Friday, November 11, 2011

Happy Veterans Day

Today we honor those who have protected our freedom. Where Memorial Day honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,Veterans Day honors all those who were willing to put their life on the line for us.

As for my family,I have had many who have served: My Dad ( Army, New Guinea,WWII),my brother Valmore (Army, Vietnam),my brother in law,Tom ( Air Force,Vietnam),my brother Dennis ( Sea Bees,Gulf War),my niece Tara (Air Force,OIF),and her hubby Scott (Air Force,OIF), my Uncle Bobby (Army,Korea),and my Uncle Valmore (Army,WW II-killed in Hawaii by someone in his tent cleaning his rifle).Brother B was in the Army National Guard. My father in law,Dick,was in the Coast Guard during the Bay of Pigs. Rick's uncle was a POW in Vietnam.
                            

While my family has had many serve,Rick's family has a long line of military service.His family has been here in the US since the 1620's. They came over from England with the wave of Puritans fleeing for their religious freedom.In fact,he has family members that arrived in Plymouth,MA in the boat after the Mayflower,which was called the Anne.He has had family members who fought in every war since the French and Indian Wars.Some died in war,one at Valley Forge,and a  great great grandfather who died in the Civil war at Fredricksburg and is buried in Virginia.

A down time moment at Camp Shelby,MS
                                             
When I met Rick,he was already a veteran.He had been in Airborne in the 1980's,stationed in Italy and had been in many "quick" combat missions (which of course,he can't tell me about). I refer to them as "Reagan's Secret Little Wars." He did serve in Nicaragua,which is not a place he remembers with great fondness.

In 2000,he wanted to get back into service,so he joined the National Guard. Then of course, 9/11 happened,and he went to Iraq after doing two tours on Homeland Security at the Air National Guard base down in Newington(Former Pease Air Force Base,now the Pease International Tradeport)


Ready to meet whatever comes his way
                                   Rick was sent to Ramadi,which at the time was the worst place in Iraq. It is located in the Sunni Triangle,or,"The Triangle of Death." It is on a main highway from Syria,where many of the insurgents came from. To quote one solider, "In 2004-2005,Ramadi was the shit." Reporters were rarely allowed into the city because it was so dangerous. Rick became a Scout,which meant he could sneak around gathering intel,or kick in doors and take prisoners. He also called in air support,and was a "long distance problem solver." They were attacked daily,several times a day.He saw combat each day.He took lives. He also helped train the Iraqis,which on more than one occasion, fled when they were attacked,leaving Rick by himself. When they went on patrol in town,he was either on point or in the rear. He did not have the luxury of staying at Forward Operating Base (FOB).He stayed in Outposts in outside of town.They were wooden shacks,no shower,etc. There were those who were at the base who never left it. They were referred to as FOBBITS by those who actually engaged in combat,and it was not a compliment. When there would be hot water at the FOB,it would be gone by the time Rick and his fellow Scouts went to shower,because the officers used it all (who never left the base).

One of the outposts 
                                             


One of my favorite phots
                                                       
Before Rick was in the Scouts,he was in a squad that patrolled in Bradleys. He was in the turret quite often.

                                                               

He was wounded on July 28,2005 in an RPG attack. He spent two weeks at Landstahl in Germany,before being sent to Fort Gordon,GA ( Walter Reed was full) where he was in medhold until April 2006.

Rick home for good!
                                       

Of course,that is where our struggle as a family really began-living with PTSD and TBI and dealing with it. It has made us stronger,but it took a toll on our marriage for a few years. His emotional walls were up so high,I could tell as soon as I held him for the first time since he was wounded that he wasn't the same.I could feel it. It took a few years for those walls to come down,thanks to medication and therapy (which he still does) and he is more like his old self. Our connection finally returned three years ago,and it still took a while to get back to where we were even then.

