Alex,
I am so sorry to hear of your friend's family's loss.
I will keep the Martinez family in my prayers.
The appreciation and indebtedness I feel for Rafael's sacrifice as well as the sacrifice of his family cannot be put into words.
The freedoms as Americans that we all enjoy come from the sacrifice of such warrior patriots as Rafael.
May the Lord bless and keep them safe in His Everlasting Arms.
In 2008, my daughter left the Navy after 8 years of service.
Two of those years (two duty tours), she was stationed in Baghdad when things were very unstable and dangerous.
When she enlisted, we were not yet at war so I had no objections to her choice.
But when we went to war with Sadam Hussien, I got very nervous and feared for her safety.
To this day, I thank God for bringing her back home safe and sound.
God bless all of our troops!