Darren Baysore - a 6 year old in Tennessee asks everyone to remember his soldier father

Thomas Baysore Jr.

Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Baysore, Jr., age 31, died on September 26, 2013, in Paktya Province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire during combat operations.

It was reported that Thomas was killed by an Afghan soldier and not by the Taliban insurgents.

He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was a squad leader.

Tom's family lives in Clarksville, Tennessee.

On the one year anniversary of his death, Tom's son, Darren, asked his Mom if everyone could turn their porch lights on or light a candle outside,

Jamie Baysore and
Darren

on September 26th so that his Dad could look down and see it.

Tom Baysore Jr. often told his son, Darren, "I love you to the moon and back."

Darren believes that his Dad is on the Moon and can see the lights on Earth.

This innocent and touching request has been reported all around the world. People as far away as China and Japan have written the family's Facebook page saying that they were going to honor Darren's request and that they would send photos of the lights they lit in remembrance of Tom.

Darren was overjoyed by the response the family has received locally, all throughout the U.S.A, from the U.S. Military and from concerned people in distant countries.

Of course, this is the real tragedy of War and Darren's request could be repeated by many tens of thousands of children who have lost a father in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars.

The Afghanistan conflict seems to be drawing to a close. However, once again Iraq is teetering on the brink of destruction and seemingly wants to drag the whole world down with it.  Syria has been undergoing civil war since the Spring of 2011 and is a nightmare.  2.5 million Syrians have fled the country in fear of their lives. 

And so one deadly conflict draws down and another two escalating conflicts spring up.

God help us.  God save us from our Wars. Amen. 

Pray for Darren and for all children who have lost their fathers due to War. Amen