I just watched the flash presentation that 50shooter posted. I encourage everyone to take alook at it. http://www.justinbuist.org/flash/WeSupportU.swf
This past thursday I was talking with the parental unit. My dad told me that they went to an event to honor a local war hero. More on that a bit later. I know that there are those on this board who have been in wars and conflicts. To you I say thank you. Thank you for allowing me to continue to live in such a way that I realy have no worries. Hakuna Matata all the way.
I, like many of us have seen the news footoge of Iraq and Afganastan. We say our prayers for the guys and gals over there. Maybe we do some volunteering etc. etc. I also know that there are folks here that do a lot more than that and have a personal stake in the war wether it be a father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle.... I don't have such a personal stake such as that...Or so I thought.
If you'll allow me to endulge a bit further....
There was a little boy in Colorado, who was doing a school project. This school project was to send a little note to a soilder that was injured and now back on US soil or even still out in the field. This little boy asked his teacher if he could turn in his card the next day because he had something at home that he wanted to include in his card. The next day the little boy pulled out a small desk flag and started to attach it to the card. The teacher asked where he got it. The little boy said that his father gave it to him to rember him when he was deployed. The teacher called his parents up (his dad was on his way back) to see if this is what the boy realy wanted to do. Both his parents said if this is what he wanted to do then it is ok. When the teacher asked the boy if this is what he realy wanted to do his reply was: " he needs it more than I do" he being a wounded soilder.
Well this card got to its destination. When the soilder heard the story of the flag he had one request. He was going to take it home to show his family that this is what it is all about. Then he wanted to return the flag to the little boy. As you can imagine the flag was returned to the little boy. He did not want it. The soilder needs it more than I he still said. Some time had passed and the boys father was called up again. But this time the father said that the flag was not going with him or staying home. The flag (as far as I know) was sent back to the wounded soilder. The writer of this article said that this will mostlikly be an ongoing thing between these two families.
Back to the war hero that was being honored....
It turns out that my buddy in highschool was the one being honored. He was given the Bronze star and was also awarded the Purple Heart. I asked my dad if he was sure that this was my friend. Last I saw him he was in Germany a warrant officer and was planning on staying there.
When my dad started telling me why he got the awards I was stunned, scarred, worried, and proud all at once. I then spent the next 4 hours scouring the net to find any inforomation that I could. That's where I found the above story of the little boy and the wounded soilder.
A few days before the 507th out of FT BLiss TX was deployed, my buddy was reassigned to that unit. He's a Staff Sgt. I'm sure that everyone knows the story of Pfc Jessica Lynch. Well it's been over ayear since that incident and I guess it's taken this long for me to realize how close to home that was.
My buddy was in the second group that was seperated from the main convoy. He was shot 4 times. Once in the thigh, once in the upper arm (that has caused him to loose the function of that arm), once in the wrist, and once in the finger. ( he kinda chuckles about the finger wound)
They (government) say the firefight lasted from 60 -90 mins. The group had about 11 people in it. Luckily (or not?) all of the vehicles either broke down or was shot up enough where they all stopped about in the same spots. He and another Sgt. were able to set up a perimiter and defend it untill they thought they couldn't anymore. I'm guseeing things died down a bit because he heard a famillar sound. The others in the group wanted to stay put but he urged them to listen also. It was the sound of an Abrhams tank. He got up and started walking and got the others to start walking too. They walked about half a mile where they met up with a marine group who was sent to rescue them. When he saw the marines coming down the road he said that he took a knee and then realized that he'd been shot (he was patched up while they were in a ditch but the adrenaline was going 100 miles an hour)
A side note: The marines were supposed to take out three bridges going into
Nasiriyah. They had to add another objective. Save who they could of the 507th. While doing this they took many casualties.
This is the third offensive that has taken place in my lifetime. I've always had the utmost respect for those who fought for my freedom. There are times when I thought that if I skipped my Sr. year of highschool I could have signed right up and been in desert storm. There are times I wish I could sign up now.
I've always admired those of my grandfathers day and age those of the "Greatest Generation" and of my fathers through the Vietnam era. Since these people were family and were there I had a personal stake. It became harder to feel the same way about my generation. Yeah I knew some folks that fought in desert storm, but only in passing.
Like I said it's been over a year since my buddy went through what he did. Not to say that I've haddent had respect or reverance for those who fought in these most recent conflicts. But now I realize that I know someone, personally. Some one who I spent 6 years with getting to know. It's personal now. I'm sure everyone on this board can relate to this in some form or fashion.
I'm waiting on my dad to send me the article from the little city paper that covered the award ceromony. I'm hopping that It will have some info where I can get in touch with my buddy so I can personally thank him.
So back up to the subject line......Have you thanked a vet at alll?
I know of one here on the boards OEFVET. Thank you Frank.
To all the others that I don't know but hope to one day. Thank You.
And if anyone knows Stf. Sgt. Tarik Jackson of the 507th Maintenance Company. Let him know he's got a thank you comming too.
