[Troy]

Well done, Soldier -
http://g.dwgsee.com/wake/index.htm

This slide show and song opens quickly.

[bebop]

oh troy! I am so beyond touched by that video. thank you so much for sharing. I thought my days of those were long gone. I guess as long as there are wars we will continue to see the sadness and loneliness. As I sat watching it I can vividly remember dreams I had of vietnam even though I have never been there. too many friends that had been there and my late husband made me dream. I welcome you home my friend.

[Troy]

Thank you Bebop... I think I'm still on my way home, and it sure feels good to know that I'll be welcome.

My travel home was in a canvas litter, hanging second from the bottom in a 5-rack shelf arrangement along one side of a cargo plane. All of the other litters were filled with broken GI's.

They had us drugged for sleeping all the way. I awoke when we refuled in Alaska and the nurse brought a cup of snow aboard for me to see it.

She offered me a drink of water, but I was too worried that I'd "wet the bed" in my sleep and ruin the trip for the GI below me...didn't understand that the medical staff had thought of that as well and put appropriate plastic sheeting on the litters...lol. For some reason, I didn't think of what would happen to me, sleeping beneath 3 others.

Some of those broken teens were unloaded from the litters into coffins and never got to see those who waited for them. *tears

Here's the point ... for every scene you see in this slide show, there was an equivalent for my war. Nothing changes except the increased ability to destroy the enemy.

I hope others will get to see the slide show and hear the song that really conveys the soldier's thoughts.

Take care, bebop. Take care.
T.

[nowheretorun]

I'm very grateful you shared your knowledge about these matters with us Troy. I've often wondered how men who serve in the military must feel about the work and jobs they are assigned. I am not a person who examines other people as one might an insect in some way. Rather, i learn very much from reading about others experiences.

What i attempt to convey in my postings in this forum is a deep regard for the gravity and seriousness of the subjects discussed within. I hope i do not offend in any way, any person.

I wish you well on your journey Troy.

prayers...

[Troy]

Feel free to ask anything anytime ... I won't be offended if it's out of bounds for me. If I can't answer honestly, I'll just let you know that.

Thanks for the prayers ...
T.

[SeptemberMorn]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Troy}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

((Troy))))
I watched this and thought of how , My friend lost her son in law over there. A.B. may he rest in peace/
My cousins 2 kids were in iraq. One can not go back. His back is forever wreaked. He maybe the lucky one.
The other brother goes back..soon.............


"Here's the point ... for every scene you see in this slide show, there was an equivalent for my war"

My father in law fought in ww11..........he never spoke about it till the end to me ....first time he had talked in years about it.....
I wish he could have before.....
" If I die before you wake"
He used words like that about his fears of not making it............
Thats a great slide show ((ty))
hope I did not ramble to much..
Bless you
muffy

[Troy]

Prayers for your friend who's son died in Iraq. When I was in the war and ever since, I've known that the hard part is for the survivors. The deaths are very very sad, but the trauma facing the survivors is unimaginable to me.

I feel only a touch of this having lost friends alongside me in combat, but these were short-term, intense friendships, not the life-long relationships experienced by family and home town friends. *tears *panic

You can see where my empathy lies.

I have a great sadness that I never personally contacted the wife or parents of one young officer who was killed at the same time I was wounded. Others told me they had contacted them, but during my recovery, I just couldn't do it.

I was ready to try a couple years later, and peers advised that I should just leave it alone, that it would just reopen the agony if the family had worked through this already.

Many years later, an acquaintance of the family found that I was with their son when he died. I gave him the complete story, all the details. He asked whether it was ok for the son (who was born after his dad's death) or for his brothers/sisters to contact me. I agreed, telling him it would be extraordinarily emotional for all of us, but that I would do it by phone or in person if they wanted to meet me. I never heard from any of them after that.

Prayers for the survivors, and let the sons of your cousins know how much we appreciate all that they are doing. Their effort and success is far greater than what the media will tell us.

T.

[Troy]

Thanks for the hugs SeptemberMorn...it means so much, even these many years after combat.

You can't imagine how many times soldiers need hugs in combat, and there is no relief from the agony and anguish of what they are going through.

Sometimes, our culture permits another soldier to hug one who is hurting *tears ... but usulally the soldier weeps silently in the dark and wonders whether they'll ever recover fromwhat they've seen or whattheyve done.

And when the sun comes up, the tear tracks are wiped away and the day starts again. The thoughts are buried by the ongoing vigilance and continuing violence. And sometime along the way, the memories become a part of who they are instead of brain waves. We don't even know that some of the memories are there until some word of kindness or a hug opens the door...and what happened that day comes flooding out in tears.

And the media portrays soldiers as war mongers, ruthless killers. Maybe they've carried a camera and notebook into battle, but somehow they never experienced what it's like for that teenager carrying the rifle and the responsibility. It should be required that every combat journalist be a combat veteran.

Thanks for the hugs and understanding.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Troy said:
Prayers for your friend who's son died in Iraq. When I was in the war and ever since, I've known that the hard part is for the survivors. The deaths are very very sad, but the trauma facing the survivors is unimaginable to me.

I feel only a touch of this having lost friends alongside me in combat, but these were short-term, intense friendships, not the life-long relationships experienced by family and home town friends. *tears *panic

You can see where my empathy lies.

I have a great sadness that I never personally contacted the wife or parents of one young officer who was killed at the same time I was wounded. Others told me they had contacted them, but during my recovery, I just couldn't do it.

I was ready to try a couple years later, and peers advised that I should just leave it alone, that it would just reopen the agony if the family had worked through this already.

Many years later, an acquaintance of the family found that I was with their son when he died. I gave him the complete story, all the details. He asked whether it was ok for the son (who was born after his dad's death) or for his brothers/sisters to contact me. I agreed, telling him it would be extraordinarily emotional for all of us, but that I would do it by phone or in person if they wanted to meet me. I never heard from any of them after that.

Prayers for the survivors, and let the sons of your cousins know how much we appreciate all that they are doing. Their effort and success is far greater than what the media will tell us.

T.

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((troy))
I think your very brave...........
Your right its harder on the ones who survivors
I will tell my cousins kids
TY
May peace find you some how.......
Be proud
muffy