Stryker Brigade News

Dear Friends and Family,

Our family would like to thank you all for all your thoughts, prayers and gestures of kindness in this time of change in our lives. We are Blessed to have a strong blood family but consider ourselves to be even more Blessed to have a strong Army Family that has always been and continues to support us in our time of need.

Our home is quiet and somewhat back to normal. Jorshua and I had some time to think and to share thoughts about the past fifteen days.
We have been told (since Julian's death) by everyone that knew either Julian or us as a family that "If there is anything we can do, all we have to do is ask." We have a plan in mind, please hear us out and we ask that you pray on how you can help us accomplish this task.

We have had more than our share of time to sit and think about so many things and we could take so many roads at this juncture:

* Turn our hurt into anger and begin to self destruct and we know that this would only destroy the love and the memories that we shared and we are NOT going to let what happened to our life on that day destroy the goodness of my husband's memory.

* Do nothing and let Julian's death and his spirit be quenched forever by doing nothing and that doesn't seem to be an option that we can live with.

What both Jorshua and I have talked about is doing something that would be in the spirit of Julian's life. He loved music and he loved children and he felt deeply about education and its importance for future generations. Jorshua and I spoke of what we would do with the donations that we received from our friends and family and we have opened a donation account in the name of Julian S. Melo (donation account) at Columbia State Bank - Lakewood Branch, 6202 Mount Tacoma Drive SW, Lakewood, WA 98499.

The account will stay open to accept donations until early July. At which time we would like to be able to use the money to purchase musical instruments and sheet music to be donated to a school or schools in Mosul, Iraq, and possbily pay to train a teacher in Mosul to teach music, depending on the amount of money we can raise. We ask that you consider donating any amount possible to help us reach as many children and schools.

We may not be able to change what happened us to as a family - there is nothing that we can do to bring Julian back to us, but we can in his name try to affect a change in the hearts of children by providing music in the educational system. We know that there are so many other things that schools in Iraq need but this is what we can do to ensure that the future generations or a small part of the future of the country of Iraq have the opportunity to study music.

We wish we could do more but both my son and I feel strongly that with the help of the 1/5 Infantry Bn. Chaplain and other key leaders that we can find some schools that would be in need of a music program and instruments. And depending on the amount of money we can raise the equipment could be purchased and sent directly to the Chaplain and then presented directly to the schools in Julian's name.
Please don't tell us that we should be taking care of us at a time like this because this is taking care of us.

This will ensure that the children of Iraq who get these instruments and music would know that SSG Julian S. Melo died in their country but that he lived for and died as an American Soldier because he believed that all people especially children deserved opportunities to a better life and freedom. This may have been his adopted country as he became a citzen of the United States but he loved it and took great pride in being able to serve in the Army.

We may not change the hearts of the adults in that country but by being the change that we would want to see for these children - we could affect the future of Iraqi children for years to come.
We know that this is not a normal request but if you pray on how to help us accomplish this - I am confident that somehow this small gesture on our part can be accomplished in my husband's name and in the name of all Bobcats.

Please know that you as well as all our Bobcat Soldiers and Families are in our prayers. My parents have prayers going on night and day for 1/5 Infantry and believe me - that many prayers being stormed up to the heavens has to be heard.

Please join us in praying for the elections of Iraq and that they soon be able to enjoy the freedoms that many of us take for granted.

May God Bless you and protect you always.

Norma and Jorshua Melo