Well, just as I start many of my posts, sorrrry for not posting in a while. As you each can imagine, I have been enjoying life at home with Tiffany, playing with our dogs, house projects, traveling to see family, family traveling to see us, and just adjusting back to what we call normal life. I started back with work in the beginning of December, and things are going well there. It was nice to be received with open arms by everyone I came in contact with. Other than someone stealing the 'support our troops' magnets off the back of my truck, I have not had any bad experiences as I adjust to life not in Iraq. I like being able to see my wife feel safe and enjoy tasks that I used to find annoying like taking out the trash (well, maybe just less annoying, haha).
Christmas and New Years were excellent holidays that I feel unbelievably blessed to have experienced at home. But as enjoyable as they were, I could not fully engulf myself in happiness because of thoughts about fallen brothers in my unit. As Christmas morning came, how did the children of those troops cope as they wished to have the best Christmas present ever waiting by the tree (their Dad back)? Their homes are far from empty because of the many angles who flock to their pain. But, it is pain nonetheless, and those endless hugs from Dad now only take the form of a memory, rather than reality. If Tiffany and I are blessed with children in our future, then those quick hugs at the soccer field after a loss, or just before a prom, take new meaning to me, and I already plan to hold on that much longer. When the ball dropped on new years, were the grieving families smiling even a little bit? I hope so, and pray that smiles pried themselves out due to the memory of their fallen hero.
While in Iraq, my squadron experienced the loss of six Soldiers. I have written about most of them in this blog site, but feel the need to share their names and memory again with you all. Here is a picture that lists the Soldiers who were killed in our area of operations before my unit arrived. One picture is of our Squadron Commander, who was saluting a memorial set up for a fallen troop.
This next picture found its way as my background at work, and will probably be there for some time. It lists the guys from my squadron who died during our tour. The first one is Staff Sergeant Eric M. Steffeney. He was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal expert, and routinely saved the lives of troops in my unit. He was attached to us
from the 82nd Airborne Division, and is ______ missed by his wife Theresa, children, and other family members. If I just wrote 'missed' then I feel that I would be understating the feeling. Also, I can't just plug in words like 'immensely' or 'incredibly' before 'missed' because it simply is not something that I can understand. Only those who live day to day without their loved one understands, so if you or someone you know is quick with words like, 'I understand', then please be careful. Neither you nor I fully understand that pain. After Eric was killed, the makeshift street near where he stayed was named after him. Also he was the first in our FOB's Memorial Garden, which stands next to the chapel. Rest in Peace SSG, 23 February 2005.
Thank you Eric for your life and service to our country..
The next Soldier in the Memorial Garden was another troop who's smile lite up the room. Sergeant Paul W. Thomason III was a Soldier that I met while riding the roads in Iraq. One day I met him, had a great conversation about things other than being in Iraq, and then two weeks later he was gone. I found myself having to talk to people about the loss and fortunately I had an excellent troop Commander that I reported to. SGT Thomason was one of his troops as well and we spoke about the letter that he wrote to Paul's family. This Commander knew his troops, and after Paul was killed, this Captain (now Major) had a facial expression that I had never seen before. It was an expression of pain, anguish, worry, anger, and fear of losing even more troops. The Commander told me that out of all of the things he had done in Iraq, writing the letter to his family was by far the hardest. Like Eric, Paul has multiple children who now live without a Father who was so loving. Rest in Peace SGT, 20 March 2005.
Thank you Paul for your life and service to our country..
Staff Sergeant Mark O. Edwards was a friend of my Executive Officer. We got word that he died in his sleep. I still do not know the details of why it happened, but it simply happened, and the mourning began. We hope and pray that it was painless, and he went softly into the arms God. Our Executive Officer, a fellow Lieutenant, spoke of how great Mark was, and how much he will miss him. I never met Mark, but heard that he was a great Soldier. Rest in Peace SSG, 9 June 2005.
Thank you Mark for your life and service to our country...
The next three Soldiers died within seconds of each other. Staff Sergeant Asbury "Freddie" Hawn II, Sergeant Shannon D. Taylor, and Specialist Gary L. Taylor Jr. were killed in the same attack, which shocked my platoon. We could not at first believe that three were killed. We wanted to keep asking, "Are you sure it is not one killed and two injured?", or some variation of that question. Once the confirmation came that it was three who died, then again reality hit even harder about where we were. Various guys in my platoon had IEDs blow up near them or mortar rounds land less than 50 meters near them, but none were killed. I even had one incident in which a suicide car bomber blew up behind the vehicle I was in. Fortunately our gunner was not killed, and we checked on each other after the blast shook our vehicle. So, it hits home in my heart and mind that I could have joined these great Soldiers in the afterlife. As I still have eight years till my twenty (retirement), I still face the reality of being in the enemy's sights. Well, we all need to never forget that even at home, we are in their sights. They don't care if they kill children, the elderly, a Colonel, or a Private. The bravery of these fallen Soldiers still amazes me, and what is more amazing is how God holds them and us in His hands. Rest in Peace SSG, SGT and SPC 14 August 2005.
Thank you Freddie for your life and service to our country..
Thank you Shannon for your life and service to our country..
Thank you Gary for your life and service to our country..
SGT Kevin Downs was in the vehicle when Freddie, Shannon, and Gary died. Kevin was blown clear out of the vehicle. When we heard about his condition, the word was that he had two broken legs, a broken arm, broken pelvis, and 60% of his body was burned. If you want to read how Kevin is doing, please visit http://scadvocate.com/kevin_downs.htm. His medical status has improved, and we pray that he continues to make major strides towards recovery.
Thank you Kevin for driving through the pain of recovery, and being such a strong Soldier. Those in the US who never really feel the pains that pay for freedom owe you so much. You and all the other Soldiers who were injured or killed have absorbed the pains (cost) of freedom. Even though you are enlisted and I am an officer, I salute YOU first for who you are..
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” --Thomas Jefferson.
I still have difficulties with this quote, but feel that is disappointingly true...
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