The men who died were not defined by spectacle. They were relied upon in unremarkable ways—coaching youth sports, working late shifts, meeting responsibilities without announcement. When they left, neighbors offered casseroles and well wishes, steadied by the belief that this assignment carried limited risk. That belief did not hold.
In official statements, the language turns to strategy and deterrence. Those terms matter, but they do not translate easily to households where absence becomes permanent. There, the vocabulary is simpler and heavier: love for who was lost, pride in service, anger at circumstances that feel both distant and personal, and a question that resists clean answers.vContinue reading…
