Five years ago around this time, a young US Army Private was making his last minute arrangements to head out on his upteenth mission in Afghanistan. The days mission would take him and his unit to a village called Mohamed Aga in the Logar Provence. The village was suspected of hiding Taliban insurgents and the mission was to check out and confirm the intelligence reports. Around this time of that day, coordinates were being checked and the group of Soldiers were getting ready to depart. As the driver of the lead vehicle in the small convoy, SSgt Daniel Merriweather was up front with the Private, gunner Pfc. Kayla Parker was in her position with her big gun ready to engage the enemy in an instant, below was a Lt. who was ready to gather whatever intelligence they would be able to gather that day. Later in the morning as this small convoy was coming into sight of the village, a sudden horrific explosion sounded, the apex of which centered directly under the vehicle this Private was driving. In an instant, the Private and SSgt Merriweather entered eternity. Pfc Parker was broken, the Lt. was shocked but other than some abrassions was miraculously unharmed. The young Private I am talking about was my son, Pfc. Geoffrey Alexander Whitsitt. In an instant, Geoff became an angel for eternity. Merely days before his 22nd birthday his life was ended in the sands of a non-descript village in a backwater country involved in another of the continual wars fought over this land for centuries. He would never be able to hold the little niece he was so proud of. Never again go fishing with me again and brag over his superior prowess of catching fish. Never again would he be able to give a Geoff hug to his mom, or engage in the continual inter-service back and forth with his sailor older brother. Never again would he be able to be the best friend to everyone who knew him. Never again would he laugh in that deep sardonic way he laughed. Geoff was dead, one of too many in the wars we as a nation have engeged in for over a decade. His ambitions to become an Army Ranger would have to pass on to another young American, and the contributions he would have made in his future vanished. Or did they? On February 7, 2015 at the beautiful campus of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, a large mass of runners and walkers and just observers will gather to honor Geoff at the 5th Annual A Heros 5k. They, along with businesses in and around Upstate South Carolina will raise money to support the work of Upstate Warrior Solution, as they support the numerous needs of our Veterans returning from the Middle East, Vietnam, and other engagements that have been heroically fought by brave men and women of America. So, Geoff died that day on January 13, 2010, or did he? Not really. He lives on in the hearts and minds of people who knew him and fought alongside him. He lives on in the work done on his behalf by organizations like Upstate Warrior Solution. He lives on in the dedicated work of those who work so hard to make A Heros 5k the best 5k walk/run event possible. And, he lives on in the memories and with the love his Mom and Dad, Brother and Sister-in-Law, and in his nieces Mady and Brynn and nephew Hank, and in the heart of his Grandmaw and aunts and uncles and cousins. To paraphrase a statement made by then Rep Bob Ingles on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives: the enemies thought that they succeeded in killing Geoff Whitsitt that morning, but they failed. They failed because Geoffs memory lives on in the hearts of his parents and brother, in the memories of those who knew him, in the lives of people he impacted. Geoff and the many other Geoffs out there will never be killed as long as the memories of them live in the hearts of the American People. Yes, Geoff is no longer with us in this physical realm, but in the heavenly realm he is better than alive and well. And in America, there are other Geoffs who are running through the fields and making a difference in the lives of others and who have a sense of love of country. And these innumerable Geoffs will one day, some sooner that others, answer the call to defend all of us, and they will gladly don the uniform of whatever military service they want to serve in, and they will fight hard and ultimately preserve this great nation. Geoff Whitsitt is dead, but he continues to live and grace the memories of many. And he lives beyond this world, running through the streets of heaven, waiting to take his old man fishing in the best fishing spots in the universe. Im waiting for that patiently.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:46:06 +0000
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