There's a storm coming... It's gonna suck...

.....
"There's a storm coming our way tonight, and it's going to be bad. It's hot. It's muggy. Hotter than it's been in a long time. The sky is dark and full of clouds and as I look off at the horizon it's brown. That can only mean wind blown sand and dust. Lightning is striking all around us, some of the strikes even casting shadows on the ground, and the rain has started to fall. Before long it's going to be raining mud. It's gonna suck!"

BeforeTheStorm

our son's e-mail from May 10th 2004, Mosul, Iraq...

I've permanently posted this email here - as the blog's most current post - because the title aptly describes this blog and "our" deployment experience.

At Home in WA

You've been through a lot with us this past year and I didn't want to cut everyone off cold turkey so I will post an update from time to time. "Withdrawal" is always hard so we will take it one post at a time. Here's an update for February...

They have been in Washington for a month and a half. Their furniture, household items and three quarters of their clothing still remain in Minnesota. Moving day is scheduled for the end of February. When their moving truck arrives in Seattle they will have gone two entire months without the things that make any house a home.

Yet through it all they remain upbeat and optimistic - looking at this time as a great adventure rather than as a hardship. Maybe love does conquer all...

Thoughts at Christmas

During the last few days I've done a lot of soul searching and some deep thinking. I've finally reached a point where all of the thoughts going through my head have coalesced.

Memories are how we store images from the past - they aren't real, dreams reach out to the future - they aren't real either so it's right now that we have to grab hold of love and happiness with both hands and hold it tight. Love and happiness are fleeting and if you aren't careful you lose them. The past and the future don't really exist except in our minds, all we really have is right now - don't waste it.

No one will ever replace, or could ever replace our memories of those we love - that's asking any of us to do something impossible. So I dream of adding memories of time spent together with those I love. And the only way to build those memories is to grab them here and now - and not waste them.

When each of our kids were born I didn't divide my love for my wife and share it with each of them. My love grew. And as each of them gets older the bond becomes even stronger - there were nights I couldn't sleep worrying about our son in Iraq, and I'm selfish because I should be worrying about all of the young men and women over there. And now my love is growing even more to include the love of my son's life. She has already become an important part of our lives and she will always hold a special place in our hearts. You don't divide love - it's not finite - it's infinite. There are no boundaries. Our capacity for love has no bounds.

Those we love are a part of us. And words can't flesh out emotions - even though I've tried. I have to admit that there are people who won't allow their love to grow and I pity them because they will never have what I have and they will never have what all those who love boundlessly have.

None of us know what the future has in store for us. I tell my son and his new bride that it's not going to be easy, real love never is - it's just as much tears and heartache as it is smiles and laughter - but grabbing happiness is important and holding on to love is even more important.

Still On Edge

Today my wife and I went grocery shopping - getting ready for the up coming Holiday. When we got home I pulled our van into the garage. While I unloaded our Soldier was sitting on the living room floor playing with his dog.

When I had the van empty I reached up, shut the tailgate and went in the house. As I entered I heard him say to his mom, "Yeah, it scared me. It reminded me of a mortar round going off."

Hopefully the uneasiness he felt at that moment will fade soon. His outward appearance indicates that he has readjusted to life back in the US but this incident shows that he is still living in Iraq.

He and I have talked about some of his experiences but now I realize that there are many stories I haven't heard and may never hear.

Wedding

We've come full circle. An engagement, October of 2003. A breakup that almost ended it all in February 2004. Reconciliation in March. And now a wedding in December. Iraq couldn't keep them apart. They survived when so many other couples lost love forever.

The ceremony was small - only about forty attending - but it was a moving experience. It could have been bigger, it could have been extravagant but there wasn't a need. What we experienced was wonderful in it's own right.

The two of them were incredibly calm - more so than the parents.

The superintendent of the school where the ceremony was conducted officiated for them. She said that the two of them had impressed her with their concentration on marriage and not on the wedding when they had met to discuss the ceremony. They knew exactly what they wanted in life and had no idea what they wanted for a wedding.

Pictures... And more...

Pictures were done at Glamour Shots. They did a marvolous job. THeir photos are going to be fantastic.

His fiance really liked a simple piece of costume jewelry that they used during the shoot. While they visited the jewelers to have the wedding band soldered to the engagement ring I searched the entire mall for a piece like the one she wore during the shoot. Couldn't find anything close.

