This documentary looks very promising. I encourage anyone who is interested in helping veterans to visit this site and become informed or see where you can help. The reality is that more than 120 veterans between 20-24 are killing themselves weekly. Over 200,000 men and women who once wore the uniform are sleeping under bridges and streets at night. I could go on and on but I think this documentary is covering it all.

Ask yourself this before you click off the site, what are you truly doing to support veterans other than a yellow ribbon on your car? Now click away.

www.vadocumentary.com

9 Comments
General, News from home

Hello all. It’s the Mrs. dropping in to say hello and let you know what’s going on here.

Readjustment has it’s ups and downs for both of us. AS is going through a lot of differnet things- medical issues due to his injury, anger. anxiety, sadness. He has gone for his medical exams and things are improving, just very slowly. He is still finding it difficult to go places but we do it together. I try to be aware of his physical ques so that I can help calm him. It is still very difficult for him to ride in the car- he sits on the edge of his seat and is always looking around. And he is still not sleeping well. He’s up until all hours of the early morning trying to occupy himself on the computer.

As for me it hard to watch the one you love so much in such a state of emotion. Some days I feel at a loss as to how I can help him. You hear the old addage “time and patience” but I feel there has to be more out there than that. I mean, he needs physical comfort- for me to hold his hand, or just to rub his neck and tell him it’s OK, or just to be close. As well as his mental needs, how do you meet those? It’s not just about him getting used to being home. It’s me trying to help him help himself and understand that things are OK and will be OK and that he is safe. And it can be frustrtaing for both of us to always communicate that.

Some things that have been going on since he’s come home… We just got all his gear back today. It was very emotinal for him to go through those tough boxes. For an injured solider to go home and have his things sent back from war all cleaned and labled like they do if he had not been so lucky really strikes a nerve. I think it may have made him realize that this was over for him. At least for now. For me it was neat to see some of the things he had in his room or some of the gear he wore while out on missions.
He wanted to make a garden when he got home. We have done that. It’s nothing big, just an 8 x 10 raised bed with a few rows of our favorite veggies. He loves to go check on it and water it each morning.
And the best thing of all is that we’re having another baby! We had talked alot about it while he was gone. We both thought it would take a while but it happened right away. So needless to say we were both shocked and excited. So this will bring the number up to 5! He’s looking forward to having his own little fireing team.

So that’s all the happeneings in our little world. Thank you for all the support and well wishes. They are greatly appreciated!

Mrs. AS

45 Comments
General, News from home

I was informed today that my writing is not like how it used to be. Full of so much emotion and the no holds barred in your face passages. I will admit that I didn’t really notice a change until today. I have been so consumed with trying to fix myself, work, finishing the book and my family that I haven’t put a lot of emphasis on this site. I took a good look at the month of November and compare it to last November 2004. There is a major difference and I sat back and realized the difference.

I can say that there have been a lot of things that has gone on since my return. My individual odyssey to get my shoulder fixed has been reached and then some. I would say that my shoulder is about 90% now.

Work has kept me quite busy and so hasn’t the Army. I’ve been deployed twice to assist relief efforts. Once for Katrina and the other in my home state. I can tell you this; I’ve had enough water to last me for a while!

My family is doing well. It was slow going at first but the routine of life slowly fell into place. Habits that formed while I was away took a little while to break but certain compromises were met. There is an old saying that goes like this. One step forward and two steps back. Well without going into too much detail, that saying could sum up a lot of things since my return. It has been tough and I’ve had to make some tough decisions. However, things are a lot better now.

This journal means a lot to me and to defer from it is not going to happen. I’ve enjoyed many email conversations with the thousands that have stumbled upon this site. It gets overwhelming but I do my best to write to everyone who graces me with their words. I was astounded earlier this week to see that people came together and donated to Project Valour-IT from my site. I was also proud to see that so many people voted for me in the competition among bloggers. There were some heavy hitters in that competition. It was all that and then a single email from a person telling me that all they wanted was to read the things that brought her to my site day to day. The ‘stuff that amazed’ her.

