'For those I love... ', Part 3

U.S. Army Pfc. Kyle Hockenberry is tended to by medics after being wounded in a blast from an improvised explosive device on June 15 in Afghanistan in this picture taken by a Stars and Stripes photographer. Photo courtesy of the Hockenberry family to the Marietta Times.

Another update on PFC Kyle Hockenberry and the story behind his tattoo at today's Salina Journal News:

Love can make people do some crazy, unusual, heroic things.

A dance outside in a rain storm, a midnight flight across the country, a dash into a burning home, none of these are outside the realm of what people will do for those they love.

For one 1st Infantry Division Soldier, his love for his family and his country led him into an Army recruiter’s office, onto basic training, up the road to Fort Riley, Kan., and around the world to Afghanistan.
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One evening, shortly before the deployment, Kyle and a few fellow Soldiers “went under the needle.” One of the Soldiers had his children’s names or birthdates tattooed, some had a lucky number or special picture done but Kyle selected a seven word phrase that had been rolling around in his head ever since he decided he was going to be a Soldier.

That night, the tattoo artist etched “for those I love, I will sacrifice” onto Kyle’s right side.

“I thought since I was in the military that it would be a good one to get,” he said. “’Those I love’ is for everyone – for my parents, my brother and all my family but it really for everyone in the country.”

Right now Kyle is looking forward to being fitted with prosthetics and getting cleared for travel to Fort Riley in April to attend the 4th Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt. Welcome Home Ball.

Make sure to read the whole article.


Prior:
"I'd do it all over again"
For those I love...