I stopped back and bought the one at Glamour Shots for ten dollars. When I showed it to her she was thrilled! He looked at me and said, "Man, how is it that you can upstage my $3000 diamond ring with a $10 piece of junk? Look at the money I could have saved."

Preperations

My son's fiance and I - (she is living with us) met her mother at a school which had agreed to let us use a dormitory as a location for a wedding. I know, you're thinking a school, a dorm - what kind of wedding will this be?

Well, the building was built before the turn of the century and is made of stone, grand columns support a porch on the front. The floors inside the foyer are marble and a grand staircase rises from the foyer to the second floor. This is the perfect setting for a wedding.

The three of us were given a "tour" by a secretary. We then stood in front of the staircase and she asked us if we wanted to be there early on Monday, the day of the wedding, to decorate. Her mother said there would be no decorations.

Later, the secretary phoned me. There would be decorations. She had decided, after hearing our story of Iraq and it's affects on them, to call a greenhouse and a rental business to ask for donations. Both businesses came through.

My sister and her husband offered their beautiful home as a reception hall. I went to the grocery store and ordered a cake. My son and I stopped at the clothiers and picked out suits. The bride and her mother went gown shopping. Things started to fall into place quickly.

Meeting

We met at her parents home. Dinner and wine. It was nice though not really too relaxing. We were all on pins and needles...

After the meal we sat down to discuss "the problem". There was nothing to discuss. Her father basically apoligized to them and said that they would support her decision to marry our son. He asked her what date would work best.

She said, "The 20th."

We had only four days to plan a wedding...

I Get Lost

I'm sorry.
Why should I say I'm sorry?
If I hurt you,
You know you've hurt me too.

But you get lost inside your tears,
And there is nothing I can do,
'Cause I get lost inside my fear
That I am nothing without you.

You're angry.
Why shouldn't you be angry?
With what we've been through,
Well I get angry too.

Eric Clapton

Argument

It was an argument - as is usually the case - that almost ended their wedding plans. She told him that they should wait until after the first of the year because her parents would lose money if they married before. Our son couldn't wait until after the first of the year. He had to be back in Fort Lewis on Jan 3rd - there just wasn't time after the 1st and before the 3rd. He told her they would have to wait until the summer of 2006 when he'd be out of the Army.

Argument.

He left her at her parents home - both upset, both wrestling with how to make their dream come true.

She called me. Calmly she told me that they had argued about the wedding date. Calmly she told me that he had left. Then she broke down and cried. She said that she loves him and doesn't want to lose him. And at that point her words were lost in sobs.

I told her that I would "make" him call her when he returned home. How I'd do this I had no idea...

Just before he came home (he had gone out to a resteraunt to eat a bite and think) his fiance knocked on our door. When he arrived they went to the family room to "discuss" the situation.

We gave them the space they needed to work things out. Then she talked to my wife and me, alone, to ask us to help her make their dream come true. I went with her to talk to the two of them. Hearing the entire story, I sensed that her parents were using whatever means they could to prevent their marriage.

Phone Call at Dinner

Tonight when we sat down to eat her cell rang. She answered, talked at the table for a couple minutes and then went downstairs to talk. She was gone ten minutes. When she came back she was a totally changed person. Quiet, tense, wouldn't look up from her plate.

When we were about finished eating she said, "I suppose I should tell you what my dad said." Somehow I knew it was mom or dad on the phone. "My dad wants us to wait until next year to get married because it will cost him $3500 if I get married this year." And then the tears welled up in her eyes.

My wife looked at me and asked, "What does he mean by that?"

I said, "Tax deduction."

The announcement sort of put a damper on the evening. My wife tried to brighten the mood by saying that my sister wanted to have everybody over for drinks and a little food after the ceremony.

Our guest didn't look up from the table and said, "Well I doubt that my parents will come. They'll be too busy." Then she looked up at my wife and said, "I'm serious."

Let It Grow

I'm standin' at the crossroads
tryin' to read the signs
to tell me which way I should
go to find the answer
and all the time I know
plant your love and let it grow.

Let it grow, let it grow,
let it blossom, let it flow.
In the sun and in the snow
love is lovely, let it grow.

