Dear Friend, This weekend, I ask you to remember what Memorial Day is really about. Pictured above is my interpreter Wisam praying for Spc. Michael L. Gonzalez at Arlington. The three of us served together in the same company. This picture pays tribute to Michael who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq on August 28, 2008. He was twenty years old. The picture also shows that interpreters are Veterans too. Like many Veterans who served in our company, Wisam has become good friends Michael's mother, Ida, over the years. We refer to Ida as “Momma Gonzo” because she has become a second mother to many of us. The memory of Michael is carried on through the way Momma Gonzo lives her life. For example, she communicates with Veterans on a daily basis, many in need of the listening ear that she provides. She also started a charity called “Butterfly Circle of Friends” which focuses on serving Veterans in need. You can check out (and donate to) the charity at https://butterflycircleoffriends.org/ Momma Gonzo was also one of the first to write Wisam’s family a beautiful letter in support of their refugee case. The letter was part of our evidence package submitted to US immigration. She is in the fight with us to save Wisam's family. Please remember all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, like Michael. And please never forget all of those we have left behind like Wisam's family. Thank you for staying in the fight with us. Peter