The man on the left is Mustafa Akarsu. He died in the attack in the U.S. Embassy last Friday. He saved my life.

The man on the left is Mustafa Akarsu. He died in the attack in the U.S. Embassy last Friday. He saved my life.

Last Friday, something happened that I never thought I would experience. A guy with 6 kilos of explosives strapped to himself walked into one of our gates at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey and self detonated.

I had just walked through the gate and was barely hit in the leg but suffered no other physical injuries only because of the kind guard, Mustafa Akarsu, had allowed me to pass through the check point without signing in. He remembered me and allowed me to go through the check point even though I didn't have my ID on me. That gave me and my friend exactly 50 seconds to be just far enough not to be harmed. Mustafa’s choice saved my life.

Unfortunately, the Turkish government’s retirement program will only support Mustafa’s widow and children for a short time (as a Turkish citizen, Mustafa paid into the Turkish system, not the American). Despite Mustafa’s over 22 years of service protecting the American Embassy and sacrificing his own life for Americans, his family will struggle on his meager pension for the remainder of theirs (in Turkish culture, the husband is traditionally the sole “bread-winner”).

Even more tragically, Mustafa was months away from retiring and moving to the U.S. He planned on becoming an American citizen with his family and hoped to send his children to college in the U.S. (Mustafa's 19-year old son is pictured with him in the photo above).

His seemingly small act of kindness saved my life and it is because of him that I'm here today. I would like to help make his dream for his children true. To learn more about his sacrifice and if you want to help his family please visit:
http://igg.me/p/332529/x/2347281