Talking to myself again; I don't think anybody listens

Well, one son is back from Iraq and my oldest is leaving for the same place January 3rd, 05. That oldest is trying to get home for Christmas, (his training site is in lock down and no one can leave) but each minute makes it more doubtful. His oldest daughter; well if he doesn't make it will be devistated. Just another episode of dissapointments and heartache in her young life of 10 years. He is a volunteer for this mission, which makes it more tough. If he hadn't had a choice we could accept the fact easier that he had to be gone for a year out of their life, like our younger son had to do. I'm still proud of his volunteeism, but if I had to make the call, I would keep him close to the ones who really need him.

Going back to my youngest son. He returned from Iraq after a year to his family. The wounds he received when his Stryker went over a cliff near Tal Afar have healed, but there are visible scars that he will have the rest of his life. Now he has been called to perform a a task which will take a psycological toll more severe than anything he went through in Mosul. He has been assigned to casuality assistance. Most of the thirteen killed and the many wounded were from Task Force Olympia , were in the dining hall that he once ate. Now he has to help notify the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, spouses, brothers and sisters of those casualties and help them get the assistance they need in this time of grief.

I just recently lost a very good friend. He was 56; six years my junior. Driving home one Friday evening, he had a major heart attack, went off the road and hit a pole. Not a mark on his body. Autopsy showed he never knew he hit the pole. If I could design a man with the compasion of a saint, love of family and friends without reserve, respect of peers and acquaintances, looks of a greek god, and finese of a perfectionist it would be John. John and I retired at the same time. We both were at the Buick City complex to the end. We hadn't gotten together for a while. 3 days before he died, I was thinking of giving him a call to get together. Moral: don't put anything off that is important. John left his high school sweetheart who he married, 3 beautiful daughters and 7 grandchildren; and me.

Me alone.
Tom and Linda

Tom and Linda
Tom and Linda

A Year

365 days ago it seemed so long. Now it is around the corner.

Almost a year ago, Linda and I took off across the United States, westbound to spend time with Patrick our youngest son, his wife Esther and our precious littlest granddaughter, Isabella (Belly). We took the north route of I94 through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho to Washington State. We planed the trip so as not to rush. We saw such sights as "Mall of America", the geographical center of North America in Rugby, ND, the S.A.C site of Minot, ND, and the buffalo in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Montana.

We visited Pinehaven children's Christian Ranch in St. Ignacius, Montana, a 1080 acre ranch supported by the Christian Churches/Church of Christ in the US. The ranch is selfcontained and has (6) 5000 sqft homes that accommodate up to 16 children per home. The ranch takes troubled youths, primarily those who have been given up on by parents or who have lost parents and the grandparents need help. Mainly rebellious types. It is amazing how these young lives are turned around. The ranch accepts no federal or state aid. Under the oversight of Bob and Nancy Larrson (a minister who started this ranch over 25 yrs ago. They are primarily self contained. They have wells, slaughter house, raise produce, raise beef, produce their own milk, hay, and harvest deer (they were in the process of dressing about 52 deer while we were there). The kids, both male and female are taught in gun safety and are allowed to go on hunting party's if they so desire. One girl had bagged a 10 pt. Whitetail during our visit. We had lunch with one the "Green House" with most of the kids living in that house. We were in awe of their deportment and discipline. Each house is named by its color. There are house parents, some still raising their own children. There are too many success stories to relate here of how they have turned out. Nothing is perfect, but they have a 99% success rate of turning these lives around. They have their own school, with gym and compete with area schools in sports and have a great success rate.

After we left Pinehaven we continued across a couple of snowy mountain passes. Across Washington state to our destination of Lacey, WA. We spent a few short day with Patrick, Esther and Belly. We would have liked to stayed until Patrick shipped out, but after spending 22yrs, 3 months and 24 day in combined active duty and reserves, Linda and I are sensitive to the fact of what it is like with so few days for family to spend together, that we left so they could spend those remaining days more intimately.

Now in about 6 weeks, Patrick will be leaving Iraq and heading home. He has about 18 months of active duty left before he can be discharged. That should keep him from having to return, but we never take anything for granted. Recently where he is they have increased the intensity of rooting out insurgents and that gives one cause for concern. We know he had been protected by angels via the prayers of all our friends and relatives. He had a close one a few weeks ago when the Stryker he was on patrol in tumbled off a 30 Ft cliff and landed on its back. He was banged up pretty bad with multiple cuts, wounds, and bruises. He told us that this was the first Stryker roll over accident that everyone survived. We thank God for that.

With his year over with he will start looking for employment. He is in great demand for intelligence work, but I don't think he is really looking that way seriously. No matter what he does, he will do well.

We don't see this kind of reporting in the mainstream press

I got this via Strykernews.com
By Kathleen T. Rhem, American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 20, 2004 – Iraq's deputy prime minister implored the American press to provide more balanced coverage of operations in Iraq.

Barham Salih, a prominent leader from Kurdish northern Iraq, made his plea June 19 to American reporters traveling in Iraq with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

"I hope you from the American press will be able to tell people back home … that (through) this mission you are giving an entire nation an opportunity to be rid of their challenges," he said.

