Fallen But Not Forgotten: The Life of an American Hero and a West Point Graduate Through the Eyes of a Mother

We chose to write this memoir and remembrance of our son, US Army Captain Torre Mallard, after he was killed serving in Iraq on March 10, 2008. Our family for so long managed the emotional balance between war's specter of death, and our child's blessed immortality that we were awed by the immediacy and permanence of his death. Since that time, as we have tried to regain our bearings life has taken unexpected turns. We learned that while we each had come to terms with our own deaths, we were just not equipped to contemplate the same for our son. Torre faced danger daily in Iraq, yet in our hearts we knew that he would not risk himself needlessly nor imperil his life senselessly. We knew that he put the honor for his men and his duty above any desire for valor. His expression of love for his family, his country and God, we thought, would surely shield him and us from the losses so many other families experienced. We never thought we would see the day when we had to bury our son. This story shares one good man's life, and our journey through the search for meaning as we learn how to mourn his death. It is our hope that by sharing one families experience that we can help others. We do this to honor a good man, a good soldier and a good son.