So,while this day is about Veterans and their sacrifices,I want to give a shout out to the families of veterans as well. They cried tears of sorrow,tears of joy,and tears of frustration. There are some whose loved ones are no longer here,and there are those who lost their loved ones due to mental issues and who have seen their marriages crumble. There are those who are caregivers to the physically and mentally disabled,and there are those who are blessed with no issues.Whatever their circumstances,they also deserve to be thought of today.

A couple years ago,we went to Malone,NY to visit the boyhood home of Almanzo Wilder(Laura Ingalls Wilder's hubby). Our tour group consisted of the three of us and a couple from Ontario. The gentleman was a retired member of the Canadian Air Force. Rick thanked him for his service to his country and shook his hand. The gentleman looked taken aback at first,thanked Rick as well,then commented,"It took me 19 years and to have to come to the US before anyone ever thanked me." So...thank you. Thank you to our wonderful Canadian friends up North (hello,Kymber),thank you to all those countries who have sacrificed for the greater good and who have supported the US with your blood,sweat,and tears throughout our history,and of course,thank you to My Fellow Americans. You continue to keep us free. I am humbled and grateful.

11 comments:

  1. We are grateful for your family's service. A group hug for all of you!

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  2. You express everything so well, Donna. I was very moved by this post. I just want to thank you for reminding us of what we need to honor on this day, as well as every day. That willingness to serve, no matter what, exhibited by your husband and so many others, is a character trait too many of us take for granted. And it is the bedrock of all we enjoy as Americans. Your honestly is always so refreshing. Yes, the sacrifices of family members as well, we need to continually be aware. Your blog is a touchstone for me, to remember what's really important in all our lives. Thank you. And thank your husband, for me.

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  3. Thank you,ladies :)
    Julie,you express yourself quite well,too.Thank you for your moving words.

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  4. Wonderful post. We are forever in your debt...

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  5. Donna - just did a quick post at our blog about me being sick! i mentioned that i might have caught "your plague". then i came over here to link your post to mine and saw your Veteran's Day post.

    i am bawling. i can't believe how honest and eloquent this post is! thank you for reminding all of us that it is not just the soldiers and veterans who suffer - it is all of their family members too! family members must suffer and sacrifice in order for our soldiers to be able to stand!

    i have linked to both your plague post and your Veteran's Day posts on my latest blog entry. i can't thank you enough for YOUR service to your country, being selfless enough to let your soldier serve, dealing with everything that would entail, being here for him when he was injured, and being STRONG, BRAVE and COURAGEOUS enough to get through this with him.

    i thank Rick for his service from the bottom of my heart. i thank both of your families for their service from the bottom of my heart.

    and i thank you, and all of the women like you, for YOUR and THEIR service. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

    thank you for this beautiful post, Donna.

    your friend,
    kymber

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  6. Ohhhhh Kymber linked you and I am so glad she did. Donna through tears I am so happy you shared this post. I really appreciate that part about the family and how the veteran may carry the physical wounds, the family carries the silent ones.

    Freedom isn't free is understood by you and yours quite clearly and I wish I could hug you and thank you in person.

    May God continue to rekindle and strengthen your marriage. You and your family are now in my prayers and I am forever grateful to have been able to read about your story. You see freedom is made up of one story at a time~one like yours and of course like others.

    Jennifer

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  7. Ms. Donna, I just found your blog and was moved by your story. Please thank your husband for his great service to our country. Also a thank you to you for the support you have shown to your husband. I have always supported our troops no matter what.

    Sadly a thank you I feel is not enough for what our G.I.'s and their family's have had to go through.

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  8. My goodness, such wonderful heartfelt words...Kymber,you are so kind...YOU have me crying,and then the kind words from Jennifer and Rob....I am speechless. Thank you to all of you who have responded with such support and kindness.

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  9. Donna, thank you for that post. And thank you, and please thank your husband. Our true hero's are not just the men and women that serve. But also the family's of those that serve.

    Again, thank you

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  10. Donna, thanks for the wonderful post! I have 2 sons in the Army and I understand what it takes to wait and wonder about them and their safety. Glad Rick is home safe and sound and thank you for your service to our country and all the Veteran's.

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