Remembering

When I was a KV (Key Volunteer) for his unit the second time Rafe deployed, one of "my wives" was a woman stationed at Cherry Point with 2 children - one of them just 4 weeks old. I'll never forget having to make a phone call to her after she was informed of her husband's death. It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make. You don't want to be intrusive, but you don't want for them to think that they have been forgotten.

I kept his name on a list, and hers, for a long time. It seemed to be the least I could do to remember him - every time I ran across the name I would think of or pray for them. I ran across it again today, cleaning out old boxes and going through papers.

His name is HM1 Gilbert Minjares, Jr.

I hope, if anything ever happens to Rafe, someone somewhere will do this for him also.