Edit: I realized today that my blog is the first thing that pops up when you Google Jordan's name. I'm terribly sorry to those looking for some sort of explanation to what happened as I do not know any details. For those grieving this great Soldier's death, I hope you can find some relief in the fact that you are not alone. I also hope that soon there will be press releases and news articles about Jordan instead of my blog as the top search result. He and his family deserve better.
A friend of The Hubby's from West Point was killed in Afghanistan yesterday. Spc. Jordan Morris was only 23 years old. We both found out about his death through our news feed on Facebook. What a way to find out such a thing.
I was in shock and in disbelief, so much so that I even tried to Google his name to see if this was indeed true. There was not a single article on his life or death. How is it that the passing of such a loved Soldier is not considered newsworthy?
I spent a few minutes crying uncontrollably. I had met Jordan May 2009 at The Hubby's graduation. He held the American flag while The Hubby and his best friend were being sworn in as Officers at Trophy Point.
Although I probably only had thirty minutes of interaction with Jordan, he left a lasting impression on me. He was extremely outgoing, and I saw his admiration towards his two friends who had just graduated. I could tell that he was trying to say everything he could during the last moments he had with his buddies before they went on with their lives. Who knew when they would be able to see each other again?
I loved watching this interaction between my husband and another cadet friend, especially one that was younger. He seemed like such a kid to me, even though he was a few months older. It felt as if he was this little brother trying to get approval. Even in the short amount of time I spent with him, I could tell he had a wonderful sense of humor.
I was somewhat surprised by my reaction this morning as I didn't truly know Jordan that well. I thought about his family and how they would have to try to overcome this great loss. I also thought about my husband.
Do I bring up Jordan's death to The Hubby or will he mention it first? If he doesn't say something, should I?
I wanted to be there for him, even if all I could do was hug him and sit by him. Instead, I had to comfort him over the internet. What could I possibly say to make this situation better? I knew he would be in pain, which made me feel pain. That's what happens when you get married to someone you love so much. You go through the same emotions. Hurt to happiness. You are one person.
And, of course, this just struck a little too close to home. The possibility of The Hubby getting harmed or killed has not been forgotten. Instead, I chose to push that to the back of my mind. I don't think that is an ignorant thing to do, but rather I think it is a survival mechanism.
So many of our friends are deployed, and it terrifies me. How many more deployments will there be and can we all--those in the States and overseas--survive them?
