A hero's heart

Image courtesy: Kruize family/Minnesota Public Radio

On Friday, The Unknown Soldiers posted about pride and pain in Rochester, Minnesota, which is mourning the loss of Lance Cpl. Curtis Swenson in Afghanistan. If one were to drive about 150 miles northwest, passing through the Twin Cities on the way, St. Cloud, Minnesota, would be waiting in grief. The community is also searching for answers as a fallen hero is honored.

According to the Department of Defense, Sgt. Kurt Kruize, 35, was killed on April 4 in Baghdad. Officials are classifying his death as a non-combat incident, and an investigation is ongoing. While anxiously awaiting definitive information, Billie Jo Kruize is handling herself with grace as she mourns her husband's death.

"He is a true hero to everybody, but he's a true hero to me in my heart," she told Minnesota Public Radio. "He will be truly missed, and he will be in my heart forever because he's the love of my life -- and I do miss him."

According to Ambar Espinoza's article, Sgt. Kruize's heart was filled with love for the couple's four children. The kids, who range in age from 2 to 13, are all at different stages of their lives. Yet even though he was far away, Kruize was eager to talk about his hopes and dreams for their futures. Despite the soldier's important work with the 367th Engineer Battalion, Kruize's wife said his mind was often on their children during long distance calls from Iraq.

"He was going to give me a call before going on a mission. He didn't tell me what he was doing," she said. "He just had a mission and I never heard from him and then this Monday, I found out why I haven't heard from him since."

Like Lance Cpl. Swenson, Sgt. Kruize loved to be outside in the North Star State's crisp air, which will solemnly keep American flags waving despite the loss of two native sons. While these men probably didn't know each other and deployed to different war zones, they leave behind family and friends in Minnesota and around the country.

As Sgt. Kurt Kruize is laid to rest today, let's try to carry his children, who were so dear to their father's heart, inside ours as a new week dawns. After losing their dad at such young ages, it will be more difficult for them to remember if we forget.