Speech
Eulogy – SGT Youvert Loney
William Douglass
Chargé d'Affairs
September 20, 2009
A young man can touch the lives of so many people. When that young man is a soldier, a soldier who has given his life in the line of duty, he touches the souls of so many countless others, people all over the world who cherish independence, freedom and liberty. These people may not know the name Youvert Loney, but they revere the ideals he guarded, the freedom he defended, and the liberty he ultimately gave his life to preserve.
I count myself among their ranks. I did not know Sergeant Loney, but I stand here today as a citizen of a grateful nation, searching for words to express the obligation the world owes to Youvert and so many other brave young people. Words alone are insufficient to convey the true measure of his sacrifice. The truest testimony will not come from anything we say here today, but in the way he led his life – with honor, courage and dedication to the people around him.
And his death may open our eyes once again to a timeless yet profound truth: that freedom is not free, and the history of all human progress is one of a struggle against those who would impose their will upon others. All that is good in the human condition was conceived and built by men and women like Youvert Loney: those who answer a calling beyond the normal duties of everyday life, those who give more than was expected or required, without thought for fame or fortune.
While the loss of Youvert Loney is a loss for all mankind, ultimately the shadows of sorrow are darkest around those who loved him the most. His loss settles unfairly on a few; those of you who called him your friend, your brother, your son, your husband, your father. This sorrow may feel lonely, but know that you are not alone. For as long as Youvert has a place in your heart he will remain with you always. And by the grace of God he will share in the joys of life that will one day return to you, as he watches over all his loved ones until the day comes when, in the Good Lord’s own time, you are all reunited once again.
At ease, brave young soldier, sleep the sleep of the just. While your time with us was much too short, your impact on this Earth will endure for generations to come. To you I say thank you for the way you lived your life, for the inspiration you gave others, and for the love you brought to those who knew you.