Thanks for endulging
Dave
This past thursday I was talking with the parental unit. My dad told me that they went to an event to honor a local war hero. More on that a bit later. I know that there are those on this board who have been in wars and conflicts. To you I say thank you. Thank you for allowing me to continue to live in such a way that I realy have no worries. Hakuna Matata all the way.
I, like many of us have seen the news footoge of Iraq and Afganastan. We say our prayers for the guys and gals over there. Maybe we do some volunteering etc. etc. I also know that there are folks here that do a lot more than that and have a personal stake in the war wether it be a father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle.... I don't have such a personal stake such as that...Or so I thought.
If you'll allow me to endulge a bit further....
There was a little boy in Colorado, who was doing a school project. This school project was to send a little note to a soilder that was injured and now back on US soil or even still out in the field. This little boy asked his teacher if he could turn in his card the next day because he had something at home that he wanted to include in his card. The next day the little boy pulled out a small desk flag and started to attach it to the card. The teacher asked where he got it. The little boy said that his father gave it to him to rember him when he was deployed. The teacher called his parents up (his dad was on his way back) to see if this is what the boy realy wanted to do. Both his parents said if this is what he wanted to do then it is ok. When the teacher asked the boy if this is what he realy wanted to do his reply was: " he needs it more than I do" he being a wounded soilder.
Well this card got to its destination. When the soilder heard the story of the flag he had one request. He was going to take it home to show his family that this is what it is all about. Then he wanted to return the flag to the little boy. As you can imagine the flag was returned to the little boy. He did not want it. The soilder needs it more than I he still said. Some time had passed and the boys father was called up again. But this time the father said that the flag was not going with him or staying home. The flag (as far as I know) was sent back to the wounded soilder. The writer of this article said that this will mostlikly be an ongoing thing between these two families.
Back to the war hero that was being honored....
It turns out that my buddy in highschool was the one being honored. He was given the Bronze star and was also awarded the Purple Heart. I asked my dad if he was sure that this was my friend. Last I saw him he was in Germany a warrant officer and was planning on staying there.
When my dad started telling me why he got the awards I was stunned, scarred, worried, and proud all at once. I then spent the next 4 hours scouring the net to find any inforomation that I could. That's where I found the above story of the little boy and the wounded soilder.
A few days before the 507th out of FT BLiss TX was deployed, my buddy was reassigned to that unit. He's a Staff Sgt. I'm sure that everyone knows the story of Pfc Jessica Lynch. Well it's been over ayear since that incident and I guess it's taken this long for me to realize how close to home that was.
My buddy was in the second group that was seperated from the main convoy. He was shot 4 times. Once in the thigh, once in the upper arm (that has caused him to loose the function of that arm), once in the wrist, and once in the finger. ( he kinda chuckles about the finger wound)
They (government) say the firefight lasted from 60 -90 mins. The group had about 11 people in it. Luckily (or not?) all of the vehicles either broke down or was shot up enough where they all stopped about in the same spots. He and another Sgt. were able to set up a perimiter and defend it untill they thought they couldn't anymore. I'm guseeing things died down a bit because he heard a famillar sound. The others in the group wanted to stay put but he urged them to listen also. It was the sound of an Abrhams tank. He got up and started walking and got the others to start walking too. They walked about half a mile where they met up with a marine group who was sent to rescue them. When he saw the marines coming down the road he said that he took a knee and then realized that he'd been shot (he was patched up while they were in a ditch but the adrenaline was going 100 miles an hour)
A side note: The marines were supposed to take out three bridges going into
Nasiriyah. They had to add another objective. Save who they could of the 507th. While doing this they took many casualties.
This is the third offensive that has taken place in my lifetime. I've always had the utmost respect for those who fought for my freedom. There are times when I thought that if I skipped my Sr. year of highschool I could have signed right up and been in desert storm. There are times I wish I could sign up now.
I've always admired those of my grandfathers day and age those of the "Greatest Generation" and of my fathers through the Vietnam era. Since these people were family and were there I had a personal stake. It became harder to feel the same way about my generation. Yeah I knew some folks that fought in desert storm, but only in passing.
Like I said it's been over a year since my buddy went through what he did. Not to say that I've haddent had respect or reverance for those who fought in these most recent conflicts. But now I realize that I know someone, personally. Some one who I spent 6 years with getting to know. It's personal now. I'm sure everyone on this board can relate to this in some form or fashion.
I'm waiting on my dad to send me the article from the little city paper that covered the award ceromony. I'm hopping that It will have some info where I can get in touch with my buddy so I can personally thank him.
So back up to the subject line......Have you thanked a vet at alll?
I know of one here on the boards OEFVET. Thank you Frank.
To all the others that I don't know but hope to one day. Thank You.
And if anyone knows Stf. Sgt. Tarik Jackson of the 507th Maintenance Company. Let him know he's got a thank you comming too.
Thanks for endulging
Dave