"These soldiers are helping renovate schools and so on, and very, very little of that is reported," Salih continued. "We have to be grateful to those young men and women who have come from afar, sacrificing their lives to defend our security and our freedom."

He said context is important, and many American papers don't put things in the proper context. For instance, he said, "Many of the op-ed writers before the war predicted that Kirkuk would become the scene of the most vicious civil war," he said, referring to the northern Iraqi city that has been the site of problems between Kurds and Arabs.

"There are tensions in Kirkuk," he said, "but no civil war."

New Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawer explained his belief that 90 percent of what's happening in Iraq is good news, and 10 percent in bad. "The media is magnifying the 10 percent, ignoring the 90 percent," Yawer said.

He said the scandal surrounding detainee abuses at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison is a perfect example. The issue is clearer to people like him who have lived in the United States and understand American values, he said.

"I know this is outrageous to the American public (and) to the American administration as much as it is outrageous to the Iraqis," Yawer said.

But, he added, regular Iraqis "have been breastfed hatred to the United States and Great Britain for 45 years."

Yawer said he and other Iraqi leaders are working to acquaint the Iraqi people "with the real values of the American Bill of Rights and other great things you have in your constitution."

Spaghetti Fund Raiser

Funny the relevance of things. At Calvary Christian Church we have as our V.B.S. mission project this year Rock Lake Christian Assembly which is a camp for youth and other church functions. One of our local restaurants "Fazoli's" allows different charitable organizations to run fund raiser. They provide the food we provide the eaters. For $4.49 you can get 'all you can eat' spaghetti dinner. With a drink and tax it runs $6.07. Out of this we get $1.00 per meal. I bought 4 dinners. Total bill $24.28. If I stayed home and ate I could have given the $24.28 and this would have been tax deductible. As it is the camp will get $4.00. I also worked one hour as others did; busing tables, handing out literature, stickers etc. Well, we have to eat and the food is well worth the money, regardless that I am on a low carb diet. Who makes out? Everyone. While I was at the door, I made too good contacts for prospective new members, the camp will get extra money, Fazoli's made more profit by people coming to dinner who probably wouldn't have, and two of my granddaughters got a good experience.

Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's day. I think of Patrick, my son who is in Iraq. His wife and daughter are in Lacey, Washington. One if not the greatest tragedy of war, is the time taken out of a person's life by being away from family. My grand-daughter, Isabella just celebrated her second birthday nine days ago. Her father was gone. He was also gone last Christmas. Tomorrow her father will be gone on father's day. I remember 35 years ago when I was gone on my first father's day. Jennie my daughter was five months old. I was in Naples, Italy on the USS John F. Kennedy CVA-67. For 270 days I was away from my family. When I returned after that deployment, Jennie being so young did not remember me. Her rejecting me when I arrived back from deployment was more hurtful than the 9 months I was gone. I made a promise then that I would never be separated from my family for so long again. I figured there were four million people looking after the military and only one looking after my family. So, after 13 years, 3 months and 24 days I left the navy. (I did recoup the time 12 years later by serving another 9 years in the reserves, thus retiring). Today all of our fine young people who serve are volunteers. They had not threat of conscription. I have mixed feelings about that. Some give all, but most give nothing. I believe one of the problems with our country is because the majority let the minority do all the sacrificing. My wife Linda and I have 3 children. All are serving in a capacity in the military. I always figured that the 22+ years I served covered my family who couldn't serve or I could protect them from having to serve. I never once tried to persuade any of them to join as I did. I talked Patrick out of joining once, until he finished law school. The second time, I did not try. I asked my children why they wanted to be in the military. Their answer was simple. 'Dad', you served and we want to. Patrick is approaching his 4th year anniversary in the Army. He has went from a Specialist to 2LT. He has been a paratrooper, member of the Stryker Brigade, became an Arabic linguist, and trained in military intelligence. He is obligated to the Army for another year and half. The army has really made a man out of him. His head is on right and he has his priorities straight.
Tomorrow will be lonesome for me even though there will be others around me. The good shepherd who had 99 sheep in the pen, did not rest until that lost one was in the fold.
I know if he can he will call me tomorrow.

Erin finally did it.

Today was a good day in church. Erin Haven who was a year younger than Patrick has finally gotten his degree in EE from Lawrence tech. I was able to present him with a gift from the church and pick on him a little. I made the observation that Patrick had gotten his degree plus one year in law school and has served four years in the Army in the same amount of time. I have known Erin (female name for male person)married before Patrick (one of the reasons he got slowed down in school)since he was born. His dad Doug was a close friend of mine and fellow leader in church. We lost Doug to cancer about 10 years ago. Erin was 16. I look at him like a son and want to be a grandfather figure to Jonathon his son. Erin is very devout and I see him as a elder of the church some day.

If I knew it was this easy, I would have done this before.

This will be be my site for thoughts, musings, or any other pertinent/or not blog that suits my demeanor from time to time. So save this sight to your favorites if you want. Check in often, leave comments both pro or con as you see fit. I can take it.