Twin Tribute Two
November 19th, 2010 § 3 Comments
I’m going to write my twin brothers obituary. Never in a thousand years did I expect to say that. But fighting back tears I say it with overwhelming pride for the life my brother lived. He never had it easy. He was a true warrior his entire life. From self-imposed battles to wars waged on foreign soils, he fought. He fought hard. He never backed down, he never quit and he always won.
For the last 10 years of his life he has dedicated his every breath to defending the freedoms of every American. After he returned from his third deployment to the Middle East, I wrote ‘Twin Tribute’ to express my gratitude for the service that my brother and so many men and women provide. My twin brother, SSG Toby John Stinson, served his country with honor and brought home the horrors of war tightly wrapped inside him. Tightly packaged inside the darkest part of him, visions I cannot imagine plagued him, tortured him and in the end stole him from us. On Nov. 5th, 2010, just 14 days ago, my twin brother took his own life.
This was his only way to silence the voices of a war he left in February, but knew he was destined to return to. I lost my twin brother to the past, present and future horrors of war. As was his last request, Toby will be laid to rest alongside the thousands of American heroes that have passed before him. He will rejoin soldiers he saluted, soldiers that saluted him and take his rightful place, forever, as an American hero.
November 29, 2010 will undoubtedly be the most difficult day I have ever faced. But Toby’s internment in Arlington National Cemetery will be a magnificent tribute to his service blessed by the many tears shed by all of us who loved him so much. Rest now brother, rest in peace.
Mandy and Family,
Our heart is with you. SSgt Toby Stinson, Rest in Peace, we will always think of your brother as a warrior who served proud. We must receive our warriors home with respect and love. There is alot of wounds we cannot see, and they are powerful. We all as a country are pulled together in grief through the sadness of your loss.
From our family to yours, may your hearts heal in time.
Karen & Colin Archipley
Very well spoken. I’m very sry to hear about your/our loss. My prayers have gone out to yer family and toby since I first read about this . Much luv…
I spent alot of time with him my senior year of high school. We both attended Ace. I hung out with him alot until he was ready and joined the army. We lost contact over the years, but he was never too far from my mind. He was a good man. I am so sorry to hear about him being gone. But he will never be forgotten.