The Last Time...

The last time I was in Washington D.C. the Twin Towers were still standing, the Pentagon had no memorial, the Shanksville countryside had not yet been the burial for some of the first heroes of a war that our country did not seek out.

The last time I went to Arlington Cemetery there was not a section dedicated to the lives lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The last time I walked through the thousands of white headstones I did not see a fresh mound of dirt with the wreaths of a recent funeral still standing and parents saying a final farewell to their child. The last time I was their I did not hear a mother tell her son to go find Daddy and give him a kiss and look up to see a 4 year old boy kissing one of these white tombstones.

The last time I was in Arlington Jen and Shane weren't married, they hadn't even met. They hadn't fallen in love via email and phone calls while he was deployed in Afghanistan. They hadn't gotten engaged and then married on the beautiful Kona coast. He hadn't been deployed two months after their fairy tale wedding to Iraq. The last time I was in Arlington there was no headstone that said Captain Shane T. Adcock, May 24, 1979 - October 11, 2006. The last time I was there I did not kneel down before a headstone and promise that I would never forget his sacrifice, that I would tell my children of his bravery, that I would continue to pray for his wife, that I would relish the freedom he fought for.

In loving memory of Captain Shane T. Adcock, we will never forget...


October 12, 2007
Shane,It's been a year since you went to your home in heaven above,
Yet not one day since you left has the world not felt your love.
Your love for your country, family, and friends, but most importantly God,
For the path you chose on which you gave your life on the land you trod.
To say that you made a difference just doesn't seem enough,
So let me tell you how you changed the path of one of us.
When I see a soldier now I always say a prayer,
That God will keep him safe from harm and let him know we care.
When I see the beauty that surrounds me everyday,
I stop and thank God for the blessings that He has sent my way.
When I look at my three sons and the freedom that they share,
I am humbled by the sacrifice of soldiers to keep freedom there.
These soldiers don't even know my sons yet they fight for their right to be free,
How special these brave young heroes are that they give so unselfishly.
Soldiers who, just like you, knew it from the start,
That they were destined to be soldiers because of their compassionate hearts.
Shane, I promise to always remember the sacrifice that you gave,
The countless lives for our country and for God that you sought to save,
I'll remember what you told my Daddy when he said, "Shane, keep your head down low,"
You said, "Uncle Tommy, I'm not worried because if I die then I know where I'll go."
So Shane as you're exploring Heaven way up there,
Could you give Granddaddy and Grandma Barnes a hug and let them know I care?
And until we meet again in that Celestial sky,
I will watch for rainbows and know that you're close by.
Love,Helen

(Taken from Legacy.com Guest Book)