This Memorial Day is different than past ones for me. In February I noted the passing of my uncle, Col. Martin Jeffrey Basham, as a result of an illness he developed while serving all of us overseas in Iraq several years ago. While we mourned his passing, I heard numerous stories reaffirming his integrity and his honor for people, irrespective of creed, nationality, or anything else for that matter. Today, we honor all of those like him who either chose to serve, or submitted to the call to serve. You all are remembered.
COL. Martin Jeffrey Basham was born August 13, 1957, outside a small rural Tennessee town. So rural, in fact, it was only the year he was born that they paved the street he grew up on–for the first time. His parents would debate over the next 40 years about whether he was supposed to be Jeffrey Martin or Martin Jeffrey. Either way, he was Jeff. He was very intelligent. He started first grade early, and was able to graduate high school when he was sixteen years old. Some of his classmates say that he was quiet but really smart. He may have been quiet, but he was known.
After high school he went to work in the mines. That was pretty much the only job in town, and he was fine doing that. Hard work was to be appreciated. But he wanted to join the National Guard. He was the…
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Unbreaking the News 