Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine
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> sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two
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> together.  After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd
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> been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he
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> was heading home.
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> No, he responded.
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>  Heading out I asked?
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   No.   I'm escorting a soldier home.
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> Going to pick him up?
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> No.   He is with me right now.   He was killed in Iraq  I'm taking him
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> home to his family.
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> The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to
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> the gut.   It was an honor for him.  He told me that, although he didn't
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> know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the
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> soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in
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> so few days.   I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank
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> you.  Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we
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> do.
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>  Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the
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> following announcement over the intercom.
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> "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor
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> of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on
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> this flight.   He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family.
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> I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door
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> to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier.  We
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> will then turn off the seat belt sign."
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>Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting
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> the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me
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> realize that I am proud to be an American. 
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> So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you
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> do so we can live the way we do.
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>Red Fridays.
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>Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing
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> Red every Friday.  The reason?  Americans who support
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> our troops used to be called the "silent majority."  We
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> are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for
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> God, country and home in record breaking numbers.  We
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> are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.
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>Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends,
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> simply want to recognize that the vast majority of
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> America supports our troops.  Our idea of showing
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> solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and
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> respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and
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> every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a
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> deafening message that ... every red-blooded American
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> who supports our men and women afar, will wear
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> something red.
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>By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of

 

red much like a  homecoming football game in the bleachers.  If every
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> one of us who loves this country will share this with
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> acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will
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> not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it
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> will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is
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> on their side more than ever, certainly more than the
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> media lets on.
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>  The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can
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> we do to make things better for you?" is ..."We need
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> your support and your prayers."  Let's get the word out
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> and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear
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> something red every Friday.
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> IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON. 
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> IF YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS -- THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON.  
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