As the nation observes Veterans Day we honor the many men and women who have served in our nation’s military during times of peace and times of war. For platoon leader Billy Mariani, that horror of war came on March 16, 2006, when his unit was attacked by Taliban fighters. They fired a rocket-propelled grenade that flew through the window of a Humvee, and lodged into the right thigh of Private Channing Moss. Mariani contributed a letter read in his own words, written just a week after that attack.
On January 4, 2005, Staff Sergeant Joe Sturm was in Afghanistan. It was just days after the New Year was rung in. Roman Baca’s story comes from Iraq, where he served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corp from 2005 to 2006. He was based in Fallujah, and wrote home several letters to his wife visualizing his experiences for her. On March 29, 2003, Former Marine First Lieutenant Michael Scotti wrote a letter home to his mother which he shared with us today.