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The Elgin Courier News of Illinois wrote today about the effects of the death of Pfc. Leonard J. Gulczynski, a soldier with the 14th Battalion, 555th Engineer Regiment who died Sept. 17 after a Humvee accident in Iraq.

Gulzynski's little sister, Jacki, is apparently a pretty good athlete. From the article:

There's little doubt some of the lumps Jacki took while being pushed around by her older brother make her more adept at fighting for a rebound or attacking the basket for a lay-up. Aside from that physical boost, Lenny now provides a strong source of inspiration for Jacki, who never has to look farther than the black wristband inscribed with her brother's initials and his volleyball number "15" that her teammates made following his death.

"I wear the wristband for every single game and I sometimes wear it to school," Jacki said. "Every time I go to the free-throw line or go to the plate for a big hit in softball, I look at that and get a sense of inspiration.

"I'll think, 'All right Lenny, give me some strength here. I can do this.' I can definitely say I've used my wristband to help me get through to Lenny."