So with that, I will say that I never left, but I have returned.

11 Comments
General, News from home

I won’t be misquoted. Hence no Fox coverage for me. Here is what I said when asked these two questions. It didn’t make it into the story.

Do I think that the troops feel bad that the senate now doubts the case for war?

My whole quote:

“Soldiers in Iraq are there because they are told to go there, they just want to survive and ensure that the soldiers around them come home too. They really don’t give a crap that they didn’t find WMD’s, that is not the emphasis of the war now. We are doing so much for that country like building schools and enabling clean water to flow into towns.”

Their condensed quote:

“Soldiers on the ground don’t give a crap that we didn’t find WMDs — they just want to survive there,”

How do I feel about the Senate shutting down the other day because of the case for war situation?

My whole quote:

“I think they (politicians) have too much time on their hands. They need to really focus on the things that are important like what the soldiers need. Why is it a politician wakes up and says, ‘We have to figure out why did we go into this war?’ At the end of the day, they’re not fighting it, and their children aren’t fighting it”

Their condensed quote:

“Why is it a politician wakes up and says, ‘We have to figure out why did we go into this war?’ At the end of the day, they’re not fighting it, and their children aren’t fighting it.”

~~

No loss of sleep for not making it into the article but these answers I don’t think would of been compatible with any news agency. Again, MSM’s are scared of me. My answers condensed might seem tamed, but get the entire quote in there and oh shit, stop the press! I will refuse to have my quotes taken out of context. You can clearly see how much of a difference my stance can be miscontrued if you don’t see the whole quote.

Blackfive has this to say.

13 Comments
General, News from home

A few months ago I wrote about a soldier that I had served with. He was injured by an IED and is now at Walter Reed. It took some work but I was able to get his info and have been corresponding with him since. This is the summary of his story.

XXX - Denotes OPSEC material.

I was the gunner for the lead vehicle in our three vehicle patrol. We had just turned onto route XXX, which is perpendicular to ASR XXX, which slightly resembles XXX back home. About half way down the road we were greeted by two 155mm artillery rounds very well placed by a Hajji on the left side of the road which detonated between 15 and 20 feet from my humvee on the front left side. I received 15 pieces of shrapnel to my right forearm, which severed my median, and ulna nerves, my ulna artery, and mangling many ligaments and tendons. I also caught two pieces of shrapnel in my neck, and I received some pretty hefty lacerations to my face and forehead.

I have no feeling and no use of my right hand. They reconnected the nerves by grafting a section of nerve from my left calf. They tied off the artery at Balad in Iraq. They say I’ll never have full feeling or use of my right hand again. I’m looking at a year or two for a recovery.

We were talking last night and he was telling me that he wants to go to college but doesn’t think he will be very easy because of his injury. His tone sounded like he was giving up that dream. The gears starting moving in my head and thought that this soldier was a perfect candidate for a Project Valour-IT laptop.

I told this soldier that I wanted him to email me his address at Walter Reed and to also list anything he needs. I told him that he is only 18, a war veteran and he should be proud of himself and damn lucky to be alive, so live.

He humbly acknowledged this and told me that he would send me a list of things he may need.

I emailed my contact over at Project Valour-IT and she responded to my request. I asked her if she could consider this soldier for a laptop. We went back and forth with a few detailed emails and in the end have secured a laptop for this young warrior. I believe that Chuck Ziegenfuss is going to be delivering it personally. I’ve asked that it be given to him from a friend. No names, no association to this site, but rather a friend. This soldier does not know that I am ‘American Soldier’.

I went to bed with a smile on my face knowing that I was going to make his dream of going to college a reality. I want you to know that I am very appreciative of Project Valour-IT and all those involved. I have no doubt that this soldier will utilize this computer and be successful with his future school endeavors. I know he has a long road to recovery but recovery begins with the mind.

So let this be a true testament to this program and how it works! Take the time today and support this cause.

15 Comments
General, News from home