Last Letters to Loved Ones. Rose Rouse
It was lovely to know there was so much love there.’
Dear Mum and Dad,
If u’r reading this I’ve gone somewhere that all of you haven’t. Don’t cry cos if u do, I’ll have a word with GOD and tell him not to let you all in.
Right then, I new what could happen to me but it was my job, and I wanted to do it. Remember, I LOVE YOU ALL (u and dad more) ONLY JOKEING! Gerard’s the best brother any brother could ask four and as 4 NINA, my only sister, I loved her to bits.
Leon Spicer
So stop crying, cos I am as I write this.
I’ve had the BEST LIFE out of any one in the whole world. Right then, mom what can I say about u? If I wanted to say everything I would need about 10 million note books but I can put it into 5 words – THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD!
PS I need to count cos I do believe there where six words
Now DAD u’r the BEST DAD IN THE WORLD and I hope u’ve known it. I love u so much, we had everything in comen, but I think I took scouting too far (ie I JOINED THE ARMY) between u and me, we were the only ones that could survive in the woods.
I loved everything that u done and wanted to do it from camping to being a leader.
RIGHT I’m going to bed to tell Grandmar how much I love her, she’s the best in the world and tell to look after Edey.
SEE YOU ALL SOON. I’LL BE THERE WAITING FOUR YOU ALL.
Lots of LOVE
LEON xxx
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Ben Hyde
Ben Hyde
Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, 23 years old, from Northallerton in North Yorkshire, was a military policeman who was killed by a mob at Majar al-Kabir, near Basra, in July 2003. Ben’s hospital- porter dad, John, said he was proud of the bravery shown by his son and his comrades during their last moments when a gang of Iraqi insurgents executed them inside a police station.
Ben was buried with full military honours and his coffin was draped with the Union flag, red beret, white belt and regimental bayonet. His last letter was read out by the padre Jonathan Ball and hundreds of mourners lined the streets and listened to Ben’s brave, generous last words to his parents. This is a mature last letter which even mentions forgiveness, showing that Ben is able to have a wider perspective.
Dear Mum and Dad
If you are reading this, then you will know I won’t be coming home. I am up in the stars now looking down on you making sure that you are safe.
I am sorry for all the times I have been a pain but I know the good times outweighed the bad tenfold.
Thank you for being the best parents anyone could ever have wished for and you gave me everything I could ever have wanted and more.
You have both got long lives ahead of you yet so make sure you make use of every second you have because sitting here writing this now I know just how precious time is.
Tell the rest of the family I was thinking of them and make sure they all take care.
Forgiveness is something every body deserves because one day, it may be too late.
Remember that every time you are thinking of me, I am thinking of you too. Look after yourselves,
All my love,
Ben
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Anthony Butterfield, a 19-year-old marine, was from California, and he joined up straight after school. He was one of four marines who were killed when a suicide bomber caused a propane truck to explode in Rawah, Iraq, on 2 July 2006. He’d been in Iraq for four months.
He wrote this last letter to his family, and the reader can’t help but be aware of how young the writer is, and how little of life he has actually experienced. That is the underlying tragedy. Somehow, his everyday home memories emphasise how unsafe his everyday military life was. One of his fellow marines described afterwards how much he had been looking forward to seeing his mother again. Of course, tragically, he never did.
Hi Mom, Dad, Britney, Jeremy, and Bailey,
If your getting this letter then I’m sure you’ve already heard. I’m so sorry. But know that I am safe now. I’m with God watching over you. I’ll always be with you all. You’ll know when I’m around because you’ll feel me. I wanna tell you all some special memories I’ll always hold on too.
Staying up late with you, mom, watching the food channel while you rub my back, or when I was little and you’d always get me a glass of chocolate milk with a lid and a straw.
Anthony Butterfield
With you, Dad, going out on the sidecar and driving to volleyball tournaments, just you and me.
Britney when you used to drop me off at school and I thought I was so cool cause all my friends got rides from there parents. You were always like a second mom to me Brit, trying to hold my hand crossing the street.
Jeremy you and me always building cool ass stuff. A wagon with an engine, a bicycle with an engine, and a bicycle sidecar. Or just chillin in the backyard riding motorcycles for hours.
Bailey, remember all those late nights when you’d come into my room and we’d just talk. And just hangin out with my little sister.
I always loved going to the beach house as a family and spending time with each other constantly smiling playing in the sand. I thank god every day for blessing me with such an amazing family. You all mean the world to me. I hope I’ve made you all proud. I love you all with all of my heart and please don’t be sad, just know that I made it to heaven before you and will see you all again.
Your loving son/brother,
Anthony Edward Butterfield
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Thirty-two-year-old Glen Arnold, a Canadian corporal, was killed by a suicide bomber during a foot patrol in the Panjumi district of Afghanistan.
The night before he left for Afghanistan, he sent a farewell email to his entire family – his parents, his wife, his four children, his sister and his three brothers. He wanted to make sure he had said goodbye in case he died. At the time, his nine-year-old nephew Jackson was in hospital with severe burns.
Glen had been in the armed forces for 14 years and was a medical technician. He’d served in war-torn Sri Lanka and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but, sadly, he didn’t survive Afghanistan.
His last email is full of kindness and generosity of spirit; it’s a testament to Glen’s loving nature. As he’s older than many of the soldiers whose letters have been published in this collection, there is a noticeable