Dear Editor,

This is an open letter to family and friends:

During this time of our loss, we want to express our sincere gratitude. With your support at this time of need, our family has felt such a magnitude of love from you. Your expressions of sympathy, care and concern for our family will forever be appreciated and remembered. We are so proud of James, and we see how proud all of you are of James too.

In such a glimpse of time, our lives have changed forever. We know that your lives will now be different too for experiencing our loss with us. We are grateful to you for honoring James as all of you have.

As a family we ask that you, in remembering James, don’t forget the other lives that were lost on September 8, 2009. And in your everyday lives please pray for all the sons and daughters away from our nation, protecting us still. As they are all there, for all of us.

With much gratitude we thank you.

Sincerely,

The Family of PO3 James Ray “DOC” Layton