This week brings back very difficult, sad memories from two years ago when FM’s unit lost a lot of good men during the battle of Fallujah. No matter what I’ve been doing this weekend, my thoughts drift back to those awful days in November 2004. My friend, Heidi and her terrible loss 2 years ago has been on my mind even more intensely than usual.
Throughout her terrible ordeal, she’s always handled herself with grace and she honors her husband, Sean, in everything she does:
Last night, as I was watching yet another episode of Law and Order, FM came in and asked me to change the channel to FOX news. A familiar face was on the TV. It was SSG(Ret) David Bellavia and he spoke at length about his time in Iraq with A Co. and how difficult it was to lose his Company Commander, CPT Sims and his Company Executive Officer, Lt Iwan and the Battalion Command Sergeant Major, CSM Faulkenburg. He also spoke of the importance to not “cut and run” from Iraq and how we need to give the Iraqi people a chance at democracy. SSG Bellavia earned a Silver Star for his contributions in Iraq and also was up (and I think he still is) for a Medal of Honor.
About an hour later, FM once again called for me to watch something else on FOX and this time I saw SGT Mock on the TV. The last time I saw him was at the 2-2 IN Welcome Home Ball and remembered him to be so polite, well spoken and nice ~ and so young, only 21 years old at the time of the ball.
As the FOX news clip played, I felt very unsettled. Why were they showing footage from two years ago? At the end of the interview, SGT Mock said something to the effect of: I will never attend another Memorial Day or Verteran’s Day event without thinking of all the men who gave their lives here (in Fallujah). Whew, I thought to myself ~ it’s just a Veteran’s Day piece. Unfortunately, the reporter then said SGT Mock wouldn’t have that opportunity, he died on 22 October 2006. FM and I gasped and both said “Oh, NO” at the same time. He’d been serving again with 1ID but this time with 1-26 IN, 2nd Brigade. My prayers go out to his family who are in Kansas and I imagine he’s had another kind welcome home but this time he was greeted by all those great soldiers who went before him.
Displaced Beachbums 
I didn’t realize that SGT Mock was formerly of 2-2. We are now part of 2nd BCT and have all been hit hard by the recent losses from Schweinfurt.
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Last night on CNN, they profiled a story Arwa Damon had done on SGT Mock, previously of 2-2, two years ago. Of course, they were following up on his recent death. They also interviewed his family. It was quite touching.
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Fred and I saw the same report you did. We both thought, oh no, here we go again. I never SGT Mock but I’ve added him to my long list that I say prayers for everyday.
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