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Subscribe to RSSI had just seen these photos move on the wire and was preparing them for the PhotoBlog when the photographer posted a wrenching detail on Facebook that added another layer of depth.
Evan Vucci posted: Just photographed the funeral of Marine Cpl. Derek Wyatt who was killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 6. His son was born 24 hours after the news of his death. Heartbreaking...
Evan Vucci / AP
Kait Wyatt carries her son, Michael, during a burial service for her husband, Marine Cpl. Derek Wyatt at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 7. Wyatt, of Akron, Ohio, was killed Dec. 6 in Afghanistan. Wyatt's son was born 24 hours after his wife received the news of his death.
Evan Vucci / AP
Kait Wyatt clutches a flag during the burial service for her husband, Marine Cpl. Derek Wyatt at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Friday, January 7, 2011. Wyatt, of Akron, Ohio, was killed Dec. 6 in Afghanistan. Wyatt's son was born 24 hours after his wife received the news of his death.
More on Cpl. Wyatt and memories of him in his Ohio hometown can be found at The Akron Beacon Journal:
Akron Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth said Mayor Don Plusquellic has sent a letter to Wyatt's parents indicating that ''he would like them to participate in a decision about how best to memorialize'' their son in his hometown. . . Akron officials are also interested in discussing the broader issue of memorializing all those from the city who have died in war, Lieberth said.
''It needs to be bigger,'' he said of the discussion.
There is no single city memorial to honor all who have died, Lieberth said, although there are memorials for the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam within the city.
''We need to find a way to remember those who died in service to our country,'' Lieberth said. (full story)
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An Unfinished Life.
Obama said he would make a priority of bringing our young people home from war...instead he has prioritized giving people in this country illegally citizenship. He lied to this country just to get in office. He abandoned our kids in a blood bath for countries that don't even want our presence there. Make the legal citizens of this country the FIRST priority. This young mother is raising a baby alone and this sweet baby will not know his daddy because Obama is a liar. I support our troops..they don't even believe in these wars...bring our kids home NOW. For your loss, I am so sorry.
To Kait Wyatt and her son Michael - Please know that you are prayed for and we offer our heartfelt condolences for your supreme loss of your hero husband. You have paid a price that is truly beyond our thanks. May God guard and protect you and your son.
It is a crime that a man who is such a narcissist and is bent on destroying America from within is allowed to keep moving forward as President in spite of the magnitude of his lies and the ultimate sacrifice by so many in our Armed Forces. Obama's priorities certainly do not benefit our Nation in any way.
I support our troops 100% and say thank you for your service. My husband is a retired LTC and served overseas. I know the daily fear that compounds every day he is overseas. May God bless and protect our service men and women.
This war must end. It was promise but the promised is not fulfiled.
It is time to end this madness. America has and will accomplish nothing in this war. There will no good that will from any of it. Our young men and women will only die for a cause that does not exist. We are not protecting America in this war rather fighting a conflict without purpose and being lead by those in Washington D.C. who tell us it is for our nations defense. When will Americans demand the end of this blood bath that exist on BOTH sides. Madness!
Young Men and Women: Look THOROUGHLY before You Leap Into Your VOLUNTARY Enlistment. The Recruiter has a SILVER TONGUE. The following May Help You:
Having spent the better part of their young lives conceiving, gestating, feeding, raising and educating morally, intellectually and spiritually a twenty some year old offspring which could all be ended by a lone AK-47 Bullet sending their young pride home in a body bag or in pieces left from an IED (improvised explosive device), Parents are very worried that their kids might get sucked up into this whole middle east mess and Don't KNOW What To Do????????
