Dying a life of value...

You know those "feel good" internet stories that get passed around? I rarely forward them just because I get so many and I presume others do also. But this one really caught my attention. I'm a sucker for anything military. (Digression: story within a story...On my plane flight from Philly to Charlotte, I was seated beside a young man. Honestly, I thought he was 14ish. I asked him if Charlotte was his final destination. "No, Ma'am, it's Paris Island." I looked at this kid incredulously. "Marines?" I asked, as if there is anything else on Paris Island. "Yes, Ma'am, there's 15 of us on here." When we landed in Charlotte, we were detained on the plane for 45 minutes. These young soldiers were visibly distraught that they were going to miss their flight. When the captain finally gave the OK, he asked that everyone remain seated until the Marines disembarked. They looked scared to death as they walked out with just the clothes on their backs. Apparently, you always enter Paris Island at night...there's only one way in. You bring nothing with you and they take the clothes you are wearing. As these boys diembarked, the captain gave a hearty, "Hoorah!" Several of us cheered. One old curmudgeon in front of me said, "They ain't Marines yet, and they don't have any idea what's a comin' on that island in this 95 degeree heat neither." I'm sure he was right, and I'm so thankful every day for our military personel who willingly join the ranks, never reallyknowing what's ahead.)

So, here's the other story. I checked it out on snopes and it is legit.  Mike Monsoor was awarded "The Congressional Medal Of Honor"  for giving His life In Iraq, covering a live hand grenade with his body,
saving the lives of his fellow Navy Seals. The group was trapped in an area with only one exit, and Mike was the only one who could have escaped. Instead, he yelled, "Grenade!" and without hesitation, jumped on top of it, dying to save his comrades. Here is the email I received, as is:

During Mike Monsoor's Funeral, At Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery , In San Diego , California ..
The Six Pallbearers Removed The Rosewood Casket From The Hearse, And Lined Up On Each Side Of Mike Monsoor's Casket, Were His Family Members, Friends, Fellow Sailors, And Well-wishers. The Column Of People Continued From The Hearse, All The Way To The Grave Site. What The Group Didn't Know At The Time Was, Every Navy Seal (45 To Be Exact) That Mike Monsoor Saved That Day Was Scattered Through-Out The Column! As The Pallbearers Carried The Rosewood Casket
Down The Column Of People To The Grave Side. The Column Would Collapse.. Which Formed A Group Of People That Followed Behind. Every Time The Rosewood Casket Passed A Navy Seal,
He Would Remove His Gold Trident Pin From His Uniform, And Slap It Down Hard, Causing The Gold Trident Pin To Embed Itself Into The Top Of The Wooden Casket , Then The Navy Seal Would Step Back From The Column, And Salute.  You Could Hear Each Of The 45 Slaps From Across The Cemetery! By The Time The Rosewood Casket Reached The Grave Site, It Looked As Though It Had A Gold Inlay From The 45 Trident Pins That Lined The Top.

Here's the picture...thank God today for the military!