Thanks Clapton

Determined

This isn't the only word to describe her. She's caring, loving, funny and sometimes displays a wisdom that is older than her years. I am referring to our sons fiance.

She wants to marry him and she is determined not to wait. She wants to get married before our son returns to Fort Lewis. She wants to marry him in December. My wife and I are happy for them and wish them all the best. Waiting until the time is right seems like the logical thing to do but when is love ever logical?

Almost since the day he arrived back in the US, and certainly since the day she received her new ring, she has talked about it. My son, not wanting to get his hopes up, isn't nearly as excited as she is. There have been too many times in the past when others have swayed her decisions and convinced her that another course of action was in her best interest.

I talked to her about her desire to marry now and not to wait. She has always wanted a grand wedding and to celebrate with all her friends and family - why the change in plans? To put it in the simplist terms - life is too short.

She realizes, just as my wife and I realize, that we are incredibly lucky to have him here with us. She realizes that fate could have stepped in and taken her love away from her. She is determined not to let anything stand in the way of her love for him. Now we know, but she has yet to talk to her parents...

Cart Before the Horse

They are spending a week together up north. I got a phone call from them yesterday. She said, 'Hi, we sort of put the cart before the horse."

Immediately I had visions of her being pregnant. It's amazing how quickly things fly through your head. I started trying to figure out how this could have happened - he hasn't been home all that long, etc, etc.

Then she went on to say that they had just left the store - they had to get things for the baby.
So I said, "What?!?" (I mean, really, of all the responses I could have come up with I picked a single word.)

She started giggling at that point and said, "We bought a puppy for Christmas!"

Oh my God! I think baby news would have been better at that point. They picked out a Great Dane. Seven weeks old and already larger than most normal dogs.

He got on the phone at that point and told me about how it all went down. Stopping to look at cats in the beginning and falling in love with a puppy.

"What are you going to do with a puppy? She can't keep it in the apartment and you can't keep it in the barracks."

"I called "Doc" back at Fort Lewis and he said he'd help out until we get a place of our own."
Actually, I have the distinct impression that "grandpa and grandma" will be taking care of a puppy for the next few months.

I told him that they had to get married now, they had the "kid" to think about. He laughed while I broke out in a sweat....

Christmas Leave

The three of us picked him up at the airport on Saturday afternoon. His month's leave has started! It's been two Christmases since we've all been together - this should certainly be a joyous Holiday Season.

We spent the afternoon shopping and eating. Had a good time.

When we got home we set up our Christmas tree, the two of them helping. When we were about finished he asked me to pull out some of the photos he took while in Iraq. We huddled around the lamp in the living room. He went through each of them, naming off his buddies in the photos as he went. Telling us about the photos.

I recognized some of the names, I remembered them from the casualty reports I had read. Jake Demand, Scott Thorne, Mike Oreskovic, Travis Majors.... I wanted to cry right then and there - it was all I could do to stay calm while looking at the pictures.

Jake is gone, Scott was shot in the head - partially paralyzed and still unable to speak, Mike lost an arm just below the shoulder in an explosion, and Travis was shot in the back of the neck while on patrol and is paralyzed.

Our son wears a metal bracelet on his wrist in memory of Sgt. Jacob Demand.

I don't know how he is able to handle it. I wasn't there, he was, and just seeing their photos tore me up inside. I suppose he can accept the things he knows he can not change. Maybe that's a life lesson his time in Iraq has taught him.

These memories, all of these young soldiers will be with us this Christmas - in our thoughts and prayers. Knowing that for some families this Christmas won't be as joyous as ours puts a different light on this Christmas season for me.

A True Fairy Tale?

Once upon a time in the far far away beautiful kingdom of Crakocia there lived a beautiful Princess. She was loved far and wide by all of the subjects in the kingdom. They adored her and cherished her. But the Princess wasn't truly happy. She knew that her true love was out there beyond the castle walls someplace waiting for her.

One day a brave and powerful knight rode up to the castle gates. The Princess fell immediately and totally in love with the charming knight. She had found her true love. Her one and only true love. The handsome knight courted the beautiful maiden both from near and from afar. They planned to wed and live happily ever after.

The Princess approached the King and the Queen with her wishes. The King gave his blessing somewhat reluctantly but gave it none the less.

The Queen said, "Princess, the royal clock makers love you dearly and would want to give you a gift of a beautiful clock for your new home. You can't wed until they finish your gift."

