Letters From Iraq

It’s the summer of 2010. Morgan is a 17 year old girl who is being forced to move 

to an extremely small town in Iowa with her mother and the baby Cate. She has just 

graduated from high school, but will not be going to college for a while. Across the street 

from them lives a young boy by the name of Blaine Loyd. Blain immediately shows an 

interest in Morgan who responds with the cold shoulder. He tries for several weeks to 

get her to go on a date with him but she refuses. Finally, she agrees, but only if he stops 

bugging her. On the date, Morgan finds that Blain is charming, polite and likable. At the 

end of the date she agrees to another one. Soon, Morgan begins to find that she likes 

Blain very much. Blain asks her to go out with him and she agrees.

Four months later, in October, Blain turns 18 and he enlists in the military. He 

says his father served in the military, and he wants to follow in his footsteps. Morgan is 

upset, but Blain promises to write her as many letters as he can. Morgan makes him 

promise something else: to come home alive. Blain promises, and is then shipped off to 

boot camp.

A few months later Blain is fighting in Afghanistan, but he still sends letters to 

Morgan. He can’t tell her much about where he is, but he lets her know he’s fine. He 

also tells her that he thinks he’s in love with her. When Blain comes home for his Military 

Leave, he tells Morgan that he plans to marry her as soon as his service is completed.

In August of 2011, Morgan gets a call from Blain’s mother. She tells Morgan that 

Blain was killed in action. His helicopter went down and he was killed, along with 37 

other U.S. soldiers. Blain is shipped home, and buried in the local cemetery. Morgan 

places the letters of his in the hole with him, saying one last goodbye.