They’ve earned honor

In the long list of fallen soldiers from Arkansas since 2003, one name speaks to me—Army PFC Jonathan M. Cheatham, 19, from Camden. I did not know this young man personally, but he was a comrade of my son and his then-fiancée in the 489th Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve. It was their first deployment to Iraq and just three months in, their camp in Baghdad was attacked, and PFC Cheatham lost his life. My heart still grieves for him.

I do not begin to understand all that is involved and why after almost 15 years we are still engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, although my son, now serving his third deployment to Iraq, has tried to explain it to me. I do know and understand that all people have the right to live free no matter what country they live in.

Those of us who remain here at home cannot possibly know the horrors, the loneliness, and the sadness that our men and women experience during deployment to these war-torn countries. Some return with broken bodies and broken spirits. Some lose their faith in God and in themselves. And some return for burial.

As my son and others continue to serve in the United States military in various branches here at home and around the world, let us be thankful for them and the veterans from past conflicts—they all are our sons, our brothers in this blessed place we call freedom. Let us honor them—not just on Veterans Day, but every day. They have earned it. And let us not forget to pray for them and their families. We are all in this together as Arkansans and as Americans.

JUNE MORGAN

Austin