One name, one sacrifice

Dear Editor,

Over Memorial Day this year my thoughts returned to my cousin, Private Gerald Walters, who died in Vietnam. So many years have passed, yet the loss still feels personal and unfinished. As I wrote before, he was more than a soldier’s name on a memorial wall.

He was family, full of life, laughter, and dreams that never had the chance to grow old. He gave everything in service to this country, and our family has carried both pride and heartbreak ever since. On this day, I honor his courage, his sacrifice, and the empty place he left behind that time could never replace.

-Thomas Butler

Pagosa Springs, Colo.