When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death -this is heroism. My Father, Colonel Siavosh Bayani's fate came on the early hours of August 24, 1997. His name was added to the thousands of servicemen and loyalist who lost their lives at the hands of a barbaric and corrupt regime called the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is difficult to sum up the man we lost, the man we called our Father, a man who took a genuinely heroic view of life, who refused to measure himself by a lesser standard, who asked and gave so much of life, and who taught his family that much was expected of them and nothing owed them. In the end, my Father met his death on the same brave terms as he lived his life. While the pain of loss subsides over time, nothing can take away the long-lasting effects of the news we received that summer morning in 1997. While we can't change what happened that day, our family has tried to keep his memory alive and honor his life by doing what he valued most, to serve and help others. The scholarship fund for children of military families is one way to honor my Father's memory and the memories of all the innocent lives lost over the years at the hands of this ruthless regime. Educating our kids and teaching them is one way we can ensure that the future generations never fall into the hands of hooligans and radicals whose sole purpose is to rule with tyranny. I hope that you will consider contributing and doing your part in helping our youth and their future.