Another trip to Arlington...

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

In todays e mail:

Tragedy has struck again. This DAMN war! Maybe you heard about the Black Hawk that was shot down over Baghdad; a family member was killed. CSM Haller was also Maryland National Guard. It looks like we will have to take emergency leave for another trip to Arlington. I don't know how much more of this I can take! Don't worry, we won't be coming home. Please keep my family in your prayers. I'll be in touch. Thanks for everything!
Kim

This from a lady who lives on a house on my farm. Her husband Randy, who helps me when we're busy, has spent most of the last two years in the burn unit in San Antonio after being blown up doing convoy duty in Iraq for the Maryland National Guard which is to say for us. They're both still there, but he's lucky. He didn't lose any limbs and his short term memory is getting better. The guy who drug him away from the burning truck, Mike McMullen, and covered him right before the second bomb went off died. I water Kim's plants every other week. I forget fairly often and it might be three weeks or so some times.

My step son spent 12 months there for Uncle Sam as did my daughter in law.
He went back for 4 more months for his company and his Christmas present from all of us was that he just got recalled to active duty. Seems he hasn't served enough yet.

None of these people were gonna cure cancer or make wintertime static electricity go away and one could argue people get hurt and die all the time and most soldiers who go to Iraq come back in one piece. So then you have to reconcile if it matters or not what they were doing and why.

Objectively, you have to convince yourself that the 3,000 some odd dead, like Mike, and 25,000 or so wounded, like Randy, and the 100's of thousands of family members and friends, like Kim and the McMullens, impacted by these deaths and injuries are to be honored, the dead, and comforted, everybody else, by the idea that their sacrifice will keep terrorists off our streets and out of our planes thereby sparing so very many more fellow citizens a horrible fate.

Then, objectively, you have to convince yourself that their sacrifice was the only and best option we had in order to deal with Usama and Saddam and global terror.

Then, objectively, you have to convince yourself that by accepting these losses and continuing a course of action that guarantees more makes you tough and resolved and wise.

Lastly, objectively, you have to convince yourself that whatever it is we may or may not achieve in Iraq by staying it is worth the life and/or limb of another soldier, the life and/or limb of your neighbors kid, your own son or daughter.

There is no snappy last sentence to summarize this post and drive home a point.

[ylexot]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

My step son spent 12 months there for Uncle Sam as did my daughter in law.
He went back for 4 more months for his company and his Christmas present from all of us was that he just got recalled to active duty. Seems he hasn't served enough yet.

What do they think?

[mizteresa1965]

I have a cousin, a nephew, a step-son, friends, and several children of friends that are over in Iraq. I constantly pray for safe returns for not only them, but all of our troops.

[ylexot]

Originally Posted by mizteresa1965

I have a cousin, a nephew, a step-son, friends, and several children of friends that are over in Iraq. I constantly pray for safe returns for not only them, but all of our troops.

...and what do they think?

[mizteresa1965]

they all want to come home

[mizteresa1965]

And ironically, my cousin just sent this to me. Her husband got back from Iraq in March. It's long, but good. I started crying after the first sentence...

***********

You don’t know, but I’m the girl who cries every morning, and hopes every night for his safe return. I’m the girl who drags herself out of bed every morning so that he will be proud of her when he comes home. I’m the girl who lies in bed longing for him to be lying next to me. I’m the girl who sits quietly during class because all I can think about is that next moment when he will safely be in my arms again. You don’t know, but I’m the girl with a million things to say, but not one will come out without the thought of him. I’m the girl who checks my cell phone every five seconds just to make sure I haven’t missed his call. I’m the girl who stops and stares and wishes for him to return soon each and every time another man in uniform walks by.

What you don’t know is that I know love on an entirely different level from most. I know the love that spans time and space; that love that most people are constantly searching for. I’m one of the girls who waits months for a single kiss; a kiss that will make the months apart worth every second. A kiss where everything in the world stops and for what seems like eternity, you can see into that person’s soul and know that without them, life is not worth living. You tell me, I’m too young to be “so in love”; I know that love has no age limit. You tell me I don’t even understand what love is, I tell you, I know more love in one homecoming, than most know in a life time. You don’t know that every time he leaves part of me goes with him and part of him stays with me. You tell me that people change and I tell you, true love with always remain constant and steady. You tell me, I’m too young to be married, I tell you, and I’m too in love to not be. You tell me you know how I feel and that you understand what I’m going through; you have no idea. What you don’t realize is that I understand the true meaning of not only love, but of longing and anticipation.

You don’t see, but I’m one of the few who gets goose bumps as my heart fills with pride every time the National Anthem is played. I’m one of the girls who will stand tall and stay strong on the outside, but be dying on the inside. I am one of the girls who will make friends with complete strangers for only they can even begin to understand what I am going through. You don’t understand that I picture his face everywhere I go and that he is with me in everything I do. You think I don’t cry anymore, that I have gotten over it, but what you don’t know is that I just hide it better.

You don’t know the feeling the first time you hear the word deployment or the feeling of his hands as it slides out of yours for what could be the last time. You don’t know what that last hug or kiss means and how important that goodbye truly is. I’m the girl you see standing alone in the corner of the airport watching quietly out the window with tears rolling down my cheeks. I’m the girl you see walking by with a disheartened face staring silently at the ground. What you don’t know, is that I know true love and that no matter what obstacles we have to face, our love will live forever, that only we know.

You tell me that you support the troops; I tell you, I’m in love with one. I’m one of the silent, but outgoing; weak, but strong; scared, but grateful. What you don’t see is that without me, he is nothing and without him, I am nothing. I’m one of those girls; the girl who stands tall behind her Marine, stands proud behind her Hero, stands strong behind her man, watching silently as he serves and defends our country.

[ylexot]

Originally Posted by mizteresa1965

they all want to come home

Well duh. I could have told you that. What do they think about what they are doing there?

[BS Gal]

Very, very touching. I won't go into my feelings about this war.

[kwillia]

Back on anysoldier.com I go... time to ship some more boxes.

[chernmax]

God Bless our all volunteer force...