Alison Malachowski remembers her son [Image 9 of 13]

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VA, UNITED STATES

07.22.2015

Photo by Sgt. Ken Scar    

108th Training Command- Initial Entry Training

Alison Malachowski reminisces about her son, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. James Malachowski, in front of his grave in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery (the one with flowers adorning it over her right shoulder), July 22, 2015. Staff Sgt. Malachowski, who was with the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marines, was killed by an improvised explosive device during his fourth combat deployment on March 20, 2011, while his unit was raising the Afghanistan national flag over a small compound near Patrol Base Dakota in Marjah Province. "He died a terrible, painful death," said Alison. "But he did not scream or cry and I know why - it was so he wouldn't frighten his guys. He was all about taking care of his guys.” Author Robert M. Poole described a conversation with Alison in his book ‘Section 60: Where War Comes Home.' In it he wrote: "It has been said that time heals all wounds. 'It does not!' she said, sitting before the grave of her son two years after his death, the surrounding tableau of white tombstones and blue sky reflected in her sunglasses. 'It doesn't get better. It just gets different. Some days I wake up, and for the first few minutes everything's okay. Then I remember my son is dead, and everything crashes. People are nice. They try to be sympathetic, but unless you've gone through this, there's no way to understand.'" (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ken Scar)

• Date Taken: 07.22.2015
• Date Posted: 07.23.2015 12:48
• Photo ID: 2084284
• VIRIN: 150722-A-ZU930-020
• Resolution: 4374x3447
• Size: 10.36 MB
• Location: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VA, US