Marine Sgt. Tony Watkins checks a SATCOM radio at the U.S. military compound at Kandahar airport, Afghanistan. (Rob Curtis, Times staff) |
Marine Sgt. Tony Watkins, assigned to Battalion Landing Team 3/6, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., has been married for a little more than a year to his wife, Adina. She is a retail store manager who has worn an American flag on her clothing every day since Tony deployed in early November for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Hey, Baby,
The other day they did a flag raising here. The flag was none other than the one flown at the World Trade Center towers. Compared to the rest of us, it was amazingly clean. Covering the flag were hundreds of signatures.
The emotions of seeing this large symbol of what we are here for was almost more than I could hold down. This flag made of simple cloth re-emphasized to all who saw it that they were here in this desert hole for a reason. Not to exact revenge but to enforce justice. To seek out those who are responsible for the pain that was written down in ink on the flag that fluttered in front of me. I couldn’t help [but recall] visions of the horror in New York. I hope that, in my own small way, I am making some sort of wrongs right.
I love you and will write again soon.
Love,
Tony
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