So the Princess went to the handsome knight and told him of the clock.

"I will wait." he said.

When the clock was finished the Queen again approached her daughter. "The royal carriage makers love you dearly and want to give you a beautiful carriage as a wedding gift. You can't wed until the carriage is finished."

So the Princess went to the handsome knight and told him of the carriage.

"I will wait." he said.

When the carriage was completed the Queen again addressed the Princess. "Daughter, the royal book binders love you dearly and want to give you a beautiful gilded book as a wedding gift. You can't be wed until the gilded book is finished."

So the Princess went to the handsome knight and told him of the gilded book.

"I will wait." he said.

This went one for quite some time. As one gift would be finished, another would be started. The years slowly passed. All the while the handsome knight waited. He waited and waited.

One cold rainy day vagabonds and villains attacked the knight on his way to the castle to check on the progress of the newest gift. The handsome knight was gravely wounded in the battle. He died before anyone could come to his aid.

The Princess was told of the knights death. She stood crying alone in the great castle jealously and selfishly loved and cherished by all those who surrounded her but not ever knowing true love in the arms of her handsome knight. She had waited too. Waited, trying to please everyone and all. The citizens of Crakocia rejoiced because they still had their beautiful Princess to love and cherish. But in spite of all the love that surrounded her there would never be rejoicing in the heart of the beautiful Princess. She lived un-happily ever after.

The End

Happiness Is Always Put On Hold

He and I had a talk about whether or not marriage would happen for them in the near future. She's told us that she wants to marry him and marry him soon. She doesn't want to wait. But he says he's heard it before. And everytime he's heard it there ends up being a reason that it isn't to happen.

It's always an objection from her parents (they are opposed to her marrying) - first it's we have vacation that month, then it's your brothers graduation or grandma can't be there that weekend. The "excuses" go on and on.

She has always tried to please her parents, do what they want her to do. Always doing what she could to make them happy, never considering her own happiness.

B'day Surprise!

Her birthday is the 20th of November. He would ask her what she wanted for her birthday. He said he'd get her just about anything she wanted. Each time he asked she would say that all she wanted for her birthday was for him to be there. And each time she asked he told her it wouldn't work out - that he couldn't get the time off. He was already getting the month of December off - they wouldn't let him have any more time.

He was lying. He already had a three day weekend set up for the weekend of the 20th. He called and asked for our help. He wanted someone to meet him at the airport with his car at 6AM Friday morning so that he could leave from there and go directly to Fargo/Moorhead. His Aunt and I volunteered to be at the airport at 6AM.

Since he had never been to the apartment, and we had been, I also drew him a detailed map of the complex where she lives so that he would know exactly where he could find her.

He arrived in Fargo at about 10 AM, pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and called her cell phone. He woke her up (no classes Friday) and chatted a little - they do that every day. Then he said, "Can you come down and unlock the door, I'm getting a little cold." She told him to stop teasing because it made her feel bad. He said, "I'm not."

She said that she was never so happy as when she looked out the window and saw him in the parking lot standing next to his car. To her no one could have looked better. Black leather jacket, cool red Mustang convertible and a smile as wide as the sky on his face. Her birthday wish had come true. He had crossed half a continent to celebrate her birthday with her.

Is that cool or what?....

Desert Rose

Poem written in Oct 2004 by a Medic from Stryker Brigade for his wife. It was written during the rise in violence just before the Strykers came home.

Desert Rose
I stood today and faced my doom;
looked death straight in the eye.
And as I stood and held my own
the fear would not subside.
Though I was scared I shook not once,
despite the circumstance.
Cause miles away a woman waits
for another lover's dance.
With this in mind how could I fall
and not return back home?
And not go back to that perfect world
that we now call our own.
As shots rang out my mind was filled
with thoughts of only her.
Her hair, her smell, her perfect lips
turned war into a blur.
Soon it stopped and peace returned,
I looked to God above.
And thanked my Lord for one more day
for me to be in love.
As we turned and started back
ruins were all I saw,
except in one small piece of earth where a single rose grew tall.
I stared in wonder of how such beauty
could thrive in all this waste.
And as I stared a single tear
ran down my war scarred face.
It finally occurred to me
no matter how hard the fight
There is always one bright ray of light
even in the darkest night.
That's what you are to me my dear
you are my ray of light.
You're love, you're hope, you're happiness,
you're everything I know.
You're the only thing I want and need,
You are my desert rose.
- By docmauney

Fort Lewis - Day Five, There's going to be a Wedding

It's Saturday. We go home today. Our visit has been much too short. But our departure won't be like the last time we parted ways. The last time the three of us stayed behind and sent him away - to a place we didn't want him to be. This time we all know that we will see each other again and very soon.

