CPL Jonathan R. Ayers

May he rest in peace. He was one of the nine American soldiers killed when a compound in Afghanistan was overrun last weekend.

This one hit a little close to home, as he is the son in a family intimately known to a friend of mine. I've spent the evening corresponding with said friend and putting out some Soldiers' Angels support alerts to set in motion the appropriate SA teams. My friend's son (a veteran himself) was very close to CPL Ayers and is coping with a visceral reaction to the news, as are all in his hometown who knew and loved him.

A good kid... He'd probably be all 'aw shucks' over all the fuss being made over him. He was kinda' shy.

And a good community, too:

[My son] ran off to Gillem to get some new chevrons for his dress blues before he went to work. [My daughter] and her girlfriends went to pick up some little American Flags that they got donated...

We're going back over [to their house] this evening. My wife is making her (almost) world renowned sausage and meatball spaghetti. Like they need more food. We'd probably do better if we brought them a spare refrigerator! His parents' church is taking very good care of them. His dad came over for awhile this morning to hang out with my son. Just mainly to get out of the house I think. I'm fielding calls from a lot of the old team as word has gotten out. It's a good community...

I wouldn't have written a post singling out CPL Ayers and his hometown, as he is the center of just one of nine radiating circles of anguish. Except that I opened an email to this:


Such youth. Such clear-eyed, quiet confidence...

Such loss...

Such obligation.