Farewell

I drove him back to his barracks the evening before I had to start back to Minnesota with his car. Now I truly understand why my wife couldn't come on this trip - we had already said our "good byes" and our "stay safes" back in Minnesota when he came home to propose to his girl. She said she couldn't do it again - it was just too hard.

He and I sat in the car talking for a little bit. When we got out he opened the trunk to take out his gear. We shook hands, I gave him a hug and told him to stay safe and come home to us.

With that, I got back in his car and started it. As I pulled away down the street outside the barracks I looked in the rearview mirror. The image I saw will forever be embedded in my brain. There he was, standing with his helmet in one hand and his vest in the other, watching me drive away.

As I turned the corner I looked over my shoulder one last time. He stood in the middle of the street - a dark lonely form just at the edge of the light from the street lamp. He was still standing there as I drove out of sight.