Little Mama's Boy

Once there was a young boy.

He grew up in a small town with a family of seven.

As a boy he always dreamed of being a soldier.

He bought those green toy soldiers at the age of 5.

He bought the ones with the rockets on them and even the one with the cute little radio pack.

He would set them up in a warlike scenario dreaming of one day that he would have the same honor to serve his country.

At the age of 17 he did just that.

He signed up to be one of those men in green.

He just wanted to be lean and mean.

With his momma sobbing and his daddy holding back tears he said his goodbyes.

He left home and became the man in his dreams.

To his mom he was still that little boy that played toy soldiers in his basement, but to him, he was a soldier.

At the age of 19 he left home again,

but this time was different.

This time momma was kneeling with daddy, crying her heart out because this time, return wasn’t promised.

And return he, would not.

Knock,

Knock,

Knock,

It was the knock every parent never wants to come.

It was a soldier in blue

And at first momma thought it was her soldier

But it wasn’t true

It was the man that carries a heavy burden

He looked mamma straight in the eye and weakly said

“Ma’am, your son was an soldier that every country needs,

Your son was a man that led every soldier daily,

His smile would always be there no matter what time of the day it was,

Whether it be at the 0500 formation for PT or the 2300 guard duty he had to pull,

That boy would still be smiling

He would always be the first to volunteer for anything,

Without fail, whenever I needed a dirty cleaning job to do,

Your son would do it

He would always come back from a mission full of energy,

I remember the time that he got back from his first successful mission

And the only thing he wanted to do was to tell you Ma’am ”

“Ma’am on our last mission, your son was attacked and killed in action.

He was ambushed by enemy Taliban forces at approximately 1900 and he threw himself on a grenade saving the lives of 20 other soldiers.

The blast ended his life immediately and he died a hero among men.

This is the news that no mom deserves to ever hear and I cannot imagine it being easy to hear.

He left this paper to us and directed us to give it directly to his parents.”

The soldier continued to talk, but what came out of his mouth was him talking to a wall.

She fell to her knees and sobbed

She cried until there were no more tears

She wept until daddy came home

Daddy doesn’t even have to ask why mommy was crying,

He dropped his bags off and knelt next to mommy

He knew

He knew that his son was gone

The son that he held in a weak and feeble state

The son that he threw the baseball with

The son that he helped tie his prom tie

The son he walked down the court on his senior night

The son that he would never be able to say “I love you” again

He knew he would never be able to take him out to dinner again or tell him how proud he was of the man that he has become.

Daddy held the letter.

He opened it and saw it was only one page of scrap paper that was written in some barely legible writing.

As he read the letter a single tear rolled down his cheek

Leaving a trail for the rest to follow as he continued reading

“Mommy don’t cry it is going to be okay

I’m with Jesus now singing his name.

I sing because of the standard that you set ever since I was a boy.

Daddy I love you and I always have.

You are the man that I have looked up to for many years and I am very appreciative of the way you have molded me and made me into the man I am.

If you are getting this letter it means I am gone.

Remember the great times that we had and not the times that could have happened.

Brothers, run straight to God for strength and comfort and never look back.

There is nothing you could have done to prevent this from happening and you can’t live with that burden.

Sister, you will always be the most beautiful girl that has ever been in my life and don’t let any boy make you think otherwise, because if he makes you think otherwise, he is no man to begin.

I still owe you that fancy date that I promised I would take you on and I’m sorry I can’t take you on it now because of my absence. No man will ever love you more than God loves you every day. Never forget that, because I tried molding that same love in your life as your brother.”

Daddy held mommy,

He didn't know what to say.

“It's going to be okay?”

What do you say to a woman who still sees her little son as the sweet innocent little boy that begged to buy the little green army men?

She still sees the boy who was nervous to ask his girlfriend to prom

The same boy who splashed her at the pool doing a cannonball right next to her

The boy who farted in the car and giggled countless times

The boy who asked if he could have a sleepover for his birthday

She would never be able to tell that boy how loved he is again.

The oldest brother was the next to know

He got the call from his dad

“Hey dad, can I call you back? I’m in class.”

Daddy said in a soothing tone,

“Son, this is about your brother.”

“What is it, is he coming home early? Did he call?”

“No, no he didn’t. He’s not coming back. He was ambushed last night and he threw himself on a grenade.

The brother weakly replied with just a mere

“He is okay though right. He has to be. I just… I just talked to him”

He didn’t know what else to say

This was his brother that he beat up as a kid

The brother that he defended in high school when he got bullied

The brother that he worked out with so he would stop getting picked on

The brother that he would stay up late nights complaining about the daily injustice that their parents inflicted on them.

