.

I've struggled with what to write today. I spend the day thinking about the women and children who are now living without husbands and fathers. Of the parents who have outlived their children.

The sub fleet, at least, refers to those who die on duty as being on Eternal Patrol. When I went to the Sub Ball in 2000, they had an empty table set with a place to act as a memorial for those men who could not be there.

I would like to honor everyone here, but that has been done better elsewhere. Instead I will list the men most recently entered on eternal patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Cpl. Ryan C. McGhee, US Army; Fredericksburg, VA

Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, US Army; Amarillo, TX

Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, US Army; Paterson, NJ

Spc. Jacob O. Barton, US Army; Lenox, MO

Pfc. Michael E. Yates, Jr, US Army; Federalsburg, MD

Cdr. Charles K. Springle, US Navy; Wilmington, NC

Spc. Lukasz D. Saczek, US Army; Lake in the Hills, IL

Maj. Steven Hutchison, US Army; Scottsdale, AZ

Spc. Omar M. Albrak, US Army; Chicago, IL

SSgt. Randy S. Agno, US Army; Pearl City, HI

Pvt. Justin P. Hartford, US Army; Elmira, NY

Spec. Shawn D. Sykes, US Army; Portsmouth, VA

Spec. Jeremiah P. McCleery, US Army; Portola, CA

Spec. Jake R. Velloza, US Army; Inverness, CA

Sgt. James D. Pirtle, US Army; Colorado Springs, CO

Spc. Ryan C. King, US Army; Dallas, GA

SSgt. William D. Vile, US Army; Philadelphia, PA

Sgt. James R. McIlvaine, US Marine Corps; Olney, MD

Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wojciechowski, US Marine Corps; Cincinnati, OH

SSgt. Leroy O. Webster, US Army; Sioux Falls, SD

CSM Benjamin Moore, Jr., US Army; Waycross, GA

Cpl. William C. Comstock, US Marine Corps; Van Buren, AR

Cpl. Brad A. Davis, US Army; Garfield Heights, OH

PO2 Tyler J. Trahan, US Navy; East Freetown, MA

LCpl. Ray A. Spencer II, US Marine Corps; Ridgecrest, CA

PFC Richard A. Dewater, US Army; Topeka, KS

Cpl. Francisco X. Aguila, US Army; Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Sgt Raul Moncada, US Army; Madera, CA

Spc Michael J Anaya, US Army; Crestview, FL

SSgt Gary L. Woods Jr, US Army, Lebanon Junction, KY

Amn1 Jacob I. Ramsey, US Air Force, Hesperia, CA

Sfc. Bryan E. Hall, US Army, Elk Grove, CA

Sgt Edward W. Forrest, Jr, US Army; St Louis, MO

Cpl. Jason G. Pautsch, US Army; Davenport, IA

Pfc. Bryce E. Gautier, US Army; Cypress, CA

Sgt. Christopher D. Loza, US Army; Abilene, TX

LCpl. Blaise A. Oleski, US Marine Corps; Holland Patent, NY

Spc. Adam M. Kuligowski, US Army; Derry, NH

Spc. Isreal Candelaria-Mejias, US Army; San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico

Tech Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, US Air Force; Hopewell, VA

Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, US Army; Buffalo, NY

LCpl. Stephen F. Dearmon, US Marine Corps; Crossville, TN

LCpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, US Marine Corps; Miami, FL

Sgt. Devin C. Poche, US Army; Jacksonville, NC

Lt. Florence B. Choe, US Navy; El Cajon, CA

LtJG Francis L. Toner IV, US Navy; Narragansett, RI

Ssgt. Raphael A. Futrell, US Army; Anderson, SC

Pfc. Adam J. Hardt, US Army; Avondale, AZ

Cpl. Anthony L. Williams, US Marine Corps; Oxford, PA

Cpl. Michael W. Ouellette, US Marine Corps; Manchester, NH

LCpl. Daniel J. Geary, US Marine Corps; Rome, NY

Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, US Army; Albuquerque, NM

Spc. Gary L. Moore, US Army; Del City, OK

Ssgt. Timothy L. Bowles, US Air Force; Tucson, AZ

Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, US Army; Midlothian, IL

Sgt. Robert M. Weinger, US Army; Round Lake Beach, IL

Spc. Norman L. Cain, III, US Army; Oregon, IL

Ssgt. Archie A. Taylor, US Marine Corps; Tomball, TX

Lcpl. Patrick A. Malone, US Marine Corps; Ocala, FL

Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe, II, US Army; Auburn, NY

1st Lt. Daniel B. Hyde, US Army; Modesto, CA

Pfc Jessica Y. Sarandrea, US Army; Miami, FL

Sgt. Jeffrey A. Reed, US Army; Chesterfield, VA

Spc. Simone A. Robinson, US Army; Dixmoor, IL

Cpl. Donte J. Whitworth, US Marine Corps; Noblesville, IN

Spc. Brian M. Connelly, US Army; Union Beach, NJ

1st Lt. William E. Emmert, US Army; Lincoln, TN

Capt. Brian M. Buntin, US Army; Potomac, MD

Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, US Army; Owasso, OK

Sgt. Scott B. Stream, US Army; Mattoon, IL

Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson, US Army; Madison, WI

Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, US Army; Burlington Flats, NY

