By Arita Sysamout

For the first few years of my life, it was just my older sister and I. We always wanted an older brother, someone to protect us at the playground and from boys when we grew up, then one day our wish came true. My cousin Aenoy was sent from Indiana for my grandmother to raise. Now I had a big brother figure. We got along like peas and carrots. He made friends easily and kept his end of the bargain up at the playground and later kept the boys in check. As we grew older, he became a Loss Prevention Officer and decided to Join the Army to pay for school and prepare for his future. Little did we know it was just the being of a long story.

Once he arrived at Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training in October 2002, he called home to let us know he was safe and would be back for Christmas. The next phone call was a month later, this time it was a Military Doctor asking for his Next of Kin. I didn’t even know I was the one listed, though it made sense. The rest of what I’m about to share with you, won’t. I wouldn’t believe it for myself If I didn’t see it with my own eyes.