In December of last year, the United States lost 16 of our bravest heroes to the war on terror. Men who volunteered to serve and, in these cases, make the ultimate sacrifice for our great country. You might not recognize the faces or even the names. You may not know their life stories, their likes, or even their dislikes. What you can be sure of is they were brothers, fathers, friends, and uncles of our fellow citizens. And more importantly, they were brave and strong in their desire to serve their country ... our country!

Pfc. Christopher W. Lotter, 20, Chester Heights, PA

Pfc. Benjamin B. Tollefson, 22, Concord, CA

Spc. Tony J. Gonzales, 20, Newman, CA

Maj. John P. Pryor, 42, Moorestown, NJ

Master-at-Arms Seaman Joshua Seitz, 19, Sinking Springs, PA

Staff Sgt. Christopher G. Smith, 28, Grand Rapids, MI

Spc. Stephen M. Okray, 21, St. Clair Shores, MI

Spc. Stephen G. Zapasnik, 19, Broken Arrow, OK

Cpl. Charles P. Gaffney Jr., 42, Phoenix, AZ

Lance Cpl. Thomas Reilly Jr., 19, London, KY

Staff Sgt. Jonathan W. Dean, 25, Henagar, AL

Pfc. Coleman W. Hinkefent, 19, Coweta, OK

Pvt. Colman J. Meadows III, 19, Senoia, GA

Sgt. John J. Savage, 26, Weatherford, TX

Staff Sgt. Solomon T. Sam, 26, Majuro, Marshall Islands

Capt. Robert J. Yllescas, 31, Lincoln, NE

You may never know much about these Heroes ... but ... I believe every single one of them would volunteer again even if they knew their ultimate fate. Why? Because inside the heart of each of these brave men is a patriot bent on defending the line of freedom to prevent anyone from harming a single one of us.

They are Heroes! They deserve to be remembered! They deserve to be honored!

Thank you for your sacrifice! God bless America!

Sounds like an odd topic, right? Recently, my 11 year old daughter ... who happens to be a huge supporter of our ThankYouSoldier projects from making cards to helping to fill Hero Packs ... said, "daddy, can I play a video for you?" Intrigued, I said "absolutely. I knelt beside her computer desk looking over her shoulder. The video was obviously popular with 12 million views but I only recognized the singer's name ... Carrie Underwood. It didn't take long to realize why my daughter thought this was a good one to show "daddy".

The song "Just A Dream" takes you on roller coaster ride as you watch an apparent bride to be find out her deployed fiance has been killed in action. The wedding she expected to take place is no longer a reality as the lyrics ring out "why'd you have to leave me, why'd you have to go, I was counting on forever, now I'll never know". I'd really rather not give away too many details but have posted the link below so you can see the break-down yourself.

The song was almost over when I realized tears were running down my face. My daughter had already noticed and just held my hand, not saying a word. I didn't really notice how pretty Carrie was in the video, how amazing her voice is, or even the flow of the music. But I did recognize the reality. Shear statistics would tell us at some point in all the wars and in the lives of some of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, there was a fiance waiting at home who now thought or uttered the same words ... "I was counting on forever" ... a husband or wife waiting on a deployed spouse who now won't come home, or a child expecting to share every exciting moment in life with a parent who will no longer "be there" for them.

Our fallen Heroes are not just faces in the newspaper and names on memorial walls. They were real people. They had real lives. And they had real loved ones waiting for them to return.

The next time you hug your spouse or child, the next time share that special moment with someone in your family ... remember those who gave up their hugs and special moments in selfless sacrifice wearing our country's uniform. Remember our fallen Heroes ... don't let their "loved ones" be the only ones who will never forget.

Carrie Underwood "Just A Dream" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8khHqMntkbQ

In October of last year, the United States lost some of our bravest heroes to the war on terror. Men and women who volunteered to serve and, in these cases, make the ultimate sacrifice for our great country. You might not recognize the faces or even the names. You may not know their life stories, their likes, or even their dislikes. What you can be sure of is they were brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, aunts, and uncles of our fellow citizens. And more importantly, they were brave and strong in their desire to serve their country ... our country!

Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace, 27, Dry Ridge, KY

Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, 36, Framingham, MA

Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman, 24, Martinsville, VA

Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, Canton, OH

Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, Bartlett, IL

Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston, 21, Eugene, OR

Staff Sgt. Brian P. Hause, 29, Stoystown, PA

Spc. Deon L. Taylor, 30, Bronx, NY

Cpl. Adrian Robles, 21, Scottsbluff, NE

Lance Cpl. San Sim, 23, Santa Ana, CA

Capt. Robert D. Lindenau, 39, Camano Island, WA

Lance Cpl. Stacy A. Dryden, 22, North Canton, OH

Sgt. John M. Penich, 25, Beach Park, IL

Sgt. Federico G. Borjas, 33, San Diego, CA

Pfc. Heath K. Pickard, 21, Palestine, TX

Spc. Justin A. Saint, 22, Albertville, AL

Spc. Christopher A. McCraw, 23, Columbia, MS

Spc. Cory J. Bertrand, 18, Center, TX

Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato, 25, Danvers, MA

Sgt. Preston R. Medley, 23, Baker, FL

Cpl. Scott G. Dimond, 39, Franklin, NH

Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson, 28, Lubbock, TX

Sgt. Reuben M. Fernandez III, 22, Abilene, TX

Cpl. Jason A. Karella, 20, Anchorage, AK

Sgt. Michael K. Clark, 24, Sacramento, CA

Sgt. William P. Rudd, 27, Madisonville, KY

Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45, Chevy Chase, MD

Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler, 23, Jacksonville, FL

Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck, 33, Charlotte, NC

You may never know much about these Heroes ... but ... I believe every single one of them would volunteer again even if they knew their ultimate fate. Why? Because inside the heart of each of these brave men and women is a patriot bent on defending the line of freedom to prevent anyone from harming a single one of us.

They are Heroes! They deserve to be remembered! They deserve to be honored!

Thank you for your sacrifice! God bless America!