Brazoria County honors members of its armed forces who gave their lives in service to their country with words mourning fallen soldiers and invoking peace in the Mansions of the Lord. It also preserves the words of Lance Corporal Christopher McCrackin of Liverpool, Texas, who wrote to his parents on Nov. 13, 2005, from Iraq that he had become a combat seasoned Marine, had taken part in two major conflicts, survived mortar fire, narrowly avoided an IED, and helped clear Najaf and Kabala before leaving for another mission. He was killed in action on Nov. 14, 2005, in New Ubadyi, Iraq, and his letter was received on Nov. 23, 2005, the day of his funeral. The tribute also includes Abraham Lincoln’s Nov. 21, 1864, letter to Mrs. Bixby of Boston, Massachusetts, offering consolation as the mother of five sons said to have died on the field of battle, and closes with the words of Taps and the theme of the cost of freedom.