A Soldier, A Marine, and A Sailor

Long ago, in August, I put up a web link from Peter King's column in SI about 1st Sergeant Mike McGuire. Here's an update from Peter:

I think, for those of you who remember Mike McGuire, the Army first sergeant from St. Louis I met on the road this summer, you'll be pleased to hear this update. As Mike prepared for the most dangerous of wartime jobs, piloting a platoon of men hunting for IED's, the explosive devices that make daily living in Iraq a crapshoot, I got an e-mail from him Friday at 5:34 a.m. He wrote: "Mr. King, the day is here. We're out of here in a matter of hours, bound for Kuwait and Iraq. Don't really know what to say, because don't want the last few hours to be sad. So we just go on like a regular day, except this day will last 365 days at least. The family is doing good. (My wife, Pam) every once in awhile will let it hit her that we will be apart for so long, but she is strong and used to me being deployed. The platoon is ready and anxious. Now it is our turn to go I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device) hunting. Can that go on a guy's resume when he gets out of the Army? I am glad that you took an interest in the common soldier. Seems like everyone is forgetting there is a war still going on. You are a piece of something that we hold dear to our hearts (next to family) and that is football. Take care and I will e-mail you from Down Range and let you know how it REALLY is. No made up TV interview. Keep all soldiers in your thoughts, Mike McGuire.''

Mike, you're in our thoughts -- mine and, hopefully, everyone who reads your words. Good luck. And folks, if you want to write to Mike and his troops, I promise I'll forward the e-mails. I don't know about you. but on Thursday I'll be thinking of Mike McGuire and his men when we sit down for Thanksgiving. I'll give thanks for men like these.

I am not embarrassed to repeat this. It is people like Mike McGuire, Mike Fay and, yes, Katrina Moore that makes America the best country in the history of the world.