I was touched deeply upon seeing our friend, Staff Sgt. Harold Gray, pictured in the Bangor Daily News on Dec. 12.

Though it is difficult to see him in this condition, I am glad he is being specially honored for his service in Iraq and that he is being brought to our attention in the news. We have kept a smiling and proud photo of him and his daughters on our refrigerator since the terrible news last Christmas of his injuries suffered in the Iraq war. We wanted to keep him close in our thoughts and not forgotten.

I have thought often of the many soldiers who have been gravely injured. We don’t hear about them very often, yet their lives go on and I can only begin to imagine the sense of loss and suffering of these soldiers and their families. I believe there are many of us silently holding a vigil of hope for Sgt. Gray and his children and his mother and all of his loved ones.

To all of you, please know that he is not forgotten.

Let’s all keep in the front of our minds, the families of both Iraqis and Americans who have suffered losses in this war.

Annie Poole

Brooksville