Tonight, we light a candle of memory against the darkness of grief and loss. We remember.
This retrospective, the first of two, is a compilation of 2009's "I Got the News Today" diaries, tributes to American service members who died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When you click on the links, you'll find their stories--the details that their friends remember, the last calls home to parents, their MySpace messages to loved ones. These are not numbers. They were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, parents, children, friends, colleagues, brothers and sisters in arms.
If you are new to the series, please click on a date and read about a few of these lives. If you have been with us this year, please know how much your presence has meant. To the families and friends who may read this--we have not forgotten your loved one.
As in other years, we have chosen "We Remember Them," by Rabbis Sylvan Kamens and Jack Riemer, to help us reflect on these losses. Thank you for being here tonight to remember.
Please also visit Part 2 of this diary.
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