They made the sacrifice

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On Nov. 9, 2010, 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, stepped on a land mine while leading a platoon of Marines in southern Afghanistan. He was killed instantly.

In February 2012, his father, Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly, delivered a message to Gold Star families of 109 Marines, soldiers, sailors or airmen lost in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11. The families had come together to help each other with the grieving process.

John’s message was forwarded to The SUN by retired Navy SEAL Cmdr. Franklin Anderson. That email originated with retired Army Lt. Col. James Huffman. When such emails come from men of Anderson’s and Huffman’s caliber, they are worth taking the time to read.

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