Veterans Day 2010

I sit here, drinking my coffee, and I am thankful my husband is alive! He has served 2 wars. He is serving one right now as I type.

He served OIF V from Oct 2007 to Dec 2008. He was with the Cotton-balers. I have never experienced such pride in a unit and I doubt I ever will again. That unit is full of brothers. Men who become battle buddies, best friends, brothers. They served proudly together. The wives served back at Fort Stewart proudly together. We were a family. My husbands battalion was sent to Fob Iskan, right outside of Iskandryia, Iraq. Their fob was on the corner of "the Triangle of Death". They went to Fob Kalsu a lot, which was also a corner of the Triangle of Death. It is a small trip...maybe 10-11 miles. It was also considered at one point of time to be one of the deadliest routes in Iraq. My husband went on mission after mission after mission. Sometimes they were back to back. He got stuck in a sand storm. He had to do clean up of a truck that got got hit with an IED. Seeing the blood all over the truck hit him pretty hard. That deployment was one of the most scariest times of my life. I was thankful he made it home not only alive but without a scratch on his body. 8 soldiers in 3-7 IN were not as lucky. I think about these soldiers who I have never even met and I am so thankful to them for the ultimate sacrifices they made. I went to their trees at Fort Stewart and I paid my respects to them. I continue to think about them throughout my life since then. They will never know that their lives and sacrifices will live on in the hearts of their battle buddies, the spouses, the families. They will truly be missed!

SSG Phillips

SSG Dawson

SGT Durbin

SPC Norris

SGT Jordan

CPT Raudenbush

PFC Smith

SGT Kelsey (Outpost Kelsey was named after him)

My husband went from 3-7 INF FSC out of Fort Stewart to 17th CSSB 109th TC out of Fort Richardson. He was with them for over a year and deployed with them. After he got to his FOB he transferred to another Company (HHC) within 17th CSSB. 2 1/2 months into their deployment 2 of his 109th battle buddies were injured and 2 were KIA. He is in a safer position this deployment which I am thankful for because I was a wreck last deployment. His friends and battle buddies are out doing the missions all the time and so he still is having to experience the losses again. I think this time around.. these 2 soldiers hit him very hard. They were young.. very young. They didn't have much experience in the Army and they had futures ahead of them. Neither got to experience the love of a spouse or child. Right out of HS and onto the battlefield. They truly sacrificed their lives for our country!

PFC Dawson

PFC Petree

I am so proud of my husband and all he does. I am willing to sacrifice and serve along side him. I will always remember his battle buddies who gave their lives for our freedom. I will never forget them when I look at my husband and I am thankful he is still alive.

Happy Veterans Day to all of those who have served in the past, present and future. Happy Veterans Day and I will never forget, to those who were KIA, MIA or POA!

God Bless You All!