Knee Deep in the Hooah!

Gazing at the Flag has posted this wonderful tribute and memorial at VA Joe’s for Sgt. Jeffers on the one year mark of his death. I wanted to cross post it here, and encourage everyone of you to read the stories linked to below. Keep Sgt. Jeffers memory alive by sharing his words with others. Please say a prayer for his family, and keep them in your prayers as they live with this loss every moment. Any messages left for his family can be left in the comment section and I will forward them to GAF who can forward them on to the family.

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This is a very personal post for me. Eddie was my friend and my hero. David is still my friend. War costs many of us much. It has been one year since Eddie left us… but, he is a man we should never forget. This past weekend was a ‘reunion’ for his family and friends – I wish I had been able to travel across the country to be with them. I hope you will take the time to read his essays – linked at the bottom of the page. Thank you. 9/24/08

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Wednesday evening – I had just popped dinner in the oven and sat down at the computer to check my email. Up pops a message from David Jeffers, Eddie’s father. It was titled Hope Rides Eternal. I expected a new essay from Eddie – a follow up to Hope Rides Alone. Sadly, that was not to be. I was not prepared for the sad news. This is what my email read:

It is with great personal sadness but joy in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that I announce the death of my son Eddie Jeffers. Eddie was killed around 7 am Iraqi time from an accidental vehicle roll-over. Although our personal loss is traumatic, we know he is in a better place. All of you have been so wonderful to my son and my family and he was so blessed and humbled by your love for him. He told me this past summer after the wonderful gift you gave his wife and him that he didn’t understand why people were so generous and kind to him. You see to Eddie, he was just doing his job and what he believed was his life mission from God.

I’ve said this often; Eddie was my hero. My dear brother in Christ Rod Martin told me that Eddie died a hero for not just the soldier he was but the person. Eddie, through his writing, touched so many people’s lives, yours and you so lovingly touched ours back.

We thank you in advance for your condolences and prayers. Please pray especially for Eddie’s wife Stephanie; as you can imagine she is devastated. Our prayer is that Eddie’s death will exalt Christ as did his life.

In lieu of any flowers we are asking all donations be given to the Fisher House in memory of Eddie; he loved that charity.

Love in Christ Jesus
The Jeffers Family

“Blessed be the Lord my Strength, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.” -Psalm 144:1 (Eddie’s favorite Bible verse)

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
-Revelation 21:4

**Snip**

To read Eddie’s essays, click on the titles:

Hope Rides Alone

Freedom Feels Good

Real Deal in Ramadi

All of these essays were originally printed in http://www.newmediajournal.us/