There was a surge of 4,000 Marines against the Taliban in Afghanistan on Thursday, July 2, 2009.
Most of the Taliban fled into the hills.
One American soldier gave his life.
Lance Corporal Seth Sharp of the U.S. Marine Corps died last Thursday in Afghanistan.
Seth was 20.
He had already served 7 months in Iraq.
He has been in the Marines since age 17.
He was an infantryman with Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines.
He is a hometown hero.
He is also a national hero.
He will come home to Georgia tomorrow.
We will honor him.
People will line the streets with American Flags.
The Patriot Guard Riders, local Policy Officers, Sheriff’s Office officials and the Fire Department will be on hand to honor him.
His young, war-torn body will pass under an American flag displayed between two ladder trucks during his escort to the church.
He will lie in-state with a Marine Corps guard until his funeral on Saturday.
He will be honored locally as the national hero that he is.
He was young.
He was handsome.
He never recorded a song.
He never entertained millions.
The paparazzi didn’t follow his every move.
His funeral will not be televised.
The nation will not hover around their television sets to see his family and friends.
But here in Adairsville, Georgia, he will be honored.
People will pay tribute to him in words and film.
His family will grieve for the loss of him.
Love and compassion will be poured out on them.
He was a soldier.
He died for the freedom of others.
He died serving his country.
His job was to go anywhere they sent him.
He was a Marine.
He made the ultimate sacrifice.
He is gone to a far better place than this.
He will live in the memory of those who knew him and those who now know of him.
A soldier, a Marine, a local hero, a national hero.
Semper Fi, Lance Corporal Seth Sharp.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for laying your life down for your brothers and your country.
Semper Fi.
May you rest in peace.
NOTE: This post will remain as the main post on my blog until July 15,2009 so that family members and friends have an opportunity to view it as originally posted.
VElish Art Studio 
Thank you for writing this.
Cpl. Smart & our other members of the Armed Forces are our true idols & heroes for us that are too often neglected by the news media.
At least Fox News is proudly & continuously bringing the loss of our troops to fore for the nation to hear about vs. the coverage for celebrities.
May each military person be honored as they should be, by each of us. Remember those that continue to fight for our rights & freedoms be remembered daily … may you remember the souls of those that have been lost.
Thank you each & every one that continues to fight for us.
TTFN ~Marydon
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God bless Corporal Sharp's family, and may his life be remembered. I pray that there will be more news coverage of this hero's death for the sake of freedom.
~Anastasia
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Rest in peace Corporal Seth Sharp… You are a hero in every sense of the word. Thank you for your sacrifice in the name of America and freedom!
With love and great respect, Catherine Lough
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Thank you for honoring Seth, I do not know him, but I have an 18 year old stepson and I can only imagine the grief of the family. HE is a hero and as an American, he is my hero. May God bless his family in this time of great loss!! thank you!
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God bless Seth for his service to this country…we just laid my grandfather to rest 2 weeks ago, he lived a very full life compared to Seth, but he too served this country and was always proud of that fact. My heart goes out to the family…may God wrap his tender arms around them at this time.
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