MOMS and DADS LISTEN UP!!! If your Son or Daughter or both have just returned from a Fun Stint at the local Army Recruiter's War Games Video Arcade, using the Latest virtual firepower equipped weapons which have them in awe and thoroughly infecting them with "War Fever" and wanting to SIGN UP -EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!! -Take it Easy Mom - Take It Easy Dad! - HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: CALMLY have Him or Her or Both sit down with you in front of your DeskTop or Laptop, whichever you have in your home, and then Go To GOOGLE and Type IN: "US Armed Forces Enlistment Contract" and Presto! Up pops the devil himself! It is Free and there for all to view and read. Now go over this contract making sure Your Kids are reading it with you. They will SOON see that the Army promises NOTHING unless an Excellent Trade and/or Professional training program IS LISTED and SIGNED to by the RECRUITER. If NO training program is listed the army can put your offspring into VERY Dangerous Parts of the world grunting around with a rifle for Year and a half long deployments of the 8 year sign-up, 4 Active and 4"Recalled Reserve" which is what these Young Men and Women are facing Now. This armed forces enlistment contract MUST be signed by anyone who Joins Up at which point they are indentured servants to the whims of the Army officers who themselves are the offspring of the wealhty elite or republican club cadre politicos. They consider your Son and/or Daughter property of the army and will do whatever they wish with them. Now Once you have gone over the Army "Contract" with your kids, you have done your job and responsibility for protecting them. If they still have "The Fever" and insist on "Joining The Core" Well, at Least you have made sure They KNOW What They Are Getting Themselves into. And THAT, Moms and Dads is ALL you can do to keep your kids Out Of Harms Way....
Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
Thank God that we do have precious young and old(er) men and women, who know and understand the potential perils of serving their country and fellow human by joining the armed forces. That is what separates them from the rest of society. They have a calling, a belief in something larger than themselves, a need to serve the better good. Cry Phantom; your name is most appropriate by the way - Phantom - unseen, but willing to spew your wisdom to those who do not wish to hide their honor, spirit, or commitment to this country, cry for your own salvation when there is no one there to keep the beast at bay. Where would we be......honestly, where would we be without these unselfish servants? I'm not saying I agree with how the Aghan conflict has been bastardized by politics, but you need us. There is always a wolf at the door.....who's going to step between him and us? You - I would hardly think so. Worry about your own spineless existance and leave the safety of the nation to those willing to do what most don't have the heart to do.
Amen Todd! Amen!! My entire family is Military and without those who serve this nation that I so love would simply perish.
This picture just breaks my heart.
Phantom Beast are you the pastor for Westboro Baptist Church
How sad that his son will never know his father. Blessings are sent that families way!
Whenever I see these photos, my heart does a turn in my chest. At such a loss, I'm reminded of a Winston Churchill quote, when during WWII, upon hearing the news one of his top commanders had lost his only son in battle, put pen to paper and wrote the following - quoting Shakespeare’s MacBeth where after the tyrant and usurper had been killed, Ross had to tell old Siward that his only boy has perished in the struggle.
"Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt; He only lived but till he was a man; The which no sooner had his prowess confirmed in the unshrinking station where he fought, but like a man he died."
Please allow this proud Blue Star Mother to add - your cause of sorrow must not be measured by your husband's - your son's - worth, for then it has no end. Let us speak quickly of his death and dwell lovingly upon his life – for therein lies the light – the glory – then we shall all know him - we will shoulder your burden.
We fellow Americans are charged with the responsibility to make sure this babe knows who his father was and what his father volunteered to do for all of us - his countrymen. Surely Cpl. Wyatt would have never asked us to do this. We must.
Wonderful PJ-547553!! Let none of us forget the sacrifice that these soldiers are making so that we can sleep in a free country every night. Never forget and never let sacrifice go unappreciated!
PJ - you are my hero.
R.I.P. Marine... Semper Fi. Prayers to your family.
Im sending many prayers your way. May God give you the strength & courage to carry on for you & your baby. Your never alone....God will be there to get you through this. Many Blessings to you!
@PhantomBeast----you are a coward. My son is still over there and is with Wyatt's unit. You are the type that would ignore a rape to keep from getting hurt. These young men know exactly what they are signing up for and they fight because cowards like you will not. Shame on you for dishonoring the Wyatt family. You should be grateful for your freedom that men and women have died for.
Txs - I wouldn't say he/she is a coward, he/she just doesn't get it. There are those to sleep comfortably under the veil of security those of us provide without knowing the "how, why, or what" of the life we have "volunteered" to enter; nor the selfless commitment each one of us feels to do that which others refuse to do. Only those who have made that commitment, those who have reached down their hand to lift a fellow Marine in spirit or combat, and those true heroes, the families who endure, truly understand. This is a brotherhood (sisters too!) that can not and will never be understood by those such as the PhantomBeast.
