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Wars are waged by nations, but they are fought by individuals. That reality is never clearer than when the worst possible news arrives at the doorstep of a family whose loved one has paid the ultimate price for answering the call to duty.
That dreadful scenario played out in Spring Hill last week when uniformed U.S Army officers visited the parents of Staff Sgt. Michael Schafer. The 25-year-old airborne infantryman had been killed July 24 while on patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan. According to reports, he was fatally shot as he warned his buddies of danger.
Schafer is the first service member from Hernando County to be killed in the war. Add his name to the list of 94 service members from Florida - 18 from the Tampa Bay region - who have given all in defense of their comrades and their country.
Staff writer Michael Kruse recently chronicled how Schafer touched so many who knew him in Hernando County. His death is a stark reminder to all that the people fighting and dying are never anonymous.
A memorial service will be held for Schafer at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Springstead High School, where he graduated in 1998. It is being organized by Operation Homecoming, a network of volunteers who put together a spirited welcome home for members of the local Army National Guard units that returned from duty in the Mideast in January and February.
At that well-attended ceremony in March, the memory of Sgt. Dennis J. Boles of Homosassa was honored. Boles, a 1978 graduate of Crystal River High School, collapsed during a 10-mile march and died Oct. 24 in Kuwait.
Saturday's memorial is an opportunity for the entire community to join Schafer's family in mourning their loss. But in addition to honoring the life of one who did not make it home, it is an occasion to remember - and show gratitude - that our nation continues to produce courageous and dedicated young men and women who place themselves in harm's way.
It also is a time to recognize the sacrifices of those left behind. Sergeant Schafer and his family have earned that appreciation, and our respect.