Blogotional: Truly, Brothers-In-Arms

Friday, March 10, 2006

Truly, Brothers-In-Arms

Please read this story about love and bravery in the military.

Out in the dusty scrub of Bell County, as Humvees and Bradleys churn across the hills and roads of Fort Hood's range, Staff Sgt. Reyes Sanchez puts on his brother's boots for the day.

Size 8 1/2 wide.

"Same pant size and hat size too," Sanchez said of himself and his brother. "Medium regular uniforms, large T-shirts."

They had big plans in the Army, big brother Reyes and little brother Rene.
They visited the recruiter together in Abilene, took the physical the same day, had the same drill sergeant. They both went into armor, choosing to earn their stripes as cavalry scouts. They moved from Army post to Army post together over the years, occasionally serving in the same unit.

Retirement, after at least 20 years, would be together. They'd share a going-out party, maybe go into business together afterward.

But Reyes Sanchez is wearing his brother's boots now.

A remotely detonated bomb on a bridge intervened in 2004, and Staff Sgt. Rene Ledesma was dead.