Got a chuckle out of the bit about how officers are "offspring of the wealhty elite or republican club cadre politicos". This person obviously got his information out of fiction novels in some used-book store.
How ironic that our young men and women die protecting the rights of people like the 'phantombeast' to be able to say anything they want, even if it is offensive and insulting. You would think that 'free speech' would measure up to the level of sacrifice reached here. Sadly, it rarely does. Semper Fi to a fellow Marine.
It was hard to say goodbye to my best friends husband, a friend and Marine Corps brother. All I can do is thank him for leaving us his beautiful son Michael and great memories. We all promise to make sure he gets to know his father and take good care of him. Our thoughts are with all Marines still in the fight. Stay strong. OOORAH!
Olga - your statement above all should resinate to every ear. It is with that spirit that this brave man will not have perished in vain; that his selfless commitment to this nationwill forever be honored and remembered. There is incredible love and strength in your words. God Bless you and this mourning family. Semper Fi.
God speed and "thank you" to your husband for our freedom. Great sympathy and heartfelt loss to you and your son. May he be reminded repeatedly of his father's heroism. Semper Fi!
Volunteerism is called freedom of choice. I am grateful we have choices; I am grateful for being an American; I am grateful for the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters.
I hate this war. It must end. My heart breaks for this wife who must raise this child alone and for this small little baby who will never know his father. We are losing our sons our daughters our husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers all our loved ones where and when will this end? I am appreciate all that my loved ones have because of their sacrifices, but I can't stand thinking about the families that are hurting and falling to pieces because of the sacrifices they have made. Honestly, I don't think I could handle that kind of pain. God bless each and every one of them. Please Dear Lord, bring our men and women home safely and soon.
I hate this war. It must end. My heart breaks for this wife who must raise this child alone and for this small little baby who will never know his father. We are losing our sons our daughters our husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers all our loved ones where and when will this end? I am appreciate all that my loved ones have because of their sacrifices, but I can't stand thinking about the families that are hurting and falling to pieces because of the sacrifices they have made. Honestly, I don't think I could handle that kind of pain. God bless each and every one of them. Please Dear Lord, bring our men and women home safely and soon.
As an Army Officer I can say for a fact that we are not "the offspring of the wealthy elite or republican club cadre politicos." I can also reassure you that we do NOT "consider your Son and/or Daughter property of the army and will do whatever they wish with them." Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines are the greatest asset this country will ever know and we all owe these selfless servants the respect and honor they have earned.
Amen!! Very eloquently put!!
That picture brought tears to my eyes.
The cost of war is to high. Thank You to Cpl. Wyatt and his family for the sacrifices they have and will endure.
Rest In Peace.
Cpl. Wyatt Thank You for you service to this great nation. Semper Fi!
For Kait and Michael Wyatt - There is no way to thank those who most bear the burden of the ultimate sacrifice. Our Thoughts and Prayers are with you.
This picture BREAKS my heart. My husband is currently serving in Afghanistan & I am pregnant with our first child. I hope & pray EVERY day that he makes it back to us, because I cannot imagine our life without him. If we didn't have men & women like my husband who are willing to serve our country, we would be forced to do so ourselves. Be thankful that we have these amazing people to serve our country! Many of them have the dream of serving our country & will do so whether their mothers, fathers, grandparents, etc, say to or not. RIP Derek! Sending love & prayers to your wife, son & family. Thank you for all you've done for our country.
This is the face of war, a young woman and a newborn left behind. I was around for Vietnam, and in my in my optimistic youth, thought we would have evolved during my lifetime to find ways of resolving conflict more civilized than war. My heart goes out to you, Mrs. Wyatt.
Bless her heart. Thank you Derek, Kait and your son for your sacrifice for our country and the world.
There is nothing like the loss of a husband.... however you gained a child... a son! How God works in wonderous ways! You may feel alone... but your husband watches you every day. he plays with your son in the middle of the night. At times you may feel is presence... deep breathes... you may smell his scent. Never be weary of those who go before us. It was their time.... and one day it will be ours too. It may seem like forever untill we meet again, but to the ones already at home waiting it seems like mere seconds. Your son has many angels and you husband is proud to be one. He saved lives and one day he will save yours too. keep faith... our Messiah is coming!