Writing is a catharsis for me. It has always been a place to that I run to for many reasons. Sometimes to fight for a cause. Sometimes to reason through a problem. Sometimes to rage. Sometimes to heal a place in my soul that a bandaid can't fix. Today, I write for all of the above.
I have posted many times about my military connection. This posting, once again, has ties to the military. It is a story about a young man, full of promise, bound by his love/hate relationship to his job, like many of us, and loved by his family, his friends, and his brothers in arms. So much of this story, I am not ready to tell, but I wanted people to know about this man, and how he lived his life.
Daniel (Jake) VanMeter was a soldier, a member of the Old Guard -The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. They are a special regiment that, among other duties, serve as Tomb Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknowns, or carry their brothers to their final resting place in the peaceful fields at Arlington. They serve in many other capacities protecting our freedom around the world. Jake was a soldier. Jake was a son, a father, a man.
On Monday, Jake was taken from this world. Maybe God needed him more right now. I know he has left boots that can't be filled. Having just returned from Iraq, where he was serving with the 172nd Infantry Regiment, he was currently stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. He died in a fire in his off-post quarters. This man, with all of his special training, excellent health, strength, and agility, was overcome by smoke and did not survive, despite the valiant efforts of rescue workers. He left this world and moved on, as all good soldiers do, to his next mission. Jake loved his children, and others, more than life itself. I'm sure that he fought to the last moment to return to them. It was not to be. His next mission was already on the books. This fun loving soldier, with that mischievous twinkle in his eye, was gone, leaving behind devastation in his tracks. If we take nothing else from his passing, he would want us to take this lesson...Live life to the fullest. Forgive transgressions. In the big picture, they mean nothing. Tell those you love how you feel. You never know when that opportunity will be ripped from your grasp. Last, but not least, be someone you can be proud of. You don't have to be a superhero, but be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say "I am all that I can be!" Leave no regrets.
One final note- As we are about to enter daylight savings time, replace the batteries in your smoke alarms. If you don't have one, get one, NOW! Do it for Jake. Do it for those you love. Do it for those who love you. Life is tenuous and fragile, at best. Don't give up one second of it willingly! Fight until you can't fight anymore.
We will miss you, Jake. Know that you are loved and that we, who are left behind, will circle the wagons around those you loved. Rest peaceful in that holy place of honor your brothers are about to carry you to, knowing you were our superhero and the light still shines for you. Thank you for sharing your moments on earth, however brief, with us. God speed!