All that to say this: Business has slowed. In has been thirteen months since I participated in a KIA mission. And certainly that is a good thing.
But I don't think it is ghoulish to admit that I miss it.
Seven years ago, Carson Holmquist graduated from Grantsburg High School in Northwest Wisconsin -- where his photo is displayed.
One year ago, Carson returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan.
Today, July 16, 2015, Carson was killed by the enemy. The attack was pre-announced from Syria by ISIS tweet and carried out by Kuwaiti-born Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez. Since the fight occurred in Chattanooga and not Mosul, we will have a discussion of whether this was “domestic terrorism,” as if that is something less than the international type. Or maybe it was just “workplace violence” and we will debate whether a Purple Heart was earned.
MOH winner Dakota Meyer is on the left; Carson is on the right. They are sheepdogs. Sheepdogs understand. From American Sniper: “There are three types of people in this world: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Now, some people prefer to believe that evil doesn’t exist in the world -- those are the sheep. And then you got predators who use violence to prey on the weak. They’re the wolves. And then there are those who have been blessed with the gift of aggression, and the overpowering need to protect the flock. These men are the rare breed that live to confront the wolf. They are the sheepdogs.”
Carson was blessed with a gift of aggression and was driven to protect the flock. So Carson gave his life to the Marine Corps and ultimately to his country. His wife and his son sacrificed during Carson's life and ultimately sacrificed him.