiers. We prayed for them and their families as we have prayed for you and your comrades. All the deaths and wounded in this war on terror are on our minds. We want the war to stop and the killing to be over. This will not happen. This also we have to live with and try to understand.
Pray for us John, to know what to do and how to do it. We will live our lives with you as a primary example. Always saying to ourselves, “What would John do in this situation, how would he react, when would he influence the situation?” We will hope to live our lives as a dedication to your commitments, actions and accomplishments.
Your presence will always be felt in our lives. The commitments we have made to support your family will always be honored. Our best example for our lives will be to honor you as our family hero and the man you became from the son your mother and I had. We have seen you grow to tremendous heights and want to remember all the things you have accomplished. We only wish you could have lived to see your daughters graduate, walk them down the aisle when they marry and play with your grandchildren. It will be our legacy to ensure your presence will be felt at family functions and remembered at the family dinner table.
Love, Dad and Mom
Your family misses you. We all miss you. You were a shining light that will not go out. The sound of your laugh, light of your smile and presence will be in our thoughts forever. We expect to see you come through the door every day and wish we could give you one last hug or say goodbye for one last time. This will not happen but we still continue to expect it to happen.
Yours was a relatively short life in years but a long life in accomplishments. A husband and father to three children, a grandson, a son, a brother, an uncle, a brother-in-law and a cousin are part of your legacy. All roles you filled in an outstanding personal manner.
Your services to your country (8 years in the US Marine Corps, 10 years in the US Army) all speak to your valor and dedication. Twenty-seven service medals for efforts above and beyond the call of duty received in five wars cannot be underestimated. Few servicemen have duplicated or exceeded this effort. What your future accomplishment could have been is only for you and God to know.
Last week a Chinook helicopter crashed in Iraq killing five US soldiers. We prayed for them and their families as we have prayed for you and your comrades. All the deaths and wounded in this war on terror are on our minds. We want the war to stop and the killing to be over. This will not happen. This also we have to live with and try to understand.
Pray for us John, to know what to do and how to do it. We will live our lives with you as a primary example. Always saying to ourselves, “What would John do in this situation, how would he react, when would he influence the situation?” We will hope to live our lives as a dedication to your commitments, actions and accomplishments.
Your presence will always be felt in our lives. The commitments we have made to support your family will always be honored. Our best example for our lives will be to honor you as our family hero and the man you became from the son your mother and I had. We have seen you grow to tremendous heights and want to remember all the things you have accomplished. We only wish you could have lived to see your daughters graduate, walk them down the aisle when they marry and play with your grandchildren. It will be our legacy to ensure your presence will be felt at family functions and remembered at the family dinner table.
Love, Dad and Mom
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Letter from Susan
John's sister, Susan, asked me to post this letter:
John,
I can't believe it has been 6 months today since you died. Some days I still can't believe it, I wake up every day and have to remind myself that it is real. I miss you, I think of you all the time, I wonder what you would think of things, you always were so black & white with your thoughts, never lacking on opinion that is for sure.
I wonder if you can see the sad things that I see, like the flagpole in Mom & Dad's front yard with the Gold Star flag & Dad going out there every morning & putting it up, your wedding ring hanging from Julie's neck, the pile of Chinook coins & pins in Olivia's room under your picture & the gathering of seashells on your headstone at Arlington with all our names on them.
I also wonder if you can see the happy & funny things too, when I took Keely to New York City & her face when she walked thru Times Square, when Madeline told me she would like to have Dad's 57 Chevy & told me in detail what she would like to do to it, sounded like you two have had that conversation before. When I told Erin that my baby blanket was yours & she smelled it & said she could smell you in there. She will not believe I am your sister... she thinks I am her sister!
Well, I have to tell you that you would be really proud of all of us, Julie is a rock and she carries on as you would have wanted her to, although I can't imagine the pain she carries. The girls are doing great, they are beautiful and full of craziness, truly Quinlans, which I love. Mom and Dad are being strong and they keep every piece of information on you in beautiful books so the girls will have it one day. I feel closer to all of them than ever and we have all grown together to pull ourselves through this.
You are missing so much and there is no way to justify that. There will always be an empty seat at our table. Julie, Mom, Dad & me are your memory keepers, through our stories of you our family will remember, Keely, Madeline, Erin, Olivia & Will will know you. Someone sent me a quote & it said "To live in the hearts of those you love is to never die" and that is why you will never be truly gone.
We are planning to take the kids skiing over Christmas this year, just as you always wanted to. I hope you are smiling on us as we make fools of ourselves all over that mountain.
I love you,
Susan
John,
I can't believe it has been 6 months today since you died. Some days I still can't believe it, I wake up every day and have to remind myself that it is real. I miss you, I think of you all the time, I wonder what you would think of things, you always were so black & white with your thoughts, never lacking on opinion that is for sure.
I wonder if you can see the sad things that I see, like the flagpole in Mom & Dad's front yard with the Gold Star flag & Dad going out there every morning & putting it up, your wedding ring hanging from Julie's neck, the pile of Chinook coins & pins in Olivia's room under your picture & the gathering of seashells on your headstone at Arlington with all our names on them.
I also wonder if you can see the happy & funny things too, when I took Keely to New York City & her face when she walked thru Times Square, when Madeline told me she would like to have Dad's 57 Chevy & told me in detail what she would like to do to it, sounded like you two have had that conversation before. When I told Erin that my baby blanket was yours & she smelled it & said she could smell you in there. She will not believe I am your sister... she thinks I am her sister!
Well, I have to tell you that you would be really proud of all of us, Julie is a rock and she carries on as you would have wanted her to, although I can't imagine the pain she carries. The girls are doing great, they are beautiful and full of craziness, truly Quinlans, which I love. Mom and Dad are being strong and they keep every piece of information on you in beautiful books so the girls will have it one day. I feel closer to all of them than ever and we have all grown together to pull ourselves through this.
You are missing so much and there is no way to justify that. There will always be an empty seat at our table. Julie, Mom, Dad & me are your memory keepers, through our stories of you our family will remember, Keely, Madeline, Erin, Olivia & Will will know you. Someone sent me a quote & it said "To live in the hearts of those you love is to never die" and that is why you will never be truly gone.
We are planning to take the kids skiing over Christmas this year, just as you always wanted to. I hope you are smiling on us as we make fools of ourselves all over that mountain.
I love you,
Susan
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