Buffalo, NY -

I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.

I admit it. Over the years, I have often let Veterans day pass with little to no remembrance of those who fought and lost their lives for my freedom.

Sheltered by time, distance and the fast paced thing we call life, we tend to push things like the war in Iraq to the back of our minds.

That is until it starts to hit a little too close to home. The tragic loss of Sgt. Daniel Shaw is the first time, over the course of this “war” that someone I have known personally has lost a loved one. The first time I have actually met someone who gave their life for our freedom. Sure I covered these stories in the past, and have met families who have lost loved ones, but this was different. I’ve played poker with Dan. Although I can count on one hand the times I’ve met him, it didn’t matter.