Memorial for Petty Officer Koth, EOD

Earlier this week, I attended the memorial service for Edward Austin Koth, Electrician’s Mate Second Class, EOD. He was from Baltimore County, MD, and died last week while handling explosives near where I sleep at night. It was a very touching service for one so well loved by his EOD brothers. To their credit, those that paid their tributes managed to do so with strong voices, and restrained tears. We even heard some words prepared by his girlfriend Alison who a mere 96 hours after hearing that her future plans of moving to Italy with him had turned to dust, had the strength to try and not only pay homage to his memory but to comfort his friends and brothers in arms.
I always find the concept of going through a receiving line to be more stressful for the visitor, rather than those doing the receiving. Petty Officer Koth’s entire unit stood up and shook the hands of the 100 or so attendees to the memorial service. You want to say something personal, something appropriate, but how many times can you tell someone that you are sorry, or that you wish you could do something to help? But that is the comforting thing about this crazy place. Death is real. It isn’t some abstract “you might die in a car wreck” sort of concept. It isn’t that you worry about wasting away 60 years from now. It is real, and it could happen. In a strange sort of way, it is liberating because you come to grips with the idea that you must live every day to its fullest. In Austin’s case he did just that – EOD, Parachutist, College graduate. Good looking kid, in shape, and never a picture in his slideshow without a smile. Every one of the team talked about his sense of humor.
Loosely quoting one of the internet forward chains we get from time to time, a Doctor who treats WWII veterans was touched by the last scene in Saving Private Ryan, when as an old man he kneels next to the Arlington resting place of Tom Hank’s character and asks whether or not the life he lived was well earned from the sacrifice made. While I can’t stand being apart from my family, I have convinced myself that if something should happen, there will be left no doubt years down the road as to whether or not I have earned it. For it doesn’t matter whether or not you have a good credit rating, or how many miles each day you run, or what your cholesterol level may be – all that matters is whether or not when people gather to your memorial service and hear your friends and family speak of you. A man’s life can be best measured I guess by the family he creates and cares for, the friends he keeps, and how many people walk out of the service in admiration of the life you have led.
If anything, Austin Koth was a good American. Shortly after the service, I received this from a friend, and it seemed appropriate to post this in his honor.

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-ferrara092501.shtml
What Is An American?A primer.
By Peter Ferrara, an associate professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law.September 25, 2001 9:20 a.m.

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper there an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
So I just thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.
An American is English…or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.
An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose.
An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country. As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.
An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly cruel, old men. American men will not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill innocent people, so that these foolish old men may hold on to power. American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them choose.
An American is free to criticize his government's officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion. Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.
Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of them choose.
And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring, from all over the world. The best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes.
Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least. The nation symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed.
These in fact are the people who built America. Many of them were working in the twin towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.
So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo and Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.
But in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.
So look around you. You may find more Americans in your land than you thought were there. One day they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands too will join the community of free and prosperous nations.
And America will welcome them.