Fallen Soldiers Will Always Be Remembered

Oh Clovis, what a wonderful place you are.
Sitting in the stadium of Buchanan High School the evening of June 5, the wind blissfully blew as though to let us know that it too was here for this exceptionally marked moment and equally grand occasion for the recognition of the many students who were about to receive their diplomas.

As I waited and watched and scanned the huge crowd gathering around me who were all waiting to commend their special loved students from afar, I gazed out across the stadium, taking in the panoramic view of the mountains, which grew larger as I looked toward the far beyond. And still gazing about, my eyes returned to the graduates. Above them, our country’s flag unyielding, not allowing the force of the expressive wind to subtract from its beauty with stealth resistance to make it anything other than the allegiance and hope of the people for which it stands.

My youngest daughter sitting beside me. My eldest daughter, a graduate of Buchanan High School from the class of 2005, was sitting on the bench in front of me, along with her boyfriend and other classmates of the same graduating class. They were here to support and witness a milestone of their fallen classmate, Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony “Tony” Butterfield. His little sister Bailey Butterfield was graduating. Her parents, older sister and brother, also graduates of Buchanan, and other family members were sitting further down the bench on which I was sitting.
My heart suddenly remembered the loss of their son and brother, of which my thoughts and prayers had been many, so very often, especially for Robin, Tony’s mother. Silently I prayed for them, for their comfort and peace at this happy event of seeing their youngest daughter graduate.

Then, my eyes wondering, I looked over to the eastside of the stadium and the memory came rushing back to me - the time after the first two of Buchanan’s finest lost their lives fighting for our country. I remember walking across Nees avenue, stepping onto the sidewalk to start towards the stadium for a football game, and there standing at the corner looking past through the fence into the stadium were the parents of Jeremiah Baro and Jared Hubbard, together along with their other children, with no one else around them. I’m sure they didn’t think that anyone knew who they were or noticed them.
But I did.

Seeing them there, my heart moved me to tears, but I continued walking, not letting on because they didn’t know me. I prayed for them that day, and they remained in my thoughts and prayers after that time.

The wind blowing up an ambushing chill which moved us closer to one another to capture some warmth, my mind ran on to remember yet another, our most recent loss, Rowan Walter, whose passing seems to ruminate with the embrace of a gentle hush, whose family, unknown to me, is also in my thoughts and prayers. His classmates, the class of 1999, all adults now, must be well on their way into the life of careers and family. I am sure his classmates firmly include him, and his family in their prayers. After all, once a Bear, always a Bear.

The ceremony beginning to start. My attention shifted back to the graduates, class of 2007. As I scanned them - such young hope-filled people with fantastic dreams and with the great gift and accomplishment of being a Buchanan Bear graduate - I thought of the ones in this class of 2007 who might be on their way to fight for our country. I was again crushed at the thought of a future loss of one of these amazing Buchanan High students, so full of promise and the wonderfully unfailing hope only
youth possess.

The music began to stream through the air and I thought back to September 11, 2001. I will never forget dropping off my eldest daughter at Buchanan that day. She was only in 9th grade. I can still see and feel it, believing that sending her to school that day instead of keeping her home would be much more advantageous, to discuss and learn what the day had brought, to be with her classmates and friends so that they might establish a consolidated understanding to bond them more closely together as a generation.
On that day it never occurred to me that the future of my daughter’s class of 2005 would lose a close classmate to a war related to that day’s event - the crumbing of the twin towers and the tumbling of our ideation of the safe world we lived in.

Yet here we were, all together at Buchanan High Stadium again, parents and families, the steadfast community of Clovis’ Bear Country, to see the graduates of Buchanan High walk down and receive that most coveted reward. Our children walked, stood and received their diplomas, including those who are no longer with us -four young men, our Bears, who bravely and loyally gave their lives for this small place called Clovis and a smaller place called Bear Country.

It was great to be with and see the Buchanan Bears graduate. It always is.

As my youngest daughter and I walked back home through the neighborhood near Buchanan High, the wind blew, the trees roistered about and the shining stars painted on the dark sky. I contemplated what this incredibly wonderful place means to me, to my children and to this whole community, and how fortunate I am to be here.

Almost home, I observe some of our newer neighbors from the Bay Area, and I thought of the young couple across the street with preschoolers who will shortly start on their way to becoming Bears. I wondered, do they know where they are?

Bear Country has had some really tough times, to say the least, but I would rather be here during those tough times than anyplace else. Being part of this Bear Country community, I know we all feel the same. We love each other, and pray for each other, and we don’t even have to know each other. We love each other and pray for each other, and we don’t even have to know each other.

To the parents, families and friends of Clovis’ other two finest young men, Michael Rojas and Steven Packer, Bear Country is praying for you, too. Thank you Clovis, and God Bless our Bears.
By Carrie Schwabenland
Published by the Clovis Independent Newspaper June 2007
Clovis California
www.happyheartloveart.org

Clovis' Buchanan High School has loss even more "Brave Bears" since this article was written in June of 2007. Much love and peace to all!