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Recently,
I was checking a new voice mail on my work cell phone.
Something wasn’t right. I always check it before bed
and first thing when I get up. When it showed I had a
new voice mail, I knew right away, it came in the middle
of the night and, usually, that’s not a good thing.
It came from Cal Paup, our company’s Assistant
General Superintendent. Cal oversees the crews and
special assignments especially in the western part of
our company. His call came to me at 1 am Saturday the
12
of March. He
indicated that his daughter Stacy had just received a
phone call from our US government telling her that her
husband Don had been killed over in Iraq. Cal and his
wife Donna were boarding a plane that morning to fly to
Seattle to be with Stacy.
Before I could think, I hit my speed dial to Cal’s
mobile phone. I think I speak for all of us Americans
when I said to his voice mail, “I am thankful to those
who are serving this great country for the good of the
whole world. This message can’t come close to
expressing the sorrow I feel for your daughter Stacy,
you and your wife (Donna) and to Don’s family.”
To all of those brave solders serving us here in
the US and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice
of their life, I again say, “You will not be forgotten”!
I had another article but changed it when I got this
call. I felt I had to share this sobering experience
with you all, so prayers and thoughts may be given the
families involved and again express my gratitude to all
those serving this great country. |
