IN MEMORY

We attended a memorial service today for Mitch, son of our dear friend Jane.

MASTER SERGEANT MITCHELL "MITCH" YOUNG, 39, was killed July 13 while conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in Afghanistan, in support of combat operations while serving with the Special Forces Group (Airborne).

In May 2008, Mitch deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan. This was his fourth deployment in support of the Global War on Terror and third deployment to Afghanistan. He was a Special Forces Operation Detachment-Alpha team sergeant.

Mitch, a native of our local community, volunteered for military service and entered the Army in 1991 as an infantryman. He served at Ft. Ord, CA, Ft. Campbell, KY, Germany and Ft. Bragg, NC. He earned the coveted "Green Beret" in 1999.

Mitch is survived by his wife, Robin, his mother Jane (our dear friend), his sister Cheryl and brother Brent.

The service was awesome, his childhood pastor and friends spoke along with his military friends and family to include his brother. It was a great service of honoring a man that loved his family and country and gave his life for all of us. I was okay until the military called his company roll, all his fellow soldiers answered, then when they called his name, they called it four time, each time adding to his name, Sgt. Young, no answer, Sgt. Mitchell Young, no answer, Sgt. Mitchell W. Young, no answer, SGT. MITCHELL W. YOUNG, no answer. Then they played taps. Everyone lost it. There wasn't a dry eye in the huge church that was overflowing with friends and family that came to honor him today.

He told his childhood friend he wasn't real excited about going back to Afghanistan, but his response was, "better there than here."