The hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery held deep reverence for me long before I first walked them as a young adult two decades ago. For anyone who visits this place, reminders abound of its solemn creed: dignity and respect. But Arlington became far more personal after my brigade returned from a combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2012. Before we made it home, one of our own was laid to rest there.
Each time I return to this solemn hill overlooking Washington, D.C., I make it a point to visit his grave. We didn’t know each other, having served in different parts of the unit at different locations. But I remember very clearly the moment I learned of his passing. On June 1, 2012, Haqqani network insurgents attacked our location: Forward Operating Base Salerno. Two civilian workers were killed. All enemy fighters died in the attempt. As the sun…
