To the dead

To all the soldiers I never knew, 

Hello. I don't know you, you don't know me. I remember you though. This is not a letter to any one person who fell victim to war, but to everyone who fought and died because they believed in peace. I have no family or close close friends in Iraq. I knew of people, but to say my boyfriend was over there? Hasn't happened yet. It would be wrong for me to say I understand how it feels to miss someone in Iraq, or that I know how it feels to watch people I love die or suffer because of a war, but I do know how important it is to remember what all the fighting is for...

Peace. 

I'm not writing to cry about those of you who lost lives or anything else to war, or to tell you I have been there or can fix it. Just to say thank you. Not only did you fight for those who loved you, but also for us who didn't even know you. That is admirable. I do not support the war in Iraq, and I wish we could bring all the troops home and everyone could get along. However, I know that is just my fantasy. I do not believe in war, but I believe in you. You all lost your lives for a reason, a cause, and you deserve the utmost respect and admiration for that. No matter what you fought for, why you fought, who you are or who you left behind, you are appreciated and remembered by someone. I believe in peace, and I hope someday we will find it and lives like yours will be saved. 

To the 4073 soldiers who have lost their lives to the violence in Iraq, the many more who have not been confirmed, and the countless others from other wars, thank you for fighting. Maybe someday peace will be a reality.