What would you do on that last day? Well, based on how this day turned out, you'd shop. I suppose it was the right thing to do. A way to be together, (plus a chance to be apart) and also a way to be entertained.

The highlight of the day? I guess I would have to say it was the jewelry store. We separated from them at one point and after a long walk through the mall and more than a little shopping I called him.

"Where are you?"
"In a store."
"What store."
"Don't know, I'm inside and can't see the sign."
"What are you looking at?"
"Girl stuff."

I'd had enough of "twenty questions" at that point. So I said, "Talk to you in a bit." and hung up.

My wife asks, "Where are they?"
"He didn't want to say."
"I just bet they're in a jewelry store."

I remembered seeing four jewelry stores located at the exact center of the mall where the "spokes" crossed. We went searching for our missing partners. They're not in any of the four. So I called again.

"Where are you?"
"Coming down the hall. We can see you."

We hooked up a few seconds later and decided to leave the mall. Outside in the car we were introduced to a new diamond ring which looked surprisingly like the old diamond ring. And it was easy to make the comparison since she now had a diamond ring on each hand. (Long story short - the new diamond ring is meant to reaffirm his love that he gave to her with the first ring over a year before. Are they engaged? I think so.) We went to Starbucks to have a cup of coffee, talk about diamonds and relax a little.

Well, looking at that new diamond ring set my wife off. We sat at Starbucks talking about the new ring for about a half hour. With our "untrained eyes" my wife and I could see no real difference between the new and the old. I don't remember the exact conversation but at the end it went like this, "This just isn't right. We need to go back to the mall. We need to take care of something."

We parked at the mall, marched back in and made our way to the jewelry store which was hidden down one of the "spokes". The young lady who waited on Jake and Nicole introduced herself. Again, I don't remember the exact words but they went something like this, "My son is back to buy a bigger diamond."

So to summarize, the jewelry store took in two diamonds as a trade-in, my son was a few thousand dollars poorer, his fiance ended up a few thousand times happier, my wife was the heroine and the end result had me in a daze. Must be new math because I still can't follow the entire transaction without getting a headache. And the sales girl was ecstatic - she sold a ring and an upgrade all in the space of an afternoon.

I pulled him aside and asked if he was OK with spending "considerably" more money.

"Yeah, we actually looked at the diamond we just bought when we were here before. She didn't want it - said it was too much to spend. Guess mom changed her mind, huh?"

Looking over at his fiance we could both see that mom had done exactly that.

I wish them all the best and as much happiness as my wife and I have. And after having survived the past year I think their relationship can handle anything the world can throw at them.

Fort Lewis - Day Four

Luck? I don't know. Some might say so. I don't gamble, probably because I don't really believe all that much in "luck".

But read this and then you tell me.

Is it luck when an AK-47 round embeds itself in the fiberglass lip of a Stryker hatch - only an inch from the edge - just where the back of your neck is usually exposed in the open hatch?

Is it luck when a piece of shrapnel flies through an open hatch, grazing your ear, but causing no other injury?

Is it luck when a mortar round impacts close to your position and you hear the buzzing of the metal and the pings the pieces make as they bounce off your surroundings?

Is it luck when an IED explodes along side your Stryker, almost tipping it over, nearly destroying it and you drive away unharmed? And then to have it happen not just once but three more times?

Four near misses from IED attacks. Six major fire fights. Countless mortar and rocket attacks - averaging one a night and sometimes two or three a night, and they come raining down during the day too. And small arms fire - which happens all the time - day and night.

Luck? No, it can't be. There has to be somebody watching out for you.

The stories are "incredible" and I heard some of them just after seeing the new Pixar movie, "The Incredibles", with three of the people I love most in this world.

