Monday, May 27, 2019

The Heart of a Volunteer

“I guess that’s just part of loving people: You have to give things up. Sometimes you even have to give them up.”
Lauren Oliver, Delirium 

Memorial Day, 2019. We honor a hero, a person in uniformed service of our country who gave the "Last full measure of devotion." This year, our hero is Riley Howell.


Who? Riley Howell was a junior at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. On April 30th a gunman entered a classroom. Mr. Howell, an Army ROTC cadet, tackled the gunman, buying time for his classmates to escape. In the process, he was killed.

His actions, above and beyond the call of duty, is in the best tradition of generations of service members who have given their lives. It is often said that their lives are given in the cause of freedom.

In Mr. Howell's case, as in so many in the annuls of our history, his sacrifice was much closer to Earth. He gave up everything in the service of his comrades, his friends.

Riley was awarded a Purple Heart, and a Bronze Star. He was a hero who gave his life in the service of his country.

With deepest respect for all of the fallen. 

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