Alabama National Cemetery

Barry D. Siegel - My Mentor, My Dad. 

I first want to honor you and thank you for mentoring me to join the military, to learn, to never fold, and to always learn. 

There is not a single day that goes by where I don't think of you. You were the only person I had to talk to about the things that mattered most to me after I got to my unit. You always knew just how to make me smile, and I will always miss you because of that. Your love for learning through suffering, and stress was fundamental in helping me manage some of the most challenging things in my life.  

I joined the U.S. Army because I always wanted to be a soldier. I always wanted to make you proud. You told me to take everything thrown at me, which I did; You said "Justin, you do everything you're told". 

I am now reaping the rewards that I honestly didn't know I would have when I got out. I just trusted you when you said "they'll take care of you". I am helping other vets with your memory in mind. 

I found out what you went through in the military, and out of it when you died. Although I can't share that here. I am dealing with something similar and can see your points of view now that I am older. 

No one besides me and my mom were at your funeral, I was by your side when you passed, I cried for so long my body gave out. I want to celebrate your life by helping people the way you helped me. Life isn't about the material, the money, or the anger we all represent. When you're dying from cancer, all you could want is your family by your side. It saddens me that you didn't fully ever have that. I am happy I was there for you when you needed me the most just like you were for me when I was on my last ounce of exhaustion. 

You loved books, reading, sci-fi, anything involving aliens, and mainly everything to do with business. I wanna read one of those books again with you one day. I love you dad, I buried you, I held your hand at your last breath and although you couldn't speak as you died; I saw you were trying to tell me you love me and everyone else. 
I remember you saying so many times, you regretted things or choices. I don't wanna regret anything I do. I wish you could see me trying to get my degree, trying to help veterans, trying to be change. 

All I ever wanted was love, you will never know just how much you have accomplished. I will carry your legacy onwards. I miss you. I know you're reading somewhere dad. I can't wait to be there with you. 
I just wanna tell you I love you one more time dad. Thank you for loving me more than I could ever ask for. 
 - Justin "U.S. Army" 

BARRY DAVID SIEGEL

Service

VIETNAM

US NAVY,

IC3

Resting Place

Mementos

Tributes

Word Cloud

undefined

Milestones

Mementos

Historical Documents

Veteran programs and services

More VA resources

Get VA updates

In crisis? Get help now

Contact us