I also learned something about the amazing resilience of the human spirit today. All of these things happened to an un-imposing young man who can now sit in a movie theater smiling and laughing - enjoying himself - holding hands with his girl. I really don't know if I could behave the same way and to be honest I'm afraid to even try.

Fort Lewis - Day Three, Quotes

"Can you see the mountain from the Fort?" - Then with a smile, "No, I'm on the wrong side of the barracks."

"Really, it was only a scratch. Really, just a scratch..."

"Look there's the mountain! - (then in chorus) "Oh Pretty!!"

"On ramps still make me nervous."

"Toyota pickups make me nervous too."

"When we got back I pulled an AK round out of the lip of the hatch."

"I've never felt more lucky."

"Don't stay in one place more than 20 minutes - you will draw fire."

Mount Rainer - Fort Lewis View

Fort Lewis - Mount Rainer

Fort Lewis - Day Two

As the day begins the dense fog of early morning in the Pacific Northwest turns to sunshine.

The fog slowly lifts from the landscape and floats inland. Silently the white cloak lifts from the hillsides. Little wisps of white curl around the tops of the trees like mare's tails. And then vanish.
The day dawns bright, clouds behind the solitary mountain off in the distance look like mountains in the sky themselves. Mount Rainer draped in a shawl of pure white snow blends almost ghost like into a late autumn sky. The air is crisp and clean with just a faint scent of pine.

He had tapped my shoulder in the darkness of the hotel room just ten minutes before and said, "Let's go." And so we went. It was time to take him back to Lewis.

I had already decided to wait. To wait and not ask any questions. If he wanted to talk about his experiences I'd let him do so at his own pace - or not at all if that was the case.

And we talked a little during the ride to the Fort. Not long stories really - just a father and son chatting as they drove. Hearing what he had to say I realized again how very lucky we were that he was there in the car talking to me. So thankful that things hadn't turned out differently.

The conversation is almost matter-of-fact. Like it's no big deal. But there had been so many close calls. So many times we were just millimeters away from a different chain of events.

One story sticks in my mind. An early morning mortar attack on the FOB (Forward Operating Base) in Mosul. The first mortar round strikes nearby as they wait for the days orders. None of the men milling about the Strykers wearing Kevlar. The first impact and explosion, very nearby, sends men scrambling for their vehicles, their Strykers. He slides into the drivers seat and rises up to grab the handle to close the hatch. Just then a second mortar round impacts directly in front of his Stryker - directly in front of him. "Whump" it explodes in dust, dirt and jagged flying metal. No bright red flames, no blinding flash like the movies - just dirt and dust.

With a buzz metal hurtles through the air in all directions. One piece of shrapnel speeds directly towards the raised hatch - faster than the blink of an eye. And before he can slam the hatch shut the hot metal strikes him in the right ear. It hits only the edge of his ear but begins to bleed profusely.

"No big deal" - he says.

"Really just a scratch" - he says.

He even finds the piece of metal on the floor of the Stryker later in the day and throws it away. Only a scratch.

He hadn't actually said it, but I knew we were both thinking it. Just an inch to the left could have been fatal. Or at the very least, could have proved life transforming. An inch, maybe less, could have meant the difference between sitting with him in the car just then and not sitting with him ever again. Thinking about that possibility causes my heart to constrict in my chest even now.

He laughs - sort of a chuckle. Smiling that smile I know so well, that sparkle in his eye. Purple Heart? Yeah, right. He didn't even mention it to his superiors. He says that injuries like this disgrace the medal, they take away from the respect a recipient of the medal deserves. But an inch could have meant the medal would have been awarded to him posthumously and that's something neither of us would have wanted.

Then out of the corner of my eye I see him reach up and lightly touch the small scar on his ear. We drive on towards the Fort - both lost in our own thoughts.

Fort Lewis - Day One

We're here! We are in Washington state.

When we flew in the sky was overcast and it was raining. He called shortly after our plane landed. There are a lot of things that need to fall into place before we can see him. Baggage, shuttle bus, rental car, hotel room (the girls want to freshen up) and a Fort Lewis vehicle pass. I check things off the list one by one and in the proper order. We get our bags, catch the shuttle, pick up the car and check into the hotel. (Nice place. Two rooms, two Queen beds plus a sofa sleeper, which is actually more comfortable than an Army bed.) Every thing goes down without a hitch. Until...

