Tremor Therapy
10-19-2006, 12:59 PM
One of the guys I work with has a son-in-law serving in Iraq. He is on his second year long tour, and Bob frequently passes along some of the e-mails. This one was especially moving to me, and I thought I would pass it along to all of us who have enjoyed an extraordinary summer!
For those of you who do not know, my son-in-law is back for his second yearlong tour of duty in Iraq. Below is an email from him. As you read his email, keep in mind that Stan is a First Sergeant.
Hi Bob,
This has been a rough week for us out here, two people I knew well died and tomorrow is one of their memorials. The way the memorial goes people that the soldier knew well, friends and commanders talk about what they remember about him. Then they pass and salute a podium with his boots pointing forward and an M-16 and bayonet behind the boots stuck into the podium, barrel pointed down. The magazine well is towards the audience with the soldiers helmet is on top of the butstock with the soldierÂ’s dog tags hanging from the grip. After that the fallen soldier's Company First Sergeant goes through his units rolls, starting a couple of names before the fallen soldier. When he gets to that soldier's name he says (for example...) "Leutenant Jones...."(silence), "Leutenant Andrew Jones...."(silence), then he turns to the Commander, salutes and says "Sir, Leutenant Andrew Jones out of ranks" then they play taps. A few seconds later they start the 21 gun salute of seven M-16's firing in unison three times. Following taps they play music on bagpipes and the audience passes by the podium with his helmet, rifle, boots, and dog tags and salute. Let me tell you Bob everytime I go to these things I just want to walk out to the podium and all the flags and start kicking them all over while yelling "This didn't happen! This isn't real!". I know how you feel about the war over here, but there is nothing worse then having to be witness to another memorial....nothing. I'll try to find a picture to show you what the podium looks like, because my words pale before the actual image.
I'm not telling you about this ceremony to get you worked up but so you can understand what I have to go through. I can't wait until it's time for me to come home once and for all and finally get to hang up my uniform for the last time and not have to wear it anymore. I don't regret my decision in joining the military in fact I'm happy that I did but that one part I just described I could do without. I'm proud of what I do and how far I've come in the short time I've been in the Army, it's really become a part of me, someday when I get out I know I'll miss parts of it and I'm sure it'll feel like I just woke up missing a limb one morning. You can edit parts of this email and share it with your coworkers if you'd like because it's a real part of this war that I've seen, and the freshest in my mind.
Stan
For those of you who do not know, my son-in-law is back for his second yearlong tour of duty in Iraq. Below is an email from him. As you read his email, keep in mind that Stan is a First Sergeant.
Hi Bob,
This has been a rough week for us out here, two people I knew well died and tomorrow is one of their memorials. The way the memorial goes people that the soldier knew well, friends and commanders talk about what they remember about him. Then they pass and salute a podium with his boots pointing forward and an M-16 and bayonet behind the boots stuck into the podium, barrel pointed down. The magazine well is towards the audience with the soldiers helmet is on top of the butstock with the soldierÂ’s dog tags hanging from the grip. After that the fallen soldier's Company First Sergeant goes through his units rolls, starting a couple of names before the fallen soldier. When he gets to that soldier's name he says (for example...) "Leutenant Jones...."(silence), "Leutenant Andrew Jones...."(silence), then he turns to the Commander, salutes and says "Sir, Leutenant Andrew Jones out of ranks" then they play taps. A few seconds later they start the 21 gun salute of seven M-16's firing in unison three times. Following taps they play music on bagpipes and the audience passes by the podium with his helmet, rifle, boots, and dog tags and salute. Let me tell you Bob everytime I go to these things I just want to walk out to the podium and all the flags and start kicking them all over while yelling "This didn't happen! This isn't real!". I know how you feel about the war over here, but there is nothing worse then having to be witness to another memorial....nothing. I'll try to find a picture to show you what the podium looks like, because my words pale before the actual image.
I'm not telling you about this ceremony to get you worked up but so you can understand what I have to go through. I can't wait until it's time for me to come home once and for all and finally get to hang up my uniform for the last time and not have to wear it anymore. I don't regret my decision in joining the military in fact I'm happy that I did but that one part I just described I could do without. I'm proud of what I do and how far I've come in the short time I've been in the Army, it's really become a part of me, someday when I get out I know I'll miss parts of it and I'm sure it'll feel like I just woke up missing a limb one morning. You can edit parts of this email and share it with your coworkers if you'd like because it's a real part of this war that I've seen, and the freshest in my mind.
Stan