Remember when the days were long.
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky?
Didn’t have a care in the world,
With mommy and daddy standing by.
When happily ever after fails,
And we’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales…
O beautiful, for spacious skies,
But now those skies are threatening.
They’re beating plowshares into swords,
For this tired old man that we elected king.
Armchair warriors often fail,
And we’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales…
Who knows how long this will last,
Now we’ve come so far, so fast.
But, somewhere back there in the dust,
That same small town in each of us.I need to remember this,
So baby give me just one kiss.
And let me take a long last look,
Before we say good bye.
Just lay your head back on the ground,
And let your hair fall all around me.
Offer up your best defense,
But this is the end,
This is the end of the innocence.
“The End of the Innocence”, Don Henley-native Texan
LUBBOCK, Texas
For the second time in as many years, a light green sedan with US Government plates pulled into the drive at the Velez home in Lubbock, Texas. For the second time in as many years, an Army chaplain and survivor benefits officer knocked on the door there. For the second time in as many years, the hearts of the Velez home were broken in two as they were told they had lost yet another son to this war.
Roy Velez listened, I’m sure, over the wails of his wife as the specifics of the death were reported to him. His youngest son, Army Specialist Andrew Velez, 22, was killed in Afghanistan while there to search for Bin Laden. His oldest son, Army Corporal Jose Velez, 23, was killed in Fallujah, Iraq in November 2004. Mr. Velez had this to say, “I can’t be angry. I feel like my heart’s been pulled out. We’ve done what the Lord allowed us to do for our country.'’
The family lost its only sons; there is one daughter.
- He was scheduled to return for 10 days of leave during the last week of August.
- After his death, Jose Velez was awarded two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star and a Silver Star.
- Andrew Velez is survived by his parents, his wife, Veronica Velez; a daughter, Jasmine Jade, 5; and two sons, Jordan Davis, 3, and Jacob Andrew, 2.
My thoughts and prayers go out to these people. You can’t be any more American than they are. I pray too, that this mess over there is done before the two grandsons of Mr. Velez are given the opportunity to die for their country as well. How much more can be expected of one family than the price already paid here.
Plowboy
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