Letters

A fellow former Marine emailed me this morning and told me to check out your facebook page, he said he thought you had used my photo on your page. And yes, you did. I want to say thank you for doing that. It is even more special than you can imagine. I took that photo when I was deployed to the Iraq invasion in 2003. I was a Combat Correspondent for the USMC. The Marine you see saluting the flag in that photo is actually my husband, MSgt. James Valrie. I flew into a forward operating base where his unit was in Jalibah, Iraq, and they were doing evening colors and I snapped that photo of him. James and I were married two days before our deployment to Iraq, so in a sense, our tour in Iraq was our honeymoon. James always used to say, he gave me plenty of sun and sand for a honeymoon! James retired after 21 years of service to the USMC in 2004. I lost James to cancer June 12, 2009. So you can see, there is great meaning behind this photo. Thank you so much for your continued support of the service members and veterans. Thank you so much for your honor today, it has made my Memorial Day remembrance of James even that more special. And my kids as well, the first concert I ever took my kids to was your concert at the Irvine CA amphitheater in 2000, when I first got stationed at MCAS Miramar (where James and I met). Thanks again.