Cpl. Michael B. Alleman, US Army; Logan, UT

Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, US Army; Indiannapolis, IN

Ssgt. Mark C. Baum, US Army; Telford, PA

Ssgt. Timothy P. Davis, US Air Force; Aberdeen, WA

Ssgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, US Army; Woodridge, IL

MSgt. David L. Hurt, US Army; Tucson, AZ

Pfc. Cwislyn K. Walter, US Army; Honolulu, HI

Sfc. Raymond J. Munden, US Army; Mesquite, TX

Ssgt. Sean D. Diamond, US Army; Dublin, CA

Cpl. Stephen S. Thompson, US Army; Tulsa, OK

Ssgt. Daniel L. Hansen, US Marine Corps; Tracy, CA

Ssgt. Marc J. Small, US Army; Collegeville, PA

Cpl. Peter J. Courcy, US Army; Frisco, TX

Pfc. Jason R. Watson, US Army; Many, LA

LTC Garnet R. Derby, US Army; Missoula, MT

Sgt. Joshua A. Ward, US Army; Needville, TX

Pfc Albert R. Jex, US Army; Phoenix, AZ

Pfc Jonathan R. Roberge, US Army; Leominster, MA

Ssgt. Jason E. Burkholder, US Army; Elida, OH

1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth, US Army; Oakland, IL

Sgt. James M. Dorsey, US Army; Beardstown, IL

LCpl. Keven T. Preach, US Marine Corps; Bridgewater, MA

Spc. Christopher P. Sweet, US Army; Kahului, HI

PO1 Theophilus K. Ansong, US Navy; Bristow, VA

Spc. Darrell L. Fernandez, US Army; Truth or Consequences, NM

CW4 Milton E. Suggs, US Army; Lockport, LA

Sgt. David W. Wallace III, US Marine Corps; Sharpesville, PA

Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson, US Marine Corps; Forsyth, MT

CWO Philip E. Windorski, JR., US Army; Bovey, MN

CWO Matthew G. Kelley, US Army; Cameron, MO

CWO Joshua M. Tillery, US Army; Beaverton, OR

CWO Benjamin H. Todd, US Army; Collville, WA

Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, US Army; Swansea, MA

LCpl. Julian T. Brennan, US Marine Corps; Brooklyn, NY

Pvt. Grant A. Cotting, US Army; Corona, CA

Pfc. Matthew M. Pollini, US Army; Rockland, MA

Ssgt. Roberto J. Andrade, Jr, US Army; Chicago, IL

Ssgt. Carlo M. Robinson, US Army; Lawton, OK

Spc. Ezra Dawson, US Army; Las Vegas, NV

SrA. Omar J. McKnight, US Air Force; Marrero, LA

Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, US Army; Athens, AL

Ssgt. Joshua R. Townsend, US Army; Solvang, CA

LCpl. Daniel R. Bennett, US Marine Corps; Clifton, VA

Pvt. Sean P. McCune, US Army; Euless, TX

Sgt Marquis R. Porter, US Marine Corps; Brighton, MA

Ssgt. Justin L. Bauer, US Army; Loveland, CO

Maj. Brian M. Mescall, US Army; Hopkinton, MA

Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez, US Army; Hammon, IN

Spc. Jason R. Parsons, US Army; Lenoir, NC

Sgt. Joshua L. Rath, US Army; Decatur, AL

Spc. Keith E. Essary, US Army; Dyersburg, TN

Ssgt. Anthony D. Davis, US Army; Daytona Beach, FL

Lcpl. Jessie A. Cassada, US Marine Corps; Hendersonville, NC

Lcpl. Chadwick A. Gilliam, US Marine Corps; Mayking, US

Lcpl. Alberto Francesconi, US Marine Corps; Bronx, NY


Information was culled from the Washington Post's Faces of the Fallen.

Texas's war dead from Afghanistand and Iraq are memorialized on the Dallas Morning News's website Our Own.