During Memorial Day weekend and the days around Veteran’s Day, I wear a memorial bracelet of a soldier who died in Iraq. The research that I have found shows this soldier was killed in the same area I was in Iraq at the time, it is also possible, although I’ll never know for sure that I shared his honor flight out of Iraq with him. The honor flight is a soldier's flight home after dying in a war zone. This flight was the first of possibly many to get their body home to their family. The image of this covered deceased soldier flying on the same flight I was on troubled me for a long time, so I did research to try and find out who this person might have been. I found the name of a person killed in the area I would have been in on that day, I will never know for sure if this soldier is for sure the one I shared a flight with, but no matter what, I will honor him just the same. Following is a letter I wish I could send to heaven to let him know I remember him, and assuming I shared a flight with him, I know what he went through. 
Dear Soldier in Heaven,
I wanted to send a letter to you and let you know that I was with you on your flight out of Iraq. My grandmother had died, and almost unbelievably I was granted leave to go to her funeral. The details are foggy 20+ years afterward, but what I do remember is after learning I was going to get a flight out of Iraq to start my trip home, we were going to have a special guest on the flight. That guest was you. You had been killed, and I’m sure that your fellow soldiers did everything that they could to get you the help you needed. And I’m sure that the medical people did everything they could to keep you alive but it wasn’t enough. Your body would be joining us on our flight.
They call it an honor flight which is ironic, sure the soldiers on that flight were honored to escort you to Kuwait, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t what you would want. No one wanted to die there and be sent home, but we all knew it was a possibility. But we did honor you, we saluted your body as it was placed on the plane, and we were all stoic during the flight. For all I know you had soldiers on that flight. And if the war wasn’t real enough before, I feel like everyone on that flight felt the effects a little more that day. And I mean this with no disrespect, we felt lucky. It wasn’t our time or our day, unfortunately, it was yours. The passengers on the flight with you wore the heavy sadness that this moment deserved. 
After some time being home after the deployment, the thought of not knowing who you might have been bothered me enough that I wanted to find out what your name might have been. With the fog of war, so to speak, I knew I would never be able to know for sure. After some research, I found your name. You were killed in the area I was in, and just about the same day I left. So I ordered a memorial bracelet with your information on it. I made a promise to myself that I would not forget you. Not just your unfortunate death, but the person you were and could have been if you had more time on this earth. And when I remember you, I also want to remember that I am still here, I can still make a difference and help make this sometimes terrible place a little bit better. 
On this Memorial Day, I wanted to send you a note that I still remember you, and always will. Our meeting was unfortunately unforgettable for me. But our meeting is a regular reminder to me that life is short, and needs to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest. At least twice a year I remember your death, which is also a reminder to me to live. Your sacrifice is remembered, your life is remembered and always will be as long as I have a voice to share your story. Send my love to all those in Valhalla, we have the watch.
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