I didn't like that line, at first. It seemed so harsh and bleak and heavy. I don't really know what I was expecting.
Today's the day, friends. 14 October. It's just a day. And it's THE day – all at the same time. Two years have passed and I go back and forth between feeling like there is nothing left to say and feeling as if there will never be enough time to say it all.
Without a Witness, They Will Disappear. Those are the words at the top of the Lost Heroes Art Quilt. An artist named Julie Feingold set out to create a work of art that would pay tribute to fallen heroes and their families. And it was dedicated this September at the Fourth Annual Time of Remembrance in Washington. The quilt itself is currently on tour – pictured below displayed at Arlington National Cemetery – and will be featured at multiple locations across the country before finding its (currently undetermined) permanent home. So far, I've only seen photos, but I can't stop looking through the quilt squares and reading the stories. The soldiers shown as children really bothered me at first, but I think it's a fitting, brutal, innocent tribute. Without a Witness, They Will Disappear. It's haunting. And it keeps us honest.
Each US state is represented by a soldier with ties to that state. Tom represents South Dakota.
The website to learn more about the quilt and the stories behind it is: lostheroesartquilt.org
He's my brother, and I miss him. And the best thing I know to do is make sure all of you know who he was and what he stood for and how much he is missed. I put this page together a while back, but it's kinda hidden (over there in the left column of this window) so I wanted to be sure you knew about it. Have a look. And remember. Always remember.
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