THEY SUSTAIN: for Billy Knipper, Sgt Rett, Doc Duty and LT Rich

by Karen Grigsby

Test 2 Part C- The essay


THEY SUSTAIN
for Billy Knipper, Sgt Rett, Doc Duty and LT Rich

sustain: sus-, under + tenere, to hold. 1. to keep in existence; keep up; maintain or prolong 2. to provide for the support of; spec. to provide sustenance or nourishment for 3. to support from or as from below; carry the weight or burden of 4. to strengthen the spirits, courage, etc. of; comfort, buoy up; encourage 5. to bear up against; endure; withstand 6. to undergo or suffer (an injury, loss, etc.) 7. to uphold the validity or justice of 8. to confirm; corroborate.
Webster’s World Dictionary; Third College Edition

We, as Americans, know that our Military Forces are the most powerful in the world. In our minds, when we think of War, most of us picture our Warriors, our Infantry, our Marines and Army Soldiers fighting on the ground. We think of our Air Force, powerful aircraft, bombing, fighting in the air. We think of our Navy Battle ships and submarines fighting in the seas. We have expertly trained our Forces for War, establishing the best Armed Forces in the world, but once you have established this mighty Force, how do you sustain it, keep it in existence, make sure that we remain the best? That's where Billy Knipper, Sgt Rett, Doc Duty and LT Rich come in.

Billy Knipper, you are our beloved Marine Gunner. Aaron and others wouldn't be the mighty Marines that they are without you. Victory depends on training, and you carry that weight, you strengthen the spirits and courage of our Warriors. You teach what to fall back on in the heat of it all to make our Gunners the best. Your strength and passion make you a powerful instructor. You sustain.

Sgt Rett, you are our beloved Marine Brother. You have proudly served our country, faced dire combat with our Aaron. You didn't hesitate to lend your aide and support to your Marine Brothers in trouble. You put your own life in danger to carry Aaron and you have continued to carry us, Aaron's family, through our grief, sustaining us. You continue your service to our Country as a Recruiter, giving the opportunity to those with the hearts of Warriors, like yours, the chance, like you, to sustain our Military.

Doc Duty, you are our beloved Corpsman. Our Military couldn't exist without men and women like you. You do your job in the worst of circumstances, put yourself in the worst of situations, not thinking of your own life, to get to and help our wounded, our fallen. Our family was blessed that you were a Corpsman with Aaron's unit. You gave your all for him and he was with someone he knew, that he knew had his back, and that is a comfort, a great sustenance to him, us and our Troops.

LT Rich, you are our beloved Seabee. Our Military simply wouldn't survive without the Seabees. You and all of our Construction Battalions are sustenance to the Marines, Army and Iraqi Soldiers and the other Seabees that you serve with. Your repaired a bridge between two cities, in a region where sustaining the Iraqi's ability to vote depended on a way across that River. You built a city from nothing but dust for our Troops at the dangerous Syrian border, with everything in it to safely sustain. (including a "bad-ass helo pad" your quote) You guided, protected and provided morale for your Troops in daunting conditions. You sustain.

I have loved learning through this wonderful blog, Gunz Up, more about all of the different divisions that make up our Military, and have been honored to get to hear the personal experiences from each of you brave men. Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves, you'll probably never know what you've meant to so many that you sustain. Most of all, thank you for your service that protects our great Military and sustains our Freedom.

aunt karen

This portion was worth 20 points. How many would you give her?

Karen, this is beautiful. Nothing less.

Thank you, sweetheart.