Children at heart

Image courtesy: Facebook

While getting ready for his first overseas deployment, Sgt. Robert Barrett wrote a poem for his family. While it is nearly impossible to sum up any life in a few words, Sgt. Barrett came close to accomplishing the difficult feat.

"I am a father, a son, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, a brother, a friend, a mentor, a leader and a soldier."

The 20-year-old Fall River, Massachusetts, native was not content to fill these ten important roles in name only. Barrett took each very seriously, especially after signing up for the National Guard in 2008. While he enlisted to serve his country, his mother, Carlene Barrett, tells The Fall River Spirit that her son died for another cause that became very close to his heart.

"As much as the papers are saying he died for American freedom, he didn't. He died for Afghan soldiers. He went over there fighting for America, but he died for Afghanistan."

Phil Devitt's touching article reveals that Barrett was deeply troubled by the way women are often treated in war-torn Afghanistan. And as the father of a 2-year-old daughter he is proudly pictured with above, Barrett also wanted to make sure to make a difference in the lives of Afghan children.

"Robert loved kids," [father] Paul Barrett said.

At Robert Barrett's request, his parents recently sent toys to the Afghan children, but the soldier died before the toys could reach their destination.

According to the Pentagon, Barrett was killed on April 19 in Kabul when a terrorist attacked soldiers in the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment. Eight fellow volunteer warriors were injured in the suicide bombing.

Perhaps giving toys to young Afghans was so important to Barrett because of the fire trucks he loved to play with as a little boy. After his National Guard service was complete, he dreamed of either becoming a firefighter or using his skills as a military medic in the civilian world.

"He was a super-nice kid, very popular amongst his peers, very service-oriented," [former instructor Lt. Col. James] Meyen said. "He was conscientious and embraced the military fully."

A highlight in Barrett's blossoming military career came when he was able to help represent Massachusetts at President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. A year and a half into his term, the president will soon send a letter to the Barrett family to thank them for their son's service and sacrifice. The private, personal letters, which were penned with equal sincerity by President George W. Bush while he was in office, are very meaningful tributes. Putting controversy over war policies aside, both presidents should be credited for taking the time to personally reach out to each Gold Star family.

A 3,500 person Facebook group to honor Barrett is full of precious photographs, which friend Amanda Cabral did a wonderful job capturing in the YouTube video embedded below. The tribute page's wall is also filled with emotional messages like the one posted by Amy Almeida.

"Rob, your wake was beautiful and tremendously sad. I waited in line for nearly 2 hours waiting to see [your] casket reminiscing of the good ol' days, but when I saw the picture of us together from the days of reading to children at Christmas time, my heart shattered and [I] couldn't contain myself."

Sgt. Robert Barrett put his life on the line to help oppressed women and children in Afghanistan. Because of his sacrifice, there is a better chance that his little girl, Sophie, won't have to grow up reading about the horrors of Taliban rule and al Qaeda terrorism in Afghanistan and around the world. While the soldier's poem did a fantastic job summarizing his life, he left out one descriptive, appropriate word. Hero.