On September 12, 2012, the world changed, though we did not know until the next day, and not as you may think, but it did. While many heard the news of Benghazi, unaware by the world, a Marine gave up on life. He was tired of fighting a war in his head. Remembering the war he had fought and killed to save others. He was let down by the sin of this world; the Devil had won. He had made his mind up and wrote a letter that would take the place of his last words. Among other things the letter said: "'There is pleasure in sin for a season,' and that season had come to an end." With those words in his mind, on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, a husband, a father, a brother, a son, and a grandson, made the final choice to meet his Maker.

 

Years later we look back and still remember all of the times we had with him. Times working hard and times playing harder. All of the crazy ideas that really did make perfect sense, one way or another, would end up working. All of the problems he fixed physically and mentally, from starting fires in the woods with diesel fuel and closing air vents on a wedding day, to telling a joke or pulling a ring from a shoe on your wedding day (just for the fun of it). Looking back, we put the stories together and then finding out the truth of what happened, and why he did some of the things he did made sense (in his frame of mind). We asked a lot of questions. We have learned to love more, fight less (not stop, just less) and to teach and help others to remember that GOD is still in control. That GOD is still good, all the time. Even when we are in our darkest hour, at the end of our rope, GOD is still the answer! When people ask, “Why did this happen and what could have been done different?" we have an answer, "Romans 8:28". As hard as it is to say GOD has his plan and nothing will stand in the way.

The following Sunday I still had to teach Sunday school "What was I going to do? How will what just happened to my family help this group of college students?"-I thought to myself. My answer came from something my brother said back in June of 2007 to a kid at a coffee shop who had asked him "How, when I am in this sin, can I get to God?" My brother replied, "God does not care what you have done, He just wants you as you are and He will take care of the sin in your life". My lesson for those students was - no matter how far from your family you get, no matter what you have done, no matter if you think you can never get back, remember this, the prodigal son said "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee," and his father said "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." I reminded the students that no matter what happens or if they thought they should give up that there is always someone that is there for you and loves you so much that nothing could keep them from loving you.

 

As I now go through my military career, many will ask why I joined after what happened to my brother. My reply is simple; I love my country and what it stand for. I want to protect the values this country was founded on, but more importantly I want to be there for the Marine next to me. I want them to know they are not alone, that someone does care about them no matter how hard life gets. that I will not give up fighting for them or for myself. That I will not give up on life and I don't want them or myself to be one of the 22+ a day that give up on life.

 

Now I know this has been long but it is the truth. Few people know the change that happened on Wednesday, September 12, 2012. Few will ever know what one man, a father, a husband, a son, a grandson, my brother and best man did to impact their life, and that what he did is not over yet. Stories will still be told (maybe we will find out the rest of the story). Things will still happen and change as a result of one life. A life that is dearly missed but a life that is still living on, and a life that will be reunited in heaven one day. Wednesday, July 4, 1984 - Wednesday, September 12, 2012

-Eli Drake 

USMC 

Founder of 22 A Day