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.
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.
posted by deesci | 1:48 AM
1 Comments:
I hope you're still tracking comments because we'd very much like to see those photos you mentioned of Scott Thorne, et al. Please e-mail me at stevethorne27@yahoo.com if you would? Thanks.
Steve Thorne
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