America's Memory

An amazing photo from Afghanistan emerged in 2011 of a soldier kissing the helmet atop the battlefield cross for SSG Bryan Burgess. The 101st Airborne Screaming Eagle patch is prominent on medic Brit Jacob’s arm as his hand holds the back of the helmet. The symbolic act signified something Burgess had done to each of his soldiers prior to a mission. He did this as an act of leadership, sacrifice, and resolve. His fellow soldiers are quick to speak well of him. They believe he epitomized the selfless, steadfast squad leader; the model leader who didn’t seek credit or complain when events deteriorated. He wasn’t simply a good soldier; he was an outstanding one. It sounds cliché, but one soldier said he’d follow him to Hell and back. He placed himself in harm’s way often, and they knew they could count on him in the toughest of situations. He was the kind of man others named their children after, as his commanding officer Tye Reedy did, using the name Bryan for his son. Reedy considered Burgess a man of few word