We arrive at the Fort Lewis Visitor Center. Entering the parking lot we see row after row of parked cars. I had heard stories about the dreaded Visitor Center and they were all about to come true.

Entering the building we see a mass of people crammed into the tiny space. I ask the guy closest to the door how long the wait has been. He tells me he's been there an hour and a half already. Passes are processed in order of importance. Military in uniform get preference, followed by other government employees and out of uniform military personnel (with the proper ID). Being a civilian I can expect to wait at least two hours if not more. Security requires two forms of photo ID before they will issue a vehicle pass. (I brought my Passport for just that reason.) They only allow access to two of the Fort gates, so pick the right ones.

I "take a number" and the waiting starts. Guys in uniform come through the door, take a number and wait only a few minutes. We wait. A few others with proper credentials come in and are processed quickly. Still we wait. Military not in uniform are getting increasingly frustrated because they too have a long wait in front of them and they complain to security. And still we wait. Occasionally, families with smiles on their faces hear there number called and move up to the security window. We wait on.

Our sons girlfriend goes to work with her cell phone - trying to get in touch with him. Across the room we see a guy who looks a little bit like him but our hopes are dashed when we realize it's not him. Then she makes contact. "We have to wait at least a couple hours for a pass," she says. "I'll find a way to get there - just hang on," he tells her. Soldier to the rescue - that is his job, right?

We wait. It's nearly three miles from the front gate to his barracks. Feeling confined inside the Visitor Center she goes outside to wait for our son. My wife and I continue to wait inside. Luckily, he finds a ride. My wife keeps an eye on the parking lot and a few minutes later sees the two of them coming up the sidewalk. He's dressed in civvies but does have a military ID so maybe our wait will be shortened. He can take a number and sponsor us which will increase our chances of being called.

We go outside. Hugs all around, a few wipes at eyes brimming with tears and then we re-enter the center. Looking at the crowd he says, "Let's leave. We can come back later. Hopefully it won't be as busy." (I'm all for that.) He wants to put some distance between himself and the base and he wants to do it as quickly as possible. So we leave.

Everyone's hungry so we find an Olive Garden and eat a late lunch, early dinner. Waste a little time at the Puyallup Mall and go back to the hotel. Late in the evening - and I mean late - we head back to the Visitor Center and make another attempt at securing a pass. There are still people waiting - though not very many. Our wait is fifteen minutes. We get a four day vehicle pass and enter the Fort.

He was expecting to be dropped off at that point and we'd see him the next day.
I said, "Not a chance, pack some things. You're coming with us."
"I have to be back here by 5:30 tomorrow morning."
"Fine, I'll drive you back. No problem."

With that settled, we return to the hotel.

Band of Brothers - Operation Iraqi Freedom

Band of Brothers

'nuf said...

Facing a New Fight

The final numbers aren't in yet but the indication is that over 250 Stryker Brigade Soldiers were wounded and 15 killed during the past year - and the numbers are probably really much higher. Twenty eight of those wounded and four of the dead are from the 1-14 Cavalry - a group of men only 400 strong. Homecoming is bitter sweet for the men leaving Kuwait today. They have lost friends in combat and watched many of their wounded buddies "evac" to Germany and the US during the past months.

They face a new fight now. They have to adjust to a new way of life and for many it will be an uphill battle. These men haven't walked down a city street in almost a year without a weapon in their hands and a platoon of armed men with them. They haven't passed a civilian on the street without first giving thought to how they will defend themselves if things turn hostile. They have spent nearly every waking hour dressed in a Kevlar vest and helmet. They will feel exposed and defenseless for weeks, if not months, to come.

Stryker drivers have to un-learn twelve months of defensive driving. Toyota pickups coming down on-ramps to the Interstate will cause vivid memories to replay in their minds. They have to forget about the jack rabbit starts and the overly wide turns on corners. They have to learn how to stop planning the least dangerous way of extracting themselves from the center of a city. A habit of passing cars parked on the curb by using the oncoming lane has to be overcome.

Sleeping. These men are conditioned to perform on as little as four hours a night of sleep, for weeks on end. Catching forty winks when they can. Many won't adjust sleep patterns for months and some will always and forever wake in the middle of the night because of dreams that won't go away. Reaching out in the dark for a carbine that is usually right beside them and then momentarily panicking when it's not there.

The deployment is over but their fight may not be.