On Monday afternoon, I went to Sgt. Jayton Patterson’s funeral service an hour early and had to park on the street – the church was filled.

I was in one of the several Sunday school classes that had a video monitor covering the service. A great service by the pastor; it was directed into the lives of those sitting that you should get your life right with Christ. We know Jayton was saved and so are you!

I also went to the graveside ceremony.

Since I was in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1984-88, it meant a lot to see so many of them show as well speak at his service. It was bone chilling out there. I stood purposely directly in front of his casket, his parents and wife.

It’s hard to describe the pain and suffering in all of their eyes. I didn’t even know any of them, but I felt compelled to go.

Attending his service brings home the reality of war and why we are over in some God-forsaken land sacrificing our young men and woman. The sad part of it all is that I bet in 10 years they’ll be killing us again as a nation like the rest of the unappreciative third-world holes around the globe.

As a father of a 20-year son, I hope and pray we don’t have to pay the price with our children’s blood!

But freedom is not free!

I was in grammar school when Vietnam started. I graduated from high school in 1974 and went in the Army that June and it was still going on.

So if you have a young one or a teenager, pray we don’t go to Iran or Syria next!

I have set up a memorial web page in his honor at vatkd.com, and hope to get some photos from his family with a good bio.

You sign a web page under the link there called &uot;Warriors of Heaven.&uot;

Wayne Spencer