LCpl. Stephen Baldwyn

The hardest stories to write are about funerals, and none are so difficult as funerals for soldiers. This Independence Day, I am reminded of their sacrifice.

In May, I reported on a young man named Stephen Baldwyn, a Marine lance corporal who was killed in combat in Iraq. Stephen had earned his Eagle Scout badge in Boy Scouts, but never saw the award.

His mother, Stephanie Baldwyn, said her son wanted to see the world. He wanted adventure.

He sang in the Mooreville High School chorus, and played tennis. He was a normal kid, and he was willing to serve his country, to die for his country.

Another soldier, Marine Sgt. Jonathan Lambert, was buried in June 2003. He was killed in a Humvee wreck in Iraq.

During his funeral, Jonathan was remembered as a loving husband and father, and a man proud to serve his country.

In the close-knit New Site community, his neighbors said it was as if they, too, had lost a family member.

One thing was evident in speaking with Lambert's uncle, Daniel Brown. Everyone was proud of Jonathan, and grateful for his sacrifice.

And speaking with Stephanie Baldwyn, I could tell that even as she grieved, she was proud of her son.

As Stephen's funeral procession wound through downtown Tupelo, I was touched to see groups of people standing on the roadsides, holding American flags in one hand and covering their hearts with the other.

There have been many other Mississippians killed in Iraq, but these two that I wrote about gave me a glimpse into the toll it took on their families, friends and community.

Lately, it seems that casualties are reported every day from the Iraq war. I personally don't think it is one we should be fighting, and it pains me to write these stories, to see mothers grieving for their sons and young children lose their fathers.

These two men answered the call to serve their country. They laid down their lives for their country, because they were asked to serve.

I am proud to live in a country with such courageous people in our military. I pray that our nation's leaders will always remember that life is sacred, and should never be taken for granted.