“Sad story, here. I had a young man in my platoon. As a Lieutenant, it’s your job to take care of them. I lost that young man one day on a patrol. He was shot and killed. I won’t go into anymore detail about how he died.

A few days later, we’re back, safe, and enjoying liberty. We get mail. I’m handing the mail out to my soldiers and I see a letter for ‘him’. I knew I shouldn’t, but I did anyway.

I set his letter aside, and later in the day I read it. It was from his gal back home. She had left him a few days before he was killed. He died still believing she loved him.”

⁃ “Jimmy” US Army, 1st Cav. Vietnam 1968

This story was documented by Battles and Beers. Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.