Rising heat encompasses my soul as I stare deeply into the pits of amber and grey that are a lonely bonfire on this Saturday night. I am awestricken by the superior force - the almighty power - and the destructiveness of flame and ember. I stand there in the classical pose; generation after generation contemplating upon the state of human nature.
We are fragile creatures. A single ball-and-cap of no more width than the nail to my little finger can end a man's life just as quickly as an asteroid or nuclear explosion. A single swipe of a blade not much wider than a paper's edge can empty his blood.
In the face of an extraordinary death, the men and women of the US Armed Forces still stand firm. Not for glory or fame, but for freedom. Your freedom, my freedom.
Today I stand as well. I salute all of my brothers in arms who are now forever buried in the leaning rest.
148.
There are 148 American flags on the Old Main lawn right now. That's how many American service members from Washington State have sacrificed their lives in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Many more than that have sacrificed themselves during the Global War on Terror.
It is not my place to question why. That's your job. My place is to follow the orders of those appointed over me to the best of my ability. Your job - neigh, your DUTY - is to make sure that my orders are appropriate. This is your country. The United States of America is the world's great Democratic experiment. It's yours to do with as you please. Use it well.
Just understand that my life is in your hands. As are the lives of so many of my brothers and sisters.
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