Military helicopters thundered in the sky Saturday afternoon, while hundreds of motorcycles roared up M-24 to honor missing U.S. soldier PFC Byron W. Fouty.
‘Whether you agree or disagree with war, we must not forget our brave men and women that lay their lives on the line everyday,? said Brad Cook, president of Veterans of Modern Warfare, Chapter 4. ‘Byron has done that for us and we must continue to ask God to bring Byron home to his family.?
Hundreds of people ? veterans, civilians, children, soldiers and leather-clad bikers ? gathered at Kalloway’s Restaurant and Pub in Oxford Township to commemorate the one year anniversary of Fouty’s POW/MIA status.
‘For Byron’s family (it’s been) a very long and I’m sure difficult year,? Cook said. ‘The uncertainty of Byron’s fate and his well-being is an issue faced everyday.?
Fouty and Sgt. Alex R. Jimenez, of Massachusetts, who was also honored, were reported missing after their patrol was ambushed south of Baghdad on May 12, 2007.
Black POW/MIA flags, yellow ribbons and pictures of Fouty and Jimenez served as visible and painful reminders that although the crowd was large, there was still a void.
?370 days ? that’s how many days it’s been since the attack on Alex and Byron’s patrol. 370 very long, disturbing days and nights,? said Fouty’s stepfather Gordy Dibler, Jr., of Oxford.
Despite all the time that’s passed, Dibler clearly has not given up on Fouty.
‘What sliver of hope there is, we will hope,? he said. ‘Whatever chance there might be, we want it.?
Proudly carrying the American and Michigan flags, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, which Fouty and Jimenez belong to, marched with heads held high to honor their missing comrades.
For a few hours, it seemed as though all of Oxford was imbued with the spirit of patriotism, surrounded by the power of prayer and filled with the everlasting hope that Fouty, who spent a good portion of his childhood in the Oxford/Orion area, will someday return home.
‘Little did I know . . . that 13 years ago when I would pick up Byron and his sister from school at Clear Lake Elementary that I was walking next to a hero,? Dibler told the crowd.
How fitting that a group of Clear Lake third-graders sang ‘My Country, ‘Tis of Thee? and recited the Pledge of Allegiance during the ceremony to honor Fouty.
From the massive Chinook and Blackhawk military helicopters that delighted young and old by landing next to the restaurant to the stoic Patriot Guard Riders who stood vigil with American flags in hand, everywhere you looked during the rally, you couldn’t help but be inspired and proud to be an American.
‘Whatever support our men and our women who serve need, we will give it,? Dibler said. ‘They all go for us. We need to be there for them ? not just once in a while, but whenever we can.?
Dibler’s speech contained not a single hint of pessimism nor did it convey any angry or harsh words for those enemies who captured his beloved stepson.
Instead, his message focused on Fouty’s ‘conscious and deliberate choice? to enlist in June 2006 and head to Iraq in January 2007
‘He was answering a call to stand up for his country,? Dibler said. ‘A call to stand up for those that could not stand up for themselves . . . But mostly he answered the call in his heart that said, ‘I’ll go because they need me.??
It was the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that helped mold a then-13?-year-old Fouty into a future soldier.
‘The attack on that date set into motion that part of Byron that is in all of us ? that part of everyone of us that said, ‘I have to do something,?? Dibler said. ‘He did do something.?
Cook took a moment to remind the crowd that the real heroes are not athletes, celebrities or contestants on American Idol. They’re soldiers like PFC Byron Fouty.
‘No huge salaries, no endorsement deals, just a real American hero,? he said. ‘He, like so many, made the commitment, the sacrifice to defend our country and our way of life.?
Dibler urged the crowd to keep Fouty and Jimenez in their hearts and minds.
‘Remember that Byron and Alex are still serving,? he said. ‘Remember them when you eat. Remember them when you rest. Remember them when you work. Remember them when you play. Remember them when you’re in traffic, when you’re cutting your lawn, when you’re watching TV.
‘But most of all remember Byron and Alex in those times of quiet when you’re in thought. Let them be there with you. Remember them in your meditations and in your prayers.?
Dibler reminded the crowd that Fouty and Jimenez, along with all the nation’s POWs, MIAs and soldiers on active duty, ‘need us.?
‘They need us now more than ever,? he said. ‘Never give up hope. Never forget.?
To learn more about how to raise awareness concerning POWs/MIAs or how to support the troops serving overseas visit www.byronwfoutyawarenessfoundation.com.