She ran to him crying as he dropped his duffel bag and opened his arms. For an instant...he envisioned a woman he had seen in the battle smoke running to a fallen enemy soldier.
The woman and the soldier had disappeared in the massive flash to follow.
His loving wife jumped in his arms and they held each other tightly, kissed and cried. He pushed her back just to look at her beauty again. He watched a tear drip from her cheek to her breast.
The world had gone into slow motion for him. The sparkling tear was filled with his memories. He had called in the air strike that obliterated the enemy soldier and the woman.
He stared at the falling tear as if it was his last second alive. He felt his soul blast into a billion pieces. The sky ripped and the thunder made him deaf.
He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and cried, "Oh God...please make it go away!" He buried his face in her stomach like a hurt child would to a mother.
A Colonel who knew him, ran to them as the flag waving ceased and cheers grew silent. He put his hand on the young soldier's shoulder and handed him a small card from his pocket.
The young soldier wiped his tears and read the card......"Remember and Rise"...was the only words on the little white card.
The young soldier gave a blank stare to the Colonel but then....stood up and saluted him.
The young soldier remembered a speech the Colonel gave just before they boarded the plane to come home.
"My fellow soldiers...we have engaged in war on this land. Many souls were lost and many were wounded....of us and our enemy. It is now time to return home to our families. From this day on...we remember not only our fallen...we remember our fallen enemies....for we are all...the human race. Let your souls rise and take the hands of those we have killed. Let our losses be the price of liberty and our victory be the freedom of peace. May God bless all the world.
Remember and Rise!"