The brother that would let him win in sports so that he would still play with him

The brother that wasn’t gonna be there to walk with him on his senior night

And the brother he wasn't going to be able to put his arm around anymore when he gets injured in a game

His sister found out last

And it wasn't something that was just going to pass

She cried thinking of her brother

Thinking of the brother who would always tell her she is beautiful,

Even if she was wearing sweatpants with no makeup on

Thinking of her brother that would take her to any movie even if it was stupid

Thinking of her brother that she would patch up whenever he got in a fight

And thinking of the brother that would let her snuggle up next to him when her boyfriend broke up with her

This took a hit on the whole family and the funeral was like twisting the knife in the open wound

Not a single eye was dry that showed up

People lined up outside just to pay their respects to this boy

Not even his parents knew how many lives he had made an impact on

The yard was full

But the void was empty

The 21 gun salute began

The trumpet rang “taps” loudly and the guns rang even louder.

Mommy cried again,

Her son was home,

But not how she wanted.

The 6 men carrying her son were the strongest fighters in the world

But even the strongest fighters can’t fight back the emotional tears rolling down their cheeks

They reached their final step and lowered the casket to the ground.

Out of the crowd a man screamed,

“Battery, Attent-huh.”

There was a slight pause before the next words were said.

The man in blue giving the commands, was no ordinary man, the man was his uncle.

The uncle that sent him on that mission.

The uncle that promised his safety and promised his life.

Pitifully he uttered the next command.

“Present, Arms”

Like a wave in the sea, every man and woman wearing a uniform saluted in unison.

It wasn’t a salute out of obligation,

But out of respect.

Respect that a hero would sacrifice his life for the sake of others.

The flag was lifted off of the casket

And neatly folded 13 times into a taught triangle.

The uncle made his final fold and tucked in all of the edges

And began the walk he thought he would never make.

A walk to his sister to give her that flag

He knelt next to mommy and sobbed out the presentation phrase,

“Ma’am, this flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token...”

He stopped because he realized what he couldn’t even mutter the next phrase because it was his nephew he was saying this for.

Tears glazed down from his eye as he whimpered out the final words.

“As a token of appreciation for your loved one’s…

For our loved one’s honorable and faithful service.

Ma’am I offer you this flag representing the life that your son lived.

He died a hero

May he never be forgotten”

He stood up and faced his soldiers again.

The next command came out so weak and tearful, that he had trouble finishing it.

“Order. Arms.”

Daddy stood up and grabbed mommy by the hand

Mommy grabbed the handle on the casket

And out of nowhere everyone started joined hands linking back to the casket

There were floods of tears and weeping all around.

Daddy let out a few words that sounded like a weak whimper,

But it was more than that.

Through the tears and the sobbing

He sang.

He sang the only song that he could think of at the time between his tears

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.”

As he continued singing, more people caught on to the lyrics and sang in unison

Until every last soul was singing those words

“I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now, I see.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come.

Tis Grace has brought me safe thus far,

and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His word my hope secures.”

So the days would go forward and the high spirits would go backwards.

Mom would still remember her son making the war noises in the basement,

Pew..Bang.. Boom..

They were good noises until they became a dream that would haunt her.

Dad would remember when he took his son to buy a soldier costume to wear to school.

It was a great memory, until he was buried protecting that same costume.

Brother would play basketball in the driveway, but it would make him cry because he played alone now.

Sister would dress up and put on her makeup, but she wouldn’t feel pretty because her brother wasn't there to tell her she looked beautiful.

Months would go by

And momma would still cry

For her son was gone

never to be kissed on the forehead again

Daddy was the rock

But when alone, he couldn't keep it on lock

For his son was gone

Never to be hugged again

Brother walked down on graduation day

Bold and Faithful is what his teachers would say

But he knew his brother was stray

Sister would get all dressed up and go on that date

But she would sit alone

For she knew her brother could never be cloned

Years were to go on

But the pain still won

They say they'll never forget

But when it comes down to it

He was just a man

Not a legend

He left a trail of pain

But he also set a standard

So here are my standards.

Ask me how i fell about the flag being burnt, about athletes refusing to stand for my nations National Anthem, ask the mothers and fathers of those lost in battle about how they feel about you spitting on their sons or daughters grave, call me a baby murderer one more time.

I serve the greatest nation in all of the world and i don't care if you believe it or not. What you do is whatever you want to do. I will NEVER burn a flag because there is a mother who has that flag framed in her house as a reminder of her son who sacrificed his life for you to be able to do whatever you want to do. I will NEVER "take a knee" to "make a point" while the National Anthem is being played. Why? Because that song represents what this nation HAS DONE RIGHT NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS DOING WRONG and i am not going to sit like a little baby and pout because my feelings are hurt and "oppression." I am going to stand tall and be proud of the American soil that I live on and if you won't stand with me, you can leave with the rest of the whiners.

Think of this story next time you see my flag being burnt. Think of this story next time you see an athlete doing his own thing being "oppressed" living in a 13 million dollar house. Think of the sister that will never hear her brothers voice again. Think of the dad that will never get to hug his son again. Think of the mother that cries when she is alone because her son is gone off protecting your rights. Think of the brother that will never play basketball again with his older brother.

A single thought can change a whole lot.

Give this story a share if it meant anything to you.

Isaac Anderson