I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! How come the weeks after a long weekend always seem longer than the regular work week?!
This is the 100th "Happy Friday" that I have posted. The past few weeks, as I looked at the tally and realized that it was getting closer and closer to the 100th, I kept thinking about what I would do for this special post. As is always the case, the answer slapped me in the face in a way I will never (never is measurable and yes, I mean never) forget.
Monday was Memorial Day. For many Memorial Day is simply a day off of work, the opportunity to get together with family and friends, to have a barbecue. As stated on wikipedia.org, "Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces." Days off of work, family and friends, barbecues...there is nothing inherently wrong with any of them and, in fact, if we spent more time doing these things I am highly confident that this world would be a better place. What this special, special day is all about however is those who gave their lives serving our country.
The Diamondbacks were playing the Rangers in the 2nd game of a doubleheader and Yu Darvish was going to be pitching for the Rangers. My Beautiful Bride, my Tender Warriors and I had cooked our wings and carne asada, we had our blanket spread out on the living room floor, our meal prepared so we could watch Yu pitch. We had the TV turned to the channel the game was going to be on and we were waiting for the pregame show to end, and then it happened.
All the sudden on the screen was a middle aged lady, wearing a shirt that resembled the American flag. She is standing next to the pitchers mound. A person doesn't stand on the pitchers mound...a ball simply sits there on the ground. I can't hear everything the announcer says...I have 3 excited boys and a Mom trying to corral the crew in the background. I hear "honorary 1st pitch", "died in service"...I don't hear a name, the TV goes silent. I get it. This is a Mom whose son or daughter died in service to our country...this hero is the one being honored during the honorary 1st pitch. The image is blazed in my memory. A Mom standing alone beside the mound, her son or daughter no longer there to throw the ball because he or she died fighting for our country. Wow! As the announcers remained silent, the crowd stood in an awestruck silence, the Mom broke down for a very brief moment and then stood there proudly. Her strength amazed me.
The rest of the day and into Tuesday I could not get this Mom and her son or daughter out of my mind. Who are they? What happened? I prayed for the family, for the peace of a Mom and perhaps a Dad. I decided I would find out. I want to use this Happy Friday to honor this warrior, representing all men and women who have died serving our country in the United States Armed Forces.
Michael Adam Marzano was born on May 18, 1976 in Greenville, PA to Albert Marzano and Margy Bons. In high school he played football and was an avid boxer. According to reports he won several Golden Gloves Championship titles in Ohio. He enjoyed riding motorcycles and playing Madden Football video games. From what I was able to learn he wanted to be a Marine since he was a very little boy.
Sgt. Marzano died on May 7, 2005 when a bomb in a suicide vehicle exploded during combat in Hadithah, Iraq. I feel compelled to tell you that Sgt. Marzano had completed his active duty, was serving as a reservist and in January of 2005, he volunteered and was deployed to Iraq.
Sgt. Marzano sounds like he was a really, really neat guy...someone any of us would want as a friend, son, brother. There is a great website called fallenheroesmemorial.com where people can write messages to and about those who lost their lives serving our country. If you want to read what others have to say to and about Sgt. Marzano, you can find it at http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/marzanomichaela.html.
A few things I want to share:
- As I learned more about Sgt. Marzano I was struck by how much he was like me, like my boys. He like football, he liked video games, he liked riding motorcycles...just like any other boy anywhere in this country. Sadly we often depersonalize loss in this country. It was just another person, it was just another soldier. No, it was someones son, someones daughter...and they were just like you and me. I pray that we will all slow down the next time we hear of a soldier being killed, next Memorial Day and remember.
- Margy Bons sounds like a remarkable woman. After her sons death she started Military Assistance Mission (MAM - the same initials as her son) with the following mission: "Provide financial and morale aid to our current Arizona active duty military, their families, and wounded warriors regardless of overseas deployment status." One of those writing after Sgt. Marzano's death on fallenheroesmemorial.com was the Marine recruiter who had recruited her son. He talked about being nervous, being afraid to see her after Sgt. Marzano's death because he thought she would be mad at him, angry with him because he felt responsible for her sons death. Instead this woman of remarkable strength thanked the Marine recruiter for helping her son fulfill his boyhood dream.
- Several postings indicate that Margy worried/worries that her son will be forgotten. Ma'am, I assure you that your son will never be forgotten.
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kevin
