Following the attack on the United States in 2001, I went through much personal reflection and doubt because of my inability to fight for my nation and pay back those who attacked it. Many of my high school and college classmates have taken my place and embarked on tours of duty in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. I became depressed because I could not be with them but was woken up in 2005 with the deaths of 2 Delaware soldiers in Iraq. The first to give his life was Cpl. Stephen McGowan and the other was Capt. Ralph Harting, III. While I never had the opportunity to meet Cpl. McGowan, his sacrifice was a defining moment for me. Capt. Harting had been a student at Salesianum with me and was an outstanding soccer player and prominent figure at the school.
The story of Cpl. McGowan reads like a story that I was unable to follow myself because of medical issues. Stephen and I were a year apart in age, we both attended the University of Delaware and had both begun lives in the business world. Following 9/11 Stephen decided to enlist as a Medic in the US army. He served in Iraq but was killed by an IED on March 4th 2005. I have since taken the time to visit his final resting place in Arlington Cemetery and say my thanks to him for his service and sacrifice.
Capt. Harting was the event that truly caused me to change my life for the better and is what led me to search for and find the joy of Civil War Reenacting and the 2nd Delaware. He died on April 29th, 2005. He was married with 2 children and on May 1st 2005 his widow gave birth to a young son so that she would be present when Jay came home. When I heard of his death, I made a deal with myself that I would never again allow myself or others to take for granted the gift of freedom that Jay, Stephen, and all other veterans have fought and died to provide us. This vow led me to pursue and complete a master's degree and to become a living historian.
Thus I want to dedicate this blog and my research of the 2nd Delaware to the members of the unit that served honorable in the Civil War, to Cpl. McGowan and Capt Harting's memory, and to all other veterans who have fought and served in the over 200 year history of the United States
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2 comments:
Sean,
Take satisfaction from knowing that we veterans deeply appreciate your feelings to serve your nation, and I for one know that if you could have, you would have. And that in itself deserves my respect for you and I'm honored to be reenacting with you as one of the soldiers of Company G, 2nd Regiment Delaware Volunteers. If we Viet Nam Era veterans heard more from people like you when returning to the states, maybe there would have been less troubled vets.
Well said, sir.
Good luck.
~experiencedtraveller
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