Family Members Remember America's Fallen Heroes on Memorial

 

Adam Phillips

For many Americans, Memorial Day means the beginning of the summer vacation season. But Memorial Day was set aside as a national day of remembrance for those who have died in America's wars. To date, 800 U.S. military personnel have died in the latest conflict, in Iraq. For their families and friends, Memorial Day is a time share both personal memories and feelings of grief.
At 6:00 p.m., most of the tables at the Massapequa Diner on New York's Long Island are occupied by working parents and their young children eating dinner together. Yet, in one corner, sits a small group of parents who will never see their children alive again.
"My name is Cathy Heighter and I am the mother of the late Corporal Raheen Tyson Heighter. His convoy¹ was ambushed³ and he was killed on July 24, 2003 in Mosul. Today is just one of those days I feel like I need to cry. But I don't like to cry. And if I do cry I want to cry to somebody that can understand my tears and my pain."
One of the other parents reaches across the table to pat her arm.
"Raheen was a very brave hearted young man. Raheen was extremely persistent⁴. And he used to use that on me all the time, until I eventually pretty much gave in most of the time," she laughs. "He was determined⁵ to reach the goal he set out to accomplish. I was proud of his decision. I didn't really want him to go into the military but I was proud that he was making an honorable decision for his own life and pursuing it. And I give him all due respect for that."
Ms. Heighter seems tortured with the sense that her son's spirit cannot rest. "My son was not ready to leave here. His life was cut much too short," she says. "And I think that Raheen in a spiritual sense is still waiting to come home - struggling to be alive and to be here. And only I can say that because I'm his mother. There are days - even today as I was coming over here - I could feel his presence so strong it was just like he was breathing through me. It's very powerful."
Leonard Wahl is new to this group. His son Gregory was killed on a combat mission in early May when his truck overturned and fell down a ravine, where he drowned. "He is married to Maricela Wahl, an El Salvadoran and the love of his life. Two people that you never saw that were so inseparable. Anytime he was off work, they did everything together," he explains. "They have a beautiful daughter Alexis, four years old. And Maricela, she's just totally lost. She came from El Salvador and Greg gave her everything.
This Memorial Day I would like people to know that Greg cared about other people. It wasn't just about being in the military. Military is one thing serving your country. But he has a lot of compassion⁶ for kids. And he was very concerned about the kids in Iraq. And he said that one day, he would like to come back and take one home. That's the way he was.
He told me about this one little girl who had no shoes and she was missing teeth and she a little shirt on, and every day for three days she kept coming up to his truck because he was giving her Rice Krispies [breakfast cereal]. And I couldn't be any prouder of him. I wish he could be here but he's not. He did what he had to do and he died for his country and I respect him for that. I feel bad for Maricela and Alexis, but we'll get past it. We're a family."
Marlowe Fletcher, picks up the maroon⁷ paratrooper's beret his son was wearing when he was struck by a homemade mine.
注释：
set aside 保留
Long Island长岛（美国纽约市东南一个狭长的岛屿，位于大西洋南部边界）
convoy [5kCnvCi] n. 护航队，护航舰
ambush² [5AmbuF] v. 伏击，埋伏
Mosul [mEJ`sU:l] n. 摩苏尔（伊拉克北部一城市）
persistent [pE5sistEnt] adj. 百折不挠的
honorable [5CnErEbl] adj. 值得尊敬的
due [dju:] adj. 应得的
overturn [7EuvE5tE:n] v. 翻到
ravine [rE5vi:n] n. 沟壑，峡谷
El Salvadoran 萨尔瓦多的
inseparable [in5sepErEbl] adj. 不能分离的
cereal [5siEriEl] n. 谷类食品
maroon [mE5ru:n] adj. 栗色的，茶色的
paratrooper [5pArEtru:pE(r)] n. 伞兵，空降兵
beret [5berei] n. 贝雷帽
mine [main] n. 地雷

1 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

2 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

3 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

7 maroon   

v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的

参考例句：

• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
• Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。