Jac-Kuch-ie
October 11th, 2006, 10:06 AM
Hi all! As some of you know, my brother-in-law is deployed in Baghdad, Iraq. I just received the following email, and hope some of you can help him out.
Hello Again,
I have no big adventure to tell you about this time, just a couple of thoughts to share.
First I want to tell you about my heroes - the soldiers' families. (The soldiers are my heroes too. I'm allowed to have more than one set.) Those of you on my address list that have drilled with me have heard this speech before, but it means a lot more to me now that I've been mobilized myself for ten months and deployed to the center of gravity of a combat zone for six. Those of us in uniform had some reason for doing this. It's an all volunteer force. We weren't drafted. We all had some motivation to serve our country in the Armed Forces. Some of us, me included, love it. After all these years the challenge and satisfaction of serving in uniform is engrained in every fiber of my body. We knew the risks and accepted them, in return for some benefit or personal sense of reward. That doesn't necessarily hold true for our families. In my case I was in the Navy before I got married, so my wife made a deliberate choice to marry a sailor. She had some idea of what she was getting herself into. My kids were born into it. They had no choice. I think my mother supported my decision to join when I was 18, but I don't think she thought she'd still have to worry about me when I was 48.
When soldiers deploy we move forward together with a great sense of adventure, purpose, and mission. It's what we signed on for, it's what we trained for, it's what we do, it's who we are. And we leave our families home alone. By themselves.
I have long admired my fellow reservists and their families. The military isn't normally our primary means of support. It's not usually paying our bills. It's a two day a month job. With an obligation to always be prepared to drop everything in our personal lives, to leave our families, and go to the front. What's in it for our spouses? Paying the bills, maintaining the home, fixing the car. Getting the kids to school, to church, to their activities, to the doctor. Never going out on a date with their spouse, being less secure in their home, celebrating holidays and special events with an empty place at the table. Oh, and working 40 hours a week.
And worrying. 24/7. I experienced that first hand myself when friends from my reserve center deployed before me. It's exhausting. I now have a new insight into being in the combat zone. It's not as hard as being home worrying. I know when I am in danger and when I'm not. When I'm not, I'm relaxed. My wife, my kids, and my parents don't have that luxury of always knowing. They see the bad news, wonder, and worry. (I still don't have a clue what's going through my kids' minds.)
With that thought in mind I now have a favor to ask. It's not hard. October 24th is my 25th Wedding Anniversary. In order to make it memorable for my wife, my hero, in some small way other than by my absence, I ask that you please mail her an Anniversary Card. You don't have to go out of your way. Just pick something up the next time you're at the grocery store and drop it in the mail. A brief "Thank you for your sacrifice" note might be appropriate. My goal is to surprise her with quantity. I know many of you have never even met her but don't let that stop you from mailing a card!! As a result of my e-mails being forwarded I have received several messages from people I do not know, and I find them very encouraging.
Mary Beth Marsh
XXXXX <---- PM me for the address
XXXXXXXXXXX
Thank you!
If you feel so inclined, can you please send her an anniversary card. I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks!
Hello Again,
I have no big adventure to tell you about this time, just a couple of thoughts to share.
First I want to tell you about my heroes - the soldiers' families. (The soldiers are my heroes too. I'm allowed to have more than one set.) Those of you on my address list that have drilled with me have heard this speech before, but it means a lot more to me now that I've been mobilized myself for ten months and deployed to the center of gravity of a combat zone for six. Those of us in uniform had some reason for doing this. It's an all volunteer force. We weren't drafted. We all had some motivation to serve our country in the Armed Forces. Some of us, me included, love it. After all these years the challenge and satisfaction of serving in uniform is engrained in every fiber of my body. We knew the risks and accepted them, in return for some benefit or personal sense of reward. That doesn't necessarily hold true for our families. In my case I was in the Navy before I got married, so my wife made a deliberate choice to marry a sailor. She had some idea of what she was getting herself into. My kids were born into it. They had no choice. I think my mother supported my decision to join when I was 18, but I don't think she thought she'd still have to worry about me when I was 48.
When soldiers deploy we move forward together with a great sense of adventure, purpose, and mission. It's what we signed on for, it's what we trained for, it's what we do, it's who we are. And we leave our families home alone. By themselves.
I have long admired my fellow reservists and their families. The military isn't normally our primary means of support. It's not usually paying our bills. It's a two day a month job. With an obligation to always be prepared to drop everything in our personal lives, to leave our families, and go to the front. What's in it for our spouses? Paying the bills, maintaining the home, fixing the car. Getting the kids to school, to church, to their activities, to the doctor. Never going out on a date with their spouse, being less secure in their home, celebrating holidays and special events with an empty place at the table. Oh, and working 40 hours a week.
And worrying. 24/7. I experienced that first hand myself when friends from my reserve center deployed before me. It's exhausting. I now have a new insight into being in the combat zone. It's not as hard as being home worrying. I know when I am in danger and when I'm not. When I'm not, I'm relaxed. My wife, my kids, and my parents don't have that luxury of always knowing. They see the bad news, wonder, and worry. (I still don't have a clue what's going through my kids' minds.)
With that thought in mind I now have a favor to ask. It's not hard. October 24th is my 25th Wedding Anniversary. In order to make it memorable for my wife, my hero, in some small way other than by my absence, I ask that you please mail her an Anniversary Card. You don't have to go out of your way. Just pick something up the next time you're at the grocery store and drop it in the mail. A brief "Thank you for your sacrifice" note might be appropriate. My goal is to surprise her with quantity. I know many of you have never even met her but don't let that stop you from mailing a card!! As a result of my e-mails being forwarded I have received several messages from people I do not know, and I find them very encouraging.
Mary Beth Marsh
XXXXX <---- PM me for the address
XXXXXXXXXXX
Thank you!
If you feel so inclined, can you please send